Rear End Problem......Axle that is

[itsa68]

Does the following mean I just have to replace only the outer axle bearings
or should I sell the car for $25 to the scrap dealer?

Here is the scoop:

Car shakes at about 55-60 mph range when accelerating up to highway speed.
Rear axle doesnt whine or make any grinding bearing type sounds when under road load and at different speeds.

When I have the car on jackstands and run it up in first gear, both rear wheels will exhibit a slight drunken sailor wobble. (Both wheels are not bent and are balanced).

Once stopped, I can put a long 2x4 under the rear of the tire and use a fulrum block to allow me to move the tire in a side to side direction.
This showed me an excessive amount (approx 1/4-1/2") of side movement in the wheel at the bottom and top.
When I pull straight out or push straight in on the wheels, a slight clunk is heard and a bit of play is exhibited.

What would be broken???


Ray B.

[dbrick]

When you say side to side, do you mean like if you backed off the front wheel bearing spindle nut 4 or5 turns and the wheel would "flop around" on the loose bearings? If you have movement perpendicular to the axle shaft, sounds like the bearing is seriously loose. Mine is up on jacks, just walked out and checked..Grab the wheel left and right and push one side in pull the other side out, back and forth feels like less than 1/8 inch of free play, same holding top and bottom. Other side has the wheel and drum off. grabbing just the axle, can't feel any slop except less than 1/8" pushing the axle straight in and out toward the ring gear. Now my bearings aren't necessarilly good, but it doesn't feel excessive.

Also, does it only vibrate while accellerating 55-60, or also at steady speed in that range?

I ask a stupid question, only because I did it not once, but twice. Are the correct lug nuts on the car? The wheels that are on my 2000 require a special lug nut and the PO found a creative solution...Use the wrong ones!! With the long shank nuts, if the shank is too long, it bottoms on the brake drum and the wheel is not actually tight , or if the diameter is too small for the hole in the wheel, etc. Are those the Appliance wheels with the oval lug holes? If so, they take a special nut and washer IIRC.

Easy check would be to take off the drum and see how bad the axle flange is moving around, without the wheel for leverage. If you feel any slop up and down or left and right, probably have a bearing problem. To redo the bearings all new seals and bearings was about $150.00-$175.00 parts plus whatever the local shop gets to press the bearings on and off.

Hope this helps