C2 Rear Wheel Bearings--Better Left Alone?

[Bruce Boatner]

I am a first time Corvette owner and recently purchased a 1964 coupe. I was planning on planning on repacking the rear wheel bearings as the service manual recommends doing this every 30,000 miles. I read in a Corvette restoration guide (sorry, cannot remember name), that playing with the rear wheel bearings is asking for trouble. Their advice was to leave well enough alone unless trouble signs occur as the lubrication for the rear bearings is sealed in well and not prone to problems.

I would appreciate any insights on this. Is it really very complicated and/or difficult to service the rear bearings? My inclination is repack the bearings, but everything seems to be OK right now, and I would hate to do more harm than good.

[Duke W.]

Re: C2 Rear Wheel Bearings--Better Left Alone?

The 30K service requirement was elimated in Dec '62 when the final pressed fit design went into production. This was covered in a TSB. What does your '64 Shop Manual Supplement say.

Drum brakes are inherently easier on the rear wheel bearings than disk brakes, and I didn't touch mine for over 100K miles. Assuming you only drive the car occassionally and there are no problems with the axle or rear suspension, I'd leave them alone.

One way to check them it to get the car in the air and wiggle them. They should have about the same amount of wiggle as a properly adjusted front bearing. If they do start to go they will give plenty of warning by getting noisy, so they are unlikely to leave you stranded by the side of the road.

Duke

[Bruce Boatner]

Re: C2 Rear Wheel Bearings--Better Left Alone?

Duke,

I will check the 1964 supplement. I know that the 1963 manual still listed the 30,000 mile interval. Anyway, thanks for the advice. I always like to follow the "If it ain't broke, don't fix rule" when appropriate.

Bruce

[DarenSchneider]

Re: C2 Rear Wheel Bearings--Better Left Alone?

I have approx 60,000 miles on my 67. After reading many horror stories I took my trailing arms off and went to repack mine. What did I fine. Perfect wheel bearings with adequate grease after 34 years. Replaced them as it was apart and came out fine but I wish I never touched them.

[Duke W.]

Re: C2 Rear Wheel Bearings--Better Left Alone?

The '63 Shop Manual was published when the slip fit design was released, so it has the 30K service requirement. Of course, the TSB changed this, but TSBs were not commonly available to consumers back then.

I'm curious what, if anything, the '64 Supplement has to say, about the rear bearings since the press fit design was well established at that point, and it continued virtually unchanged through the end of '82 production.

Duke

[Duke W.]

Re: C2 Rear Wheel Bearings--Better Left Alone?

When I did my SWC at 115K miles the bearings were fine and the clearance was three to four thou. I cleaned everything and put it all back together with new grease and seals. Being as how I seriously doubted I would drive another 100K miles at that point I reused the OE bearings, which along with the races appeared virtually as new. End play was the same three to four thou after everything was back together.

Duke

[Bruce Boatner]

Re: C2 Rear Wheel Bearings--Better Left Alone?

Duke,

I'll take a look at the '64 supplement tonight and let you know what I find out. I do not recall seeing any supplement regarding rear wheel bearing service, but I was not looking specifically for it at the time. Just curious, how is the "press fit" design different from the earlier design? My guess is that bearing removal and replacement are more difficult with the later design.

[Duke W.]

Re: C2 Rear Wheel Bearings--Better Left Alone?

The early "slip fit design" had clearance between the inner race and stub axle, so once the axle nut was removed, it would slip right out. This design created problems on the first couple of thousands cars - probably galling of the stub axle. After interim "fixes" were implemented in November, the final "press fit" design went into production in early December. This design incorporates a press fit between the inner race and axle, so there is no chance for relative movement and axle galling.

Of course, it's more difficult to assemble and disassembly can be a real pain, requiring at least a 10 ton press and sometimes heat (particularly on disk brake models), but is mitigated by the elimination of the maintenance interval.

I think I used a ten ton press to disassemble the pack on my '63. I recall fixturing things up then working the pump until the pressure was near redline and the press base was noticeably bowed. At that point I got cold feet and decided to walk away and think about it. A few seconds later I heard a "crack" that sounded like the report from a high powered rifle. The base plate was no longer bowed, and the press easily pushed out the axle with a few more pumps.

For the other side I followed the same proceedure - quickly pumped up the pressure to near max, then walked aways and waited for the report, which took even less time than the first.

Duke

[Dave B.]

Re: Duke...The '64 Shop Manual says...

and I quote from page 4-1. "The axle drive shaft and propeller shaft universal joints have been redesigned on the 1964 models and do not require periodic inspection and lubrication;" It goes on to say that if disassembly is required for service operations, repack the bearings.
Hope this helps.
Dave

[Joe R.]

Re: C2 Rear Wheel Bearings--Better Left Alone?

Bruce,

I do not believe that rear wheel bearings should be left alone and I can show you many pieces of trailing arms that were neglected. Among those are pieces of the axle, bearing retainers damaged beyond repair and many small parts that cannot be identified to this day. Grease that is as old as the grease in your 64 cannot lubricate properly. Your rear wheel and tire passing you on the street is not uncommon.

If you don't want to repair them yourself there are many companies such as Ikerds, Bairs and Van Steel that will be happy to rebuild your trailing arms to new specifications.

Do yourself a favor and call Art Dorsett at Van Steel at 1 800 418-5397 and ask him for his opinion. Yes, he's in the business making a living doing trailing arms but he will take time to help you and explain the problems you may have.

Whatever you do don't stick your head in the sand and think it will never happen to me.

JR

[Duke W.]

Re: Duke...The '64 Shop Manual says...

Hmmm. I reviewed the maintenance schedule in my '63 Shop Manual and noticed that they recommended cleaning and repacking the U-joints every 30K miles. So much for "permanently" lubricated zerkless U-joints.

Given the labor to pull the halfshafts and driveshaft that was a rather incomprehensible recommendation, and I can't imagine too many '63 owners who had this done. In the 115K and seven years I drove my SWC as a daily driver I had to replace one outboard U-joint. They take more of a beating due to splash, but they are easy to check by wiggling them and checking for play whenever your underneath.

Sometimes GM maintenance schedules don't make a lot of sense or are generic in nature. For example my Cosworth Vega shop manual says to lubricate the clutch cross shaft every 7500 miles. It has a cable actuated clutch!

Duke

[mike cobine]

C2 Rear Wheel Bearings--Duke got lucky

I've known people who have driven 50,000 and more without changing their oil. I've known and bought vehicles that never had the tranny fluid changed until 150,000 miles.

I've seen cars that have 100,000 and much more and never had the front bearings packed.

And I had the right rear wheel bearing burn up on I-70 just west of Terre Haute, IN at 8 pm one Sunday night. Melted to look like Play Dough.

A few weeks later after recovering from the joys of Froderman Chevrolet in Terre Haute, I pulled the left one to repack before it went. Galled, nasty, and luckily not gone completely.

The car was 8 years old and the odo broke on 32,000 so who knows the miles.

I took my '68 at 9 years and around 55,000 original miles and the bearings were showing spots on the rollers. New bearings and ready to go. A little old lady school teacher had owned it for 4 of those years.

Just because you have been lucky and never been struck by lightening is no reason to walk around in a storm with a big metal pole in the air.

Because Terre Haute, Indiana was a long way from home and it was very dark out there on a Sunday night.

[Todd H 26112]

Re: Duke...The '64 Shop Manual says...

My ujoints failed quite some time back and I replaced them w/ zerked ujoints from NAPA - given a question between correct vs longevity/maintainability etc - it's rarely a question for me. I suppose zerked ujoints are weaker but I seriously doubt my SB puts out the kind of power to make that a legitimate concern for me.

Whenver under a car I always shake the driveshaft and check for 'tightness' at the ujoint too - but sometimes even when the driveshaft seems tight - after dropping a driveshaft - I can then sometimes detect roughness/tightness when wobbling the ujoint back and forth in both axis - at which point I'd replace the ujoints (...course if it's got zerks and is greased periodically...)

I've also been blessed w/ owning some cars that not only didn't come w/ zerks but the factories staked the ujoints in and were designed to NOT be replaced/serviced. Even if you could manage to get them out - you can't buy a replacement. Invariably when they fail at about 100k-150K or 10-15yrs the standard solution was to sell you a replacement factory driveshaft. For far less than that I'd have a custom driveshaft made using the yoke/flanges etc but this time w/ HD replaceable ujoint w/ zerks and make note of the ujont P# in the owner's manual for future reference though I'd expect this to be the last set the car will ever need.

I don't have fond memories of cabled clutch linkage on a Skyhawk (Monza) - over the years it became problematic and always required a LOT of pedal force. It was a real PITA to replace that cable too. How does the Vega linkage hold up w/ high miles/usage? Hopefully better.

[Joe C.]

Mike:Did You Hear The One About............

.....the golfer who is walking around on the fairway in a thunderstorm, holding a 2 iron straight up in the air.

[Bruce Boatner]

Re: C2 Rear Wheel Bearings--Duke got lucky

Mike,

Just curious--What year was the car that enabled you to experience the joys of Froderman Chevrolet in Terre Haute? Duke mentioned in an earlier post that disc brakes were tougher on bearings than drums. I'm thinking/hoping that the drum brakes on my '64 may at least shorten the length of the lightning rod I'm carrying at present.

Bruce