There is a video on you tube "Porsche Boxster wheel bearings" where the mechanic is having trouble with Boxster front wheel bearings failing. He shows the old bearing with a chewed up race and overheated ball bearings. He opens a new FAG bearing and removes the grease seal. Takes the bearing apart and only half the bearing is packed with grease! The other side is dry!

These are similar to the bearings we use in the rear trailing arms. So to go through all the work to replace the rear wheel bearings, only to have them fail because they forgot to pack them properly with grease. Scary!

You are correct that the 914 rear bearings are the SAME as the Boxster bearing. That may be part of the answer in the thread about sloppy rear wheel bearing. I know I will have to replace a new one I just installed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A5kf5pXl4w

I should take the one apart on my work bench and see if it has grease in it.

I have a brand new set at home on the shelf. I guess I'll be checking them...

Is the dust seal replaceable once pulled off & bearing gets packed with Slippy stuff???

I tried to take the new FAG bearing apart that I just pulled from my car. The seals come off easy enough if you a careful...easy to deform them. There is an outer red rubber seal and a smaller inner black seal. Mine has the same white opaque grease that is in the video clip in it. It has grease in both halves so lack of grease wasn't the problem. The bearing I have has a plastic bearing cage in it and doesn't come apart like the one in the video. All of the trailing arm bearings I have seen in the past have a metal bearing cage. You have to be careful with them or you can pull them apart in your hand.

Iv had this problem with new bearings on an audi a4. new rear wheel bearing only lasted a few years/ We checked out the new new one and wasnt hardly any in there. Now we check all new bearings and usually theyre pretty dry.

I just ordered 2 Timken bearings for the rear trailing arms from Rock Auto. $54.79 each + $5.99 shipping, USPS priority mail. They are not listed for a Porsche 914. You must look them up under a 2000 BMW 328i. Part number 513106. I emailed Timken on Friday to see what type of grease they use to pack their wheel bearings.