WallyP

My local HF will allow you to use one of the 20%-off coupons on a sale item, which would make it a little over $70...

I suspect that some of the folks who work on the cars either don't know the required torque value, or simply don't/can't pull that hard on the rear axle nut. For years, my first suggestion for anyone with rear axle bearing noise is to torque the nut.

Back in the day, someone suggested drilling the hub and installing a grease fitting to extend the life of the bearings.

FLYVMO

As a data point, if one can call it that, both rear bearings on my car spun like there was no grease at all in them, once set in motion they kept going and going and....with a nice rattling sound.

Looking inside the bearing, I saw all the dried grease was collected at the outer perimeter, as if centrifugal forces (spinning wheel) packed it all in the outer shell area. There was near zero grease in the center and around the ball bearings which had a nice bluish tint to them
This was on both bearings, grease was lumpy and dry. Bearings looked original although I could not read any markings on them.

The cause of the failure is not known to me, even with a 3 foot breaker bar and me sitting on it could I remove the axle bolt. I had to take it to a shop to have it removed. So I "assume" the torque was pretty close to specification if not above.

Cheers!
Carl

M. Requin

Absolutely, waiting for that addition, and a parts washer, to my shop was just plain dumb.

dr bob

I seldom disagree with Wally, but he started it when he disagreed with me. So there!

Perhaps mine just faded a bit as they aged. Both were slightly noisy, 'slightly' in that I could hear the faint whirring sound in my very quiet car. No spacers or oversize rubber, no harsh driving. On disassembly, the old grease had solidified to the point where it wasn't doing anything for the rollers. New bearings did the trick. It might have been possible to go another 10k+ on the original bearings. Many people with RMB's probably go longer before they get a hint that the bearing is failing.

Once the car was up off the floor with axle nuts loosened and tires/wheels off, it was hardly a tough decision to replace both bearings at the same time. I figure they probably use the same grease in both the left --AND-- the right side bearing, so as one made dry-bearing rumbles it was just as easy to do the other at the same time.

Ad0911

I think the only cars that have rear wheel bearings that last a car-lifetime are the ones with constant lubricatio, like VW beetles, Porsche 356 (both swing axels) and perhaps cars with solid rear axle. These cars have transmission oil from gearbox to wheel bearing. Lube lube lube, all te way!