Well I rotated my Revos last night and found the rear drivers side wheel bearing to be rather worn and loose to the point that with the truck in the air you can shake the wheel a little! The rear end has been noisy for a while too after getting stuck and shredding a tire I drove it on the spare like a dumb a$$ and chewed up a bearing in there " my spare was a 225/75 and my tires at the time were 31's"... The question is, is this a job I could take on at home, I totally rebuilt my front end myself with no issues, I cant imagine rebuilding the rear would be that much worse? Does it require speacial tools? Is it safe to use the truck with the wheel bearing a little loose?!!! Does anyone know where I may find a complete rear axle that would be low mile and a direct fit? My truck is a 1988, 3.0V6 with the automatic trans.. Thanks again, I need a hand with this one!

 

Well, they might tell you you need special tools to remove and install the bearing, but I've done it without much trouble at all.

Jack it up, secure on jackstands, remove wheel.

Remove and plug brakeline, disconnect the e-brake at the backing plate there.

4 nuts hold the backing plate to the axle. take those off. (this is easy, eh?)

slide out the axle complete. shove a rag in the end of the axle to slow any flow and keep sarpints (sic) from slithering in there.

Remove the circlip from behing the bearing.
Now the part that they tell you you need a press for.
get a block of wood and lay it on your driveway.
Put a rag over the brakeline hole 'cause fluid is about to shoot out.
leave the drum on for mass. now, grasp the assembly by the drum and backplate. point the end of the axle at the board on the driveway, lift up about a foot, and try to drive the end of the axle into the wood on the driveway. after about 3 good slams, you'll drive the bearing off the axle.

OK, go get cleaned up, jump in the wife's soccer minivan and go get a bearing and clip (maybe you sould do that first?) NOTE* Wipe all grease from van seat when you return wife's van.

To put the bearing back on, you'll need a piece of pipe the right diameter. slide on beaing, put pipe over axle and down onto the INNER bearing race. (no need to mess up your otherwise new bearing.) Other old schoolers will want to set the bearing on using a brass punch and a hammer. Either way works fine, just go slow and don't cock the bearing on the axle.
Snap ring back on. remove rag from axle housing. Axle back in, 4 nuts back on, e-brake cable, brake line, bleed brakes with help of trusty assistant (kid in the cab pushing pedals works too.) wheel on, torque lugnuts, set 'er down and go for a test drive to Dairy Queen with your helper kid.

 

I thought I had to remove the drive shaft, pull out the diff and unclip the axle from the housing! I think I can handle this job with no problem, I did just do the entire front, inner and outter bearings and races, it was a dirty job but doable. Thanks for the insight, the stealership wants $700, that includes new bearings and seals on both sides, a new pinion bearing, fluid and all the labor to do the job.. I may just try to find a low mile rear axle all together, Im sure my diff is in bad shape there is a lot of slop in it when you turn one wheel the other does not turn right away, there is probably at least a half inch of slop in it.. Time for an LSD!~

 

Wow this is a seriously helpful thread. Is there a how to on rebuilding the diff and third member similar to this?

 

rebuilding the diff, is a lot more complicated, I have just eyeballed them before, in fact the diff in my 93 was eyeballed and I used parts from 3 seperate diffs to make a good one, and it sucks...it has lasted over 60k tho, even tho she was always loaded with wood, paper..etc, and towed my boat all over the place.
To do it right tho, is another thing, u need expensive equipment...dial indicators, calipers, and a micrometer. And u need to know what all the specs are. Read the fsm on that one, before you attempt.

 

bummer

 

you would prob be best off just locating used 3rds... I got a whole rearend for $250, and I know there are people on yt that have 3rds for $250 shipped.

 

I wish it was that easy for me. I slammed that thing for a half hour. COuldn't feel my thumbs for teh rest of the day. Ended up bojamming a homemade press with 2 peices of ready rod and a peice of angle iron.

 

that 's how we rednecks get'er done.

 

You tow a boat with a 3.0??? Yikes... Lot of stress on the engine and Tranny unless it is a little dinggy

Is your rear axle bent? it can be very hard to tell unless you take it off. That was why my rear bearing went and this is what happened...



If you don't have full floats in the rear, the bearing is what keeps the hub on your axle...

And this is WHY my bearing went...


Though I doubt your rear axle is bent unless you wheel really hard like me

 

I changed the bearing and seal on my '79 just the way he said without any problem. I did however remove the brake drum first. I've put on many bearings so I just did it the old fashion way with a small ball pein and slowly but surely tapped it into place. Worked like a charm.
One thing to think about is if the wheel seal is leaking you best go ahead and change the bearing while you are at it. A worn bearing will take the new seal out pretty quick. Be ready for the sticker shock on the bearing also.......this ain't no idler pulley bearing.

Crtzlow

 

actually, it was a 16' starcraft, and I had no probs towing it, hell...I even towed another 4runner over 100 mi and up some, long steep hills.... just gotta take her slow.