Why do my rear wheel bearings keep running dry?

[Mark(The Miser)UK]

IMO the bearings are barely adequate for a go-kart. I've had some good loads in my caddy and I was scared to death driving it. Smoked an inner once and had all kinds of fun trying to heat the race with a propane torch alongside the road it the rain. If your bearing goes on easily and then has to be hammered off then it probably spun and welded itself to the spindle. That will happen when the rollers seize. Once it's spun, the tolerances are toast. I don't like the peening idea as it introduces stress risers and creates the possibility of cracks. Mine has some marks from the disaster and I know I'm on borrowed time. Locktite has some green "bearing retaining" sealant that is specifically made to fill the gap. Kind of wonder if the surface the seal rides on is worn/damaged. Could be eating up your seal and by-by grease?  There's a toy called speedy sleeve that's .000X" thick and goes over the bad area and makes a new surface. I've had to re-adjust mine a bunch of times too. Grease is OK though. An idiosyncrasy?

Funny I'm getting paranoid is someone erasing my comments? I don't think that you are correct about the inadequacy of the bearings, after all some last 20 years with no problem, maybe it is  a manufacturing issue or incorrect use. A roller bearing has far more loading capacity than aball bearing equivalent, so they are bigger than they look.
Where did my peening comment go to that you are referring to? If you are right about the stress created burp oops belch, then why aren't you worried about the threaded parts snapping off things?

[theman53]

IMO the bearings are barely adequate for a go-kart. I've had some good loads in my caddy and I was scared to death driving it. Smoked an inner once and had all kinds of fun trying to heat the race with a propane torch alongside the road it the rain. If your bearing goes on easily and then has to be hammered off then it probably spun and welded itself to the spindle. That will happen when the rollers seize. Once it's spun, the tolerances are toast. I don't like the peening idea as it introduces stress risers and creates the possibility of cracks. Mine has some marks from the disaster and I know I'm on borrowed time. Locktite has some green "bearing retaining" sealant that is specifically made to fill the gap. Kind of wonder if the surface the seal rides on is worn/damaged. Could be eating up your seal and by-by grease?  There's a toy called speedy sleeve that's .000X" thick and goes over the bad area and makes a new surface. I've had to re-adjust mine a bunch of times too. Grease is OK though. An idiosyncrasy?

I too think they could have used a bit better sized bearing, but this one is sufficient. The other rear bearing in our cars is the same one used in every VW since the start of beetle production. It is used in the 020 trans and I am sure if you look in the newer MK4 and up they have continued to use it somewhere. I think the main issue as with all things is the origin of manufacture.

8v- I still think your race surface is hurt. If you slide just a new bearing on it no drum, it should stick on real tight. If it doesn't I would think it is time to get a new stub. Seems like all my previously owned vw's usually need a new stub, or the bearing and sleeve retainer, but the directions say 24 hour full cure on it. From American made cars I use that procedure of tightening. It differs from the Bentley, so if you can't get it to go this time PM me and I will tell you what I do.

[CRSMP5]

they also used those bearings on domestic cars.. think a vega and such used them...

how tight do i make the nut... tighten all the way up.. then back off where the cotter key goes thru the castle piece 2 notches... aka usually end up in the middle of 1 hole.. so back off that 1/2 and 1 more after that...

weight... i have the stupid exceed car mfg of weight for long periods of time at speed... so i will no tsay that is a issue... the other week i took over 1200lbs of brake rotors to the scrap yard in my toaster... its rated at 1000lb carrying... did not even flintch...

i gotta go buy 3 55gal drums... all my bio fuel storage is taken up with oil i need to convert... but i am in negotiations on doing a major amount of work on a car for some bio in trade.. with the $5+ commin ill do it for 150 gal+ some cash.. and ill use the toaster as transport too..  150 gal x 7lbs per gal = a hell of alot.. LOL.. for ~250miles at 70mph+ i know the old girl will love me still.. i may even discuss with him the material to convert my 120 gal of oil i have here to convert it too into the deal.. me will be riding free all summer...

[8v-of-fury]

The stub, especially after overheating it may not be holding the inner race tight. I have before took a punch and put a peen on the stub axle very carefully to make sure it isn't out of round, but holds the race in place.

Mark, no one is deleting your comments. It was a reference to a post Lucas made about putting a peen in the stub.

[R.O.R-2.0]

How tight are you making them?

So that I can still just move the keyed washer dealio. Which I believe is per the manual? Or so I have read.

i run them a little looser than i would like, and they last PERFECT..

and, if you are using the wrong grease, it will get THICKER after you heat cycle it about a thousand times..

im ALMOST thinking you are running your bearings too tight..

we need to come up with an in. lb. torque spec for these cars.. cause the spec is definitely less than 5 ft lbs..

[theman53]

^ Yes. I used to overtighten as well, but it seems these bearings love to run loose. A friend of mine forgot to put the cotter key on  one once. He noticed it the next time he jacked it up and the tire was a bit wobbley. He didn't remember if he even tightened it past hand tight or not. Did the same as CRSMP5 and me on the adjustment there, didn't even repack it, and it went forever. Too tight and they seem to die in short order.

[ORCoaster]

I run mine a bit loose and they seem to do fine keeping the grease.  I can move that washer with a screw driver real easy.  I think you are on to something with the too tight ain't right thing. 

[8v-of-fury]

Weird, when I was just in my learning pants not a few years ago.. I was told that you were to tighten it up and then with fair effort be able to move the washer.

I feel that any looser and there WILL be physical play with my rear tires, that I just cannot have.

[CRSMP5]

if you do not have the littlest amount of play... then its too tight.. im not saying sloppy loose.. but a titch mm or so feel of wobble with wheel on

[ORCoaster]

Yes my wheels have an ever so slight wiggle to them when on jack stands.  Have to get on both sides of the wheel and rock it but it does giggle.  Any tighter on the wheel nut, to get it to the next alignment of the cotter key and then I can't move the washer.  Seems to do great set up like that.  Once on the ground you can't get the wheel to shake or shimmy, rattle but does roll.

[guy plain]

They are SKF bearings, and SKF metal seals.
 on one of the honda goldwing sites im a memeber on they where warning people about SKF. there was a company out of chaina makeing knock offs that where not lasting....you couldnt tell them from the real thing...they where saying to use timcin or FAG if youcan to avoid the problem....if i can find the fourm i was on ill try to repost it on here....you may have gotten in to a bad batch of bearings tho....

[guy plain]

http://www.skf.com/skf/news/html/popup.jsp?lang=en&contentId=872305
http://www.skf.com/portal/skf_us/home/news?contentId=879552
http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/engineering-design-problems/2007/04/bogus-bearings-look-more-real.html
 heres a few things i found on a quick google search

[pointynoggin]

If you used grease from a grease gun then you'll kill the bearing.

Buy wheel bearing grease.  It may seem silly to buy a tub of special grease that will sit on the shelf for years just for one application but once you get your fingers in it you'll see what the difference is.  I had some quakerstate stuff that you'd swear was full of fibre cuz the polymer chains were so long.  When I pulled a gob apart it looked like hair or something but it was all grease.

[belchfire]

First off I don't need your insults or accusations Mark. I don't have the authority to delete anyone's comments even if I wanted to. Second, I am well aware of the increased load carrying capacity of taper-roller bearings v/s ball. That's why V-Dub changed to them in the bug in 1967. I am disappointed that the front axle bearings on the rabbit are balls. Even my old piece of crap Aspire had rollers. With the mighty power of our diesels, twice as much rubber and "spirited" driving styles, the stock bearings are hard pressed. Only got 20K out of one. I use to think that SKF was a pretty good manufacturer so I was pleased when I found them at Auto Zone which is generally considered to be the Walmart of parts stores. Now I know why. I'm using MOS2 disc brake bearing grease same as every other bearing I've done and have had zero failures. Everyone knows that too tight of pre-load on a taper roller will smoke it quickly. Too loose will hammer it and decrease accuracy. Finding that sweet spot is what I think this posting is all about. The old bug front balls were set up with a dial indicator and had a specified end play. Maybe the same here? I initially adjusted mine with the slightest amount of play and thought that they were set for life. After awhile I noticed the rear starting to drift and the wheels bouncing around 90 mph. Checking it out  revealed that they had loosened up. Since everything was seated properly and the nut & cotter hadn't moved, I'm thinking that wear is the culprit. A sad comment on today's quality. I realize that today's econoboxes have skateboard bearings which may be good enough for normal driving and loads but it seem logical that since VW decided to put bigger drums on the caddy that they might have considered bigger bearings too. Now we need to figure out who makes the best ones. I'll try to get a Timkin or Fafnir cross reference.
The danger of a stress crack depends on the location and load imposed. Spindle shoulder, not so good. Threaded end, not so much.

Edit: There will be no swearing at people as abusive name calling. I am a little more lenient on actual swearing. lol.

[ORCoaster]

Somewhere I remember that we should strive to use Timken bearings.  Might have been that other forum thread years back.