Looking to do the rear bearings on my '68 442. Don't see any DIYs on the site. Anyone have any links or DIYs they can share? Guessing I'll need a slide hammer, but don't know about any other special tools. Appreciate any guidance.

 

No special tools required to pull the axles, Olds rears dont have C clips they unbolt at at the backing plate and the axles should just pull out. When axles are out then you can see what type of bearings and seals are used and are needed. A shop press comes in handy...

 

ASSUMING this is a US-built car. 1968s built in Canada at the Oshawa plant came with the Chevy 12 bolt axle, and those unfortunately do have C-clips.

 

Thanks fellas. Glad to hear I don't have to deal with a C clip. Appreciate the input.

 

O tips:
Buy USA bearings & seals.

Don't forget to install the backer plate on to the axle before you press the bearing on, (doh).
Make sure the bearing and retainer go on the axle to the same depth as the one removed...in other words fully seated.

Heat the bearing, chill the axle, it will almost drop on. By heat I mean ~115-120°F not hotter. Dont want to melt the grease or the seal.

In a pinch It can be done without a press but its a skill for a seasoned wrench. Press makes the job 100% easier.

I've pulled the bearing seals and packed my own fresh grease into the bearings, after thoroughly de-greasing. Especially if the bearings have been on the shelf for a long while.

A slide hammer may be needed to nudge the axle out. Or the farm method... put the drum on backwards loosely and use the drum as a slide hammer on the studs.

Inspect the seal area on the axle. If you can catch a finger nail its gona need a speedy sleeve. Fill the groove before installing a sleeve.

Pack the back side of the axle seal with grease to help retain the lip tension spring. Careful inserting the axles to not scuff the seal or dislodge the spring.

 

The biggest roadblock I encountered rebuilding my '68 Type-O was removing the bearing retainers and bearings from the axles. I tried using an inexpensive "bearing separator" and my 20-ton press to press the retainers off, but there's barely a big enough gap between the retainer and bearing for the separator to "bite" into. I ended up using a Dremel to grind a slot into the retainer to weaken it and then used a hardened chisel and small sledge to crack it and get it off. There is then plenty of space for the separator to grip under the bearing to get it off, but if the separator has any flex it in (like mine did), the load just transfers to the outer race instead of the inner race, which puts the outer race under tremendous tension (and the inner race under compression, further resisting the forces to slide off the axle). On my first axle, my outer race ended up blowing apart, sending ***** shooting everywhere (best be wearing a cup!). On my 2nd axle, I used the Dremel to grind a slot in the outer race to help reduce the force required for the race to fail (shooting ***** still a concern). Once you are down to only the inner race, the bearing separator worked pretty well to press it off the axle.

Hoping I don't have to do that job again. Although, since then I've joined CO which likely has some great suggestions for the bearing extraction on these axles.

 

X2 on relieving the grasp of the retainer, also had one explode about 40 years ago it wasn't pretty. Once the bearing is set to press off setup a shield or wrap it heavily in towels or leather to catch debris in case the bearing shatters.

 

Great advice. Now the hard part, finding bearings made in US!

 

Good stuff. I've gotten myself into tough spots with wheel bearings before, mainly BMWs. This looks like a cake walk compared to some of those jobs but I will report back once I source US made parts and git'r done.

 

Try BDI Inc. They should have the seals in USA and the bearings maybe, but not likely.
Good bearing alternatives are Japan, Swiss & German if they exist.
Don't waste your time with the other 3 nations of consumer junk.

Monzas has USA or other than china bearings I thought?
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...t-info-182468/ last post is Monzas

With BDI they will always quote the chineasium first unless you start the conversation with other than china. I called them out on this.
Last time I did front wheel bearings races n seals the total ddifference between chineasium and USA shipped to my door was $12!

https://www.bdiexpress.com/us/en/

 

be careful on the USA bearings they are getting REAL old and sitting on the shelf DOES NOT help...they WILL DRY OUT EVEN IF THEY ARE IN PLASTIC and shrink the seal part in the bearring raw hid etc. We use China rw507cr and usually do not have issues as long as people know how to press the bearing on correctly...lol. YOU WOULD BE AMAZED at with they try to do...lol. torches and pieces of metal in the press pushing on the outer diameter of the bearing...IT IS A CLOWN SHOW with people thinking they know what they are DOING THESE DAYS...

 

project was much easier than anticipated. Took about 90 minutes start to finish. Used a Dremel with cutoff wheel to remove outer race first so I could access locking collar. After cutting collar most of the way through, slid a cold chisel through hole in hub to tap off. Cut inner race and tapped off. Easy Peasy.

 

with out a press...That is the way you do it. Good job.

 

Hey Monzaz,
68 442, O type, 8.5, Question....In my quest to find anything that has a USA made stamp on it, I stumbled on this type of RW507CR, the one piece design.
Can this be interchanged with the traditional two piece bearing/retainer RW507CR? I did find the one piece USA made.

One piece


Traditional 2 piece design, of course CSJ...(china super junk).

 

More Qs:
Whats the difference in the traditional two piece RW507s with the C vs CR suffix? C simply superseded by CR?

IF my USA made quest is in vane and I have zero options, do you recommend Timkin over BCA & SKF?
So sour on china, with disdain I resist if at all possible. Wish I would have bought a 100 of them 30 years ago.

Thanks
Steve

 

Hope you don't mind me diverting this thread a little... When I changed the rear wheel bearings on my 71 Cutlass I found there were 2 bearings available for it. One was thinner than the other. The look up on Rockauto said the thinner one was correct. but if you used that one your axle would move in and out maybe 1/16" when done . Make sure you have the right thickness ones. Also, I took off my old bearings as you did with a grinder and punch. Then when I installed new bearings- It wouldn't press on all the way with my 20 ton press. I then went over to a small shop that the guy was a retired auto machine shop guy and he put in his 50 ton machine and it went on. He said that sometimes you need lotsa force- course I didn't heat it. I shoulda just went to Monzaz- he is great and helped me B4 on a Vista rear.

 

I just did my rear wheel bearing on my '72 442 convertible. Unfortunately, I used an inexperienced shop to press on the bearings and they damaged the races so I had them do it again, the first time I used Timken bearings which had a lot of play between the inner and outer race allowing excessive end play and vertical movement. The second set of bearings were made by SKF (made in Japan) the tolerances were much tighter. The end play with the SKF bearings was exactly 0.10" which is what the chassis service manual calls for.

Rodney

 

You need a good slide hammer just to pull the axle, I did. The little cheapy one didn't do it. You need a tall press with proper bearing knives to remove. Mine is a bench top model, need to build a tall adjustable stand. I only had minor seepage on the seals and bearings were good, so Ieft mine in place. Good luck, it sucks to cut bearings on a shaft, had to do that on the carrier bearing on my Daughter's Edge.

 

RW507C IS A BEARING ONLY....
RW507CR IS A BEARING AND (R)ETAINER (the ring in front of the bearing.) They used to sell these parts separately

Jim
JD Race

 

Thanks Jim.
Any comment on brands mentioned above?
And what about the bearing with the larger inner race "nose"?
Steve