Mullered rear wheel bearings

sadlotus · May 3, 2010

At first it sounded like a small duck being stepped on, then it grew til it sounded like the back axle wanted to overtake! Only did about a hundred miles from start to this, I was hoping it was only a wheel bearing - but it sounded like the diff! No swarf in the diff oil.
Got to get me a 52mm box spanner now.
Any guesses why it should collapse so quickly?

landy.man · May 4, 2010

sadlotus said:
At first it sounded like a small duck being stepped on, then it grew til it sounded like the back axle wanted to overtake! Only did about a hundred miles from start to this, I was hoping it was only a wheel bearing - but it sounded like the diff! No swarf in the diff oil.
Got to get me a 52mm box spanner now.
Any guesses why it should collapse so quickly?

Has the car been used offoad much?

I've had bearings apparently fail suddenly on my 200Tdi, but when I've stripped the hub I've always found the bearing was running dry, so had been holding out until all of a sudden it could take no more. Going in water is the killer, it gets in the bearing and stays there, washing the grease out. Sand is pretty deadly too.

If you've done much "swimming" then you really need to strip and re-grease the hubs as soon as possible afterwards. Notice landrover don't tell you that in the owners book.

Paul D · May 4, 2010

I agree. My nearside one went recently, but in february we'd done Strata Florida and other lanes with a number of flowing river crossings!

Lack of maintenance really ...

barmatt · May 4, 2010

I agree too, my offside front went last week, started sounded like **** and when I looked at it the bugger had welded itself on. My own fault though, lots of wading this winter and no proper maintenance.............lesson learnt.

Dewin · May 4, 2010

Same here:doh:, just replaced front bearing's, O/S/F had collapsed due to lack of grease ... I now know better for the future, won't stop playing in the water, will just step up the maintenance.

sadlotus · May 4, 2010

soooo....... my bearings have also welded themselves to the shaft. The hub wont come off at all now. I've managed to get the 2" nut off and you can see the bearings falling about behind the cage.
I tried a blow torch - nothing.
I put a puller on the hub and succeeded in bending the puller!

Now started to drill the bearing cage away little by little.
Theory is, once the hub's off I can take an angle grinder to the rest of it.

mmm...that's the theory anyway

njh2 · May 5, 2010

Hi all.

It's exactly thr same with boat trailer bearings, they should be stripped and cleaned after every dip as the hot bearing actually cools very quickly and "suck's" water in, which
then looks just like yours when it fails. There are some really good marine greases which last a little longer..... which is why Land rover's stock wading depth is not brilliant.

sadlotus · May 5, 2010

just found this:

4x4Wire - Land Rover Discovery Front Wheel Bearing Service

Looks helpful... along with the various threads on here

Mullered rear wheel bearings

sadlotus

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landy.man

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Paul D

Old, nackered 'n broke, but the Landy is fine . :)

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