Failure on Rear Bearings

[gr8vet]

No doubt the rear bearings on the 82 need to be changed. I have a little bit of play but not bad.

Question; At what point, do these things normally fail? And how?

Just wondering should I be concerned getting to Somerset, KY for the Power Tour. Once there no worries as they would actually replace them for me at no cost, love those GM guys.

(So how do I get to KY, then make them fail on the way to Bristol, TN) Ha! :devil:

 

[mrvette]

Too much play is a definate no no, but it's the brakes that seem most upset by it.....thing I would be concerned with is the smooth rotation when the car is jacked up, and t-arms supported with tires off the ground...suspension not a full drop as that typically makes the U joint bind......so to listen with a stethescope to the bearings they should sound like silk sheets at midnight sex....anything rougher and it's troubles in paradise....:yahoo:

 

[rabiddawg]

I wouldn't touch this question with a ten foot pole. If we tell you that you will be ok, you probably wont make it out of your driveway before they fall out. If we tell you to change them, they probably would have run forever.

 

[BBShark]

I wouldn't touch this question with a ten foot pole. If we tell you that you will be ok, you probably wont make it out of your driveway before they fall out. If we tell you to change them, they probably would have run forever.

Gotta agree with this, it's a crapshoot. Why don't you take the C5?

When are you going to be in Somerset?

 

[mrvette]

I wouldn't touch this question with a ten foot pole. If we tell you that you will be ok, you probably wont make it out of your driveway before they fall out. If we tell you to change them, they probably would have run forever.

Yeh, that much is true, damn if you do, damn if you don't....

also to check the grease seals for loss of grease....obviously...

:stirpot:

 

[Twin_Turbo]

Normally, when the bearings are going out you will hear them humm and as they wear more the humming will get worse.

 

[gr8vet]

Normally, when the bearings are going out you will hear them humm and as they wear more the humming will get worse.

Good deal, finally a technical answer!

thanks

tt

 

[gr8vet]

Too much play is a definate no no, but it's the brakes that seem most upset by it.....thing I would be concerned with is the smooth rotation when the car is jacked up, and t-arms supported with tires off the ground...suspension not a full drop as that typically makes the U joint bind......so to listen with a stethescope to the bearings they should sound like silk sheets at midnight sex....anything rougher and it's troubles in paradise....:yahoo:

Oh hell, Im doomed! Had silk sheets one time, younger years, we both wound up in the floor, not by choice either!

Thanks!
tt

 

[gr8vet]

Thanks guys,

Ive heard so many talk about changing the bearings, read thread after thread. But I have not heard of anyone having an all out failure, did not know what to expect.

Going to jump on the last leg of the Hot Rod Power Tour in Somerset, KY on June 11. Didn't want to put the C5 on the Tour, gotta have the old one for this trip. With any luck, I'll get the rear bearings done before then. Kinda funny thing, the super nice fellow on this forum that does the rebuilds I think in Connecticut, is the one that told me about Vettemod. Not sure if I can get them to CT and back by then.

tt

 

[mrvette]

Too much play is a definate no no, but it's the brakes that seem most upset by it.....thing I would be concerned with is the smooth rotation when the car is jacked up, and t-arms supported with tires off the ground...suspension not a full drop as that typically makes the U joint bind......so to listen with a stethescope to the bearings they should sound like silk sheets at midnight sex....anything rougher and it's troubles in paradise....:yahoo:

Oh hell, Im doomed! Had silk sheets one time, younger years, we both wound up in the floor, not by choice either!

Thanks!
tt

Well, it's MY version of a technical answer.....:goodnight:

 

[gr8vet]

Normally, when the bearings are going out you will hear them humm and as they wear more the humming will get worse.

Back to the humming..... Under acceleration, I do hear a hum from the rear. Is there anyway to know if it is the rear gearbox or bearings? Once you let off the accelerator, the humming stops. Assuming it is rear gear box.

tt

 

[gr8vet]

Too much play is a definate no no, but it's the brakes that seem most upset by it.....thing I would be concerned with is the smooth rotation when the car is jacked up, and t-arms supported with tires off the ground...suspension not a full drop as that typically makes the U joint bind......so to listen with a stethescope to the bearings they should sound like silk sheets at midnight sex....anything rougher and it's troubles in paradise....:yahoo:

Oh hell, Im doomed! Had silk sheets one time, younger years, we both wound up in the floor, not by choice either!

Thanks!
tt

Well, it's MY version of a technical answer.....:goodnight:

I absolutely love your comments, you keep me laughing! thanks!

BTW, dug out my old stethoscope (40 years of hypertension), going to listen tomorrow. I spent 20 years in a power plant, many of the guys wondered why I always had a broken broom handle with me. Did a lot of listening with that thing, saved a lot of midnight call outs for sure.

Have a great evening!

tt


tt

 

[Twin_Turbo]

Normally, when the bearings are going out you will hear them humm and as they wear more the humming will get worse.

Back to the humming..... Under acceleration, I do hear a hum from the rear. Is there anyway to know if it is the rear gearbox or bearings? Once you let off the accelerator, the humming stops. Assuming it is rear gear box.

tt

if it's the bearings it's a speed vs. humming frequency
& intensity relation, so you'll start to hear it as you pick up some speed. It's there when you are accelerating or coasting or whatever, the only thing you might notice is that if you pull some sharp corners, as you unload a wheel the humming can go away only to come back when straightening out.

 

[Maymyvetteliveforever]

Ive heard so many talk about changing the bearings, read thread after thread. But I have not heard of anyone having an all out failure, did not know what to expect.

When the Vette was on the road, I had a failure about 25 years ago, it was so bad since I went past the hummm stage and the back wheel was actually starting to wobble slightly. When I took it apart the bearing/s seperated. I remember changing them out myself but I don't believe I did it properly and have now decided to redo both for peace of mind.

 

[gr8vet]

Ive heard so many talk about changing the bearings, read thread after thread. But I have not heard of anyone having an all out failure, did not know what to expect.

When the Vette was on the road, I had a failure about 25 years ago, it was so bad since I went past the hummm stage and the back wheel was actually starting to wobble slightly. When I took it apart the bearing/s seperated. I remember changing them out myself but I don't believe I did it properly and have now decided to redo both for peace of mind.

Good deal, thanks for the insight.

Mental note: new t-shirt idea......got hummmm?

tnx

tt

 

[gr8vet]

Normally, when the bearings are going out you will hear them humm and as they wear more the humming will get worse.

Back to the humming..... Under acceleration, I do hear a hum from the rear. Is there anyway to know if it is the rear gearbox or bearings? Once you let off the accelerator, the humming stops. Assuming it is rear gear box.

tt

if it's the bearings it's a speed vs. humming frequency
& intensity relation, so you'll start to hear it as you pick up some speed. It's there when you are accelerating or coasting or whatever, the only thing you might notice is that if you pull some sharp corners, as you unload a wheel the humming can go away only to come back when straightening out.

Great, definitely no bearing hum, yet....That I can detect. Is there any specific time frame / miles to change these things? Yea it's an 82, 27 years old, showing 69,000 or maybe 169,000; not for sure. I will change them out asap.

Funny note: Wife's Expedition went in for 3 rear ends over a two year period. It developed a "whine" as Ford put it, they came up with a fix, called it an "anti-whine kit". Machining was bad on the 2004 rear ends. As we describe it, Chevy is a "hummmm", Ford is a "whine". Much rather be a "Hummer" than a "Whiner".:bounce:

 

[Wesch]

Hi

See it this way. If it was a front beraing, you would just tighten the nut up a touch more to get writ of the play, but not change the bearings until they make noise ( this Hummmm ).

If you still have the old lip seal brake caliper pistons and you don't have aft brake problems ( when pushing hard onto the brake pedal, no red warning light coming on ), then the bearing play is probably still minor.

This of course does not work with the O-ring brake pistons because those do not suck air in with wheel wobble.

I am with 2-turbo , no Hummmm, no big worries.

Rgds. Günther

 

[gr8vet]

Hi

See it this way. If it was a front beraing, you would just tighten the nut up a touch more to get writ of the play, but not change the bearings until they make noise ( this Hummmm ).

If you still have the old lip seal brake caliper pistons and you don't have aft brake problems ( when pushing hard onto the brake pedal, no red warning light coming on ), then the bearing play is probably still minor.

This of course does not work with the O-ring brake pistons because those do not suck air in with wheel wobble.

I am with 2-turbo , no Hummmm, no big worries.

Rgds. Günther

:thumbs:

I'm with you guys on the other side of the great pond. :beer:

Now, if you see someone in a Gold 82, may look like me, with a cherry red rear wheel, in flames, and that person is fanning the flames, wait 20 minutes, then call 911. Then I'll get another one that someone else has already done all the kewl stuff. Ha!

Thanks for the insight!

I did do some serious checking today. I think I am good and ready to go!

I should be more worried with someone crashing into me. Been so busy forgot all about it, last week had a women, on a cell phone, try to park her old Ford Taurus on top of my C5, man that sucks. 1K to pull and fix the front nose. Her insurance is covering that one. Thank goodness it did not get into the hood nor headlamps, just gouged up the nose. Reason number 43 why we all should have more than one Corvette.

Later!

tt




Best!

tt

 

[pcf_mark]

When the humm turns to growl then you are in trouble. I ignored the hum that varied with speed while on the gas thinking it was the diff. It slowly turned to a growl you could hear over the pipes. Turns out the T/A bearings were going away. The drivers side FROZE to the stub axle and the flange with the u-joint and big nut snapped OFF. This left a piece of the stub axle inside the bearings on the T/A ruining the T/A. This was before cell phones so I was walking for help!