<VV> Early Rear Bearings

[Frank DuVal]

Smitty, how many miles per bearing are you averaging? I guess I would 
ask per used/greased bearing and new/greased bearing.

I agree on the "insurance policy" of carrying a spare axle on trips away 
from home. Of course Smitty drives thousands of miles from home!

Frank DuVal

On 1/7/2012 11:45 AM, Smitty wrote:
>              Smitty Says;  Chuck, I, who have destroyed more Early rear
> bearings that any two other persons in CORSA, have one very strong
> recommendation to make.  No matter if you take your bearings apart and
> grease them or replace them with new, you should obtain a good axle and
> install a new freshly greased bearing on it.  Put it in the trunk and make
> sure she knows what it is for.  Getting a disabled Corvair off the highway
> and to a garage will cost you enough without adding the garage cost of
> hunting down a bearing and then maybe destroying it while installing it.
> The failure mode of a bearing ranges from a dry swishing sound like a branch
> is caught under the car to a cyclic rumbling that can't be ignored.  The
> number of miles you specify and the age of the grease indicates that you are
> running on the early edge of the limit.  My second strong recommendation,
> even if you provide a spare axle, is to pull them both and install new ones.
> If not that then at least pull them and grease them is shown in the tech
> tips.  I hate to tell you this because I know it is expensive, but believe
> me I have learned how expensive it can get.  You do not want her to have to
> deal with this.  In my defense of destroying dozens of bearings I must
> mention that I did this while racking up over 400,000 miles on my wagon
> while pulling a camper with 150 lb tongue weight.   Don't forget to clean
> and pack the front bearings too.
>