Best rear wheel/stub axle bearing, Bearing renew. Options

[falcor75]

Be aware that pirate branded bearings is a big issue. Buying from the cheapest place or ebay and chances are that you wont be getting what you think you are paying for.
Sure this may mostly be an issue for larger more expensive bearings than ours but stil its good to be aware of the problem.

https://www.machinedesign.com/motion-contro...s-fake-bearings

[bbrock]

Coldest day I've seen here was -35...the day I moved into this house. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)
Normal temps are around 15-32F this time of year, I don't care as my shop has good heat.

Wha...!? You must be in the Banana Belt. I've seen -40 down here in the south.

For installing rear bearings, I freeze the bearings and use the HF Front Wheel Bearing Adapter set. I don't know why they call it a front adapter set. It works great on rear bearings to install without using hammers.

BTW, for removing bearings, Autozone offers a free slide hammer bearing set as a loaner. For their loaner tools, you pay for the tool and they refund you when you return it. My store doesn't even limit how long you keep it.

[bdstone914]

Years back I did a comparison on the rear bearings. they are NOT made the same as the original ones. Internal races are NOT as thick as the originals and the bearings are smaller. Bruce Stone and I talked about this a couple of weeks ago. He did all sorts of measurements on the bearings. Not sure of his conclusions Maybe he will chime in.

Yes Bruce will chime in.
I discussed with Mark his experience that the installed bearings had more play after installed and the stub axle installed. He had some info that the bearings were made to more loose tolerances.
I had about a dozen used bearings that I decided to tear down for sling shot ammo.
I found the old German made bearings took a lot more pressure to pop out the seal and outer race. The Slovakian bearing pop apart with very little pressure.
I would like to know the quality level to which they are build regarding allowed variation in size and clearances. They may have looser tolerances allowing faster machining time and reduced cost.

What I found most interesting was the 911 Porsche 1974 and on, does not have a metal cage to hold the balls. It is some find of flexible plastic.

I have tried the freezer method and it only worked once. The bores are often not smooth with rough machining. I made slide hammer tools to remove the hubs and bearings. I use a Harbor Freight Bearing installation set. I have a shop press but never used it for bearing install. I like to hand install them to have the feel that they are going in right. I get them started then tap the plate on the top with a hammer alternately around the edge to get the bearing in about 1/4 inch. They never want to go in straight. After they are started I used the fine threaded rod and discs to pull them in.

@914sixer
@bbrock

[90quattrocoupe]

I have been using a hub tool I bought many moons ago.
I would like to add one thing. Back in the day, bearings from the VAG dealers used to come with a little packet of Molybdenum Disulfide paste. You would use in on the bore of the hub, before inserting the bearing. Since that time, I have used the paste on both the hub carrier bore and on the hub itself.
If you don't have any MD paste, you can use copper slip.
I have never had a bearing or hub spin in the bores. But I find it a little easier to remove both later down the road when the bearing needs to be replaced.

Greg W.

[90quattrocoupe]

Double post.