truckerlary

On the rear wheels when I can take ahold of the tire at the top and bottom I can get between 1/8 to 1/4 inch of movement at the top of the tire. Is this too much play in the wheel bearing?

SwampeastMike

YES that is too much play! You should not be able to feel any play.

Wee

It depends on where the movement is coming from....Bearings could be good but the trailing arm bushing may be wore out....Most likely both may be showing signs of wear. I set up a video camera to see where the movement was at on mine....After tearing it down I had 15 thousands play in the bearing and the bushing was completely shot. That video is posted here on the forum....Here is the LINK

Brian

lvmyvt76

if you don't want to loose a rear wheel going down the road, rebuild time is here for the complete trailing arm, yes, a little work, but it makes you feel secure going down the road.

DUB

I can not grasp on how this is possible if the wheel bearing went bad...unless a person is just not paying attention and keeps driving. ....because the rotor can not come off due to the brake caliper would hold it on...adnteh wheel is holding the spindle androtor together. I have had Corvettes come in with a snapped spindle...and the wheel was still attached to there spindle/rotor.

In 30+ years...I have never seen a wheel bearing cause a rear wheel to come off...but I have had Corvettes come in the shop due to the rear wheel coming off...and it was either a knock-off and the dowel pin was not used to secure it...or it was the person removed the wheel and did not tighten up the lug nuts.

Now if a perosn did not have rear brake calipers on their Corvette..then YES...a snapped spinlde would cause the rear wheel to come off.

DUB

lvmyvt76

Dub, I am not questioning your experience, I only said that because one of our corvette club members lost the right rear wheel because of wheel bearing failure, I did not check the car out(30years ago) to see how the wheel came off, but it tore up the rear wheel opening and passed him on the highway, actually it was his wife's car and she was driving the car at the time of failure.

DUB

Seeing how this thread is in the C3 section. ALL 1968-1982 Corvettes have disc brakes...so what I wrote applies. Because I did specify 'rotors'.

YES....But what year was the club members Corvette??

If their Corvettes was a Corvette pre-1965...with drum brakes.....YES.. that can happen...because the drum is not being held back by anything....but a Corvette with disc brakes...I doubt it because the driver would have time to stop because they would feel it.

DUB

CanadaGrant

If you are getting straight in and out movement with the wheel off the ground it might not be the wheel bearings but wear on the stub axles or retaining rings.

gg521

Try moving the wheel side to side. This movement is more indicative of bearing issues. Top to bottom can be a lot of things as reported here.

DUB

I have to admit I am WRONG. A member sent me this....so I am passing it along

My deepest apologies to 'lvmyvt76'. You were correct...and I humbly stand corrected...and this is the FIRST time I have seen this.

http://redirect.viglink.com/?format=...f_my_own_c3%2F

DUB

0Willcox Corvette

The best thing you can do is and to remove or confirm all doubt.. Pull the 1/2 shaft and put a magnetic dial indicator on the spindle... Rotate the spindle toward the outside, set the indicator to 0 then pop the spindle to check the clearance. The accepted run out is .001-008.

Willcox

truckerlary

That is exactly what I am doing. If I'm going that far I going to remove all doubt and put in all new bearings and seals. Borrowed a dial indicator from a buddy today.

lvmyvt76

Dub, don't worry about it, you give such "GREAT" advice to everyone here on the forum, I am alway excited when you post anything. You can never say never, I guess to anything. Thanks for the apology. I would some day like to drive by and personaly meet you.

DUB

I appreciate that. And you are correct ( never say never)....the one time that I thought something could not happen because I have not seen it happen...and...WHAM...there it is.

And with the way my luck has been....probably tomorrow when I walk out to my truck to go to work I will get hit by some space debris of some type.

DUB

Sky65

Remember the haft shaft is the upper link in the rear suspension. If you have excessive stub axle play, the half shaft and rear spindle will move out when pulled from the top of the wheel. A relatively small amount of play at the stub axe will show allot of play at the circumference of a tire.

Tom

usmilret

DUB
You are highly respected. Admitting that you were wrong ratchets that respect up a little higher.

Sluefoot

Sky65

Dub. I don't think the video shows a bearing failure. It shows a spindle failure. The wheel bearing is still in place. Imho you were right the 1st time. Personally, unless something else fails with the bearing, I don't see how the wheel can come off either.

Tom