Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Someone may want to shift this to FAQ.

Here is a step by step proceedure for changing a rear wheel bearing on an F series Rocky.

First the symptoms, smell of diff oil, and line of oil inside the rear wheel. With a jack under the axle, up and down and back and forth movement in the axle is evident.

Jack and chock the wheel. Remove the wheel and drain the diff.
Pulling the brake drum will reveal something like this.

Strip the brake backing plate of all components, including the wheel cylinder. Clean all components except wheel cylinder in cleaner. Then undo the 4 14mm nuts holding the backing plate to the axle assembly and pull the inner axle out of the housing. Lay the axle on a flat surface and get an angle grinder and grind 2 flat surfaces on either side of the bearing retainer ring. Take care not to grind through and damage the axle. Then split the ring using a hammer and cold chisel.

Lever the retaining ring off the axle, then do the same to the bearing. Remove the old oil seal from the inside of the backing plate. Clean all components, and fit new oil seal to inside of backing plate.

Stand axle upright on a wheel, or block of hardwood so wheel studs are not touching anything. Fit backing plate to axle. Grease new wheel bearing correctly and fit to axle.

Bearing on axle.

Good work. I've added a link to it in the FAQ.

Heat retainer ring to approx 140 deg C. Book says to use oil bath, but electric hotplate should do the trick.

Using a suitable length of pipe, and large hammer, drive the retainer ring and bearing onto the axle until fully home.

You should end up with something like this. Now, remove the old oil seal from within the axle housing. Clean up the end of the housing area, including the axle housing/backing plate mating surface, making sure you dont lose the shim plate.

Clean the backing plate mating surface, fit the new oil seal to the axle housing. Apply sealant to the axle/backing plate mating surface and slide the axle into the housing. Tap the end of the axle with a block of wood to drive axle home. Now tighten the 4 14mm nuts.

Refit all brake components. Remove the vice grips or G clamp, and undo the brake bleeder. Watch fluid level in reseviour as brakes self bleed. Refit brake drum and adjust brakes. Refit wheel, and refill diff with oil.

Note in the pics the self adjusters have been purposely removed.

The parts needed are

Inner axle oil seal 52 x 65 x 9

outer oil seal 50 x 62 x 9

Bearing used is a KOYO DG3580AC4

Retainer ring is FKC 014-R

Hopefully this will be of help to someone who needs to do this job. It should take around 2 hrs to complete.