Rear Bearing Seals

[swampy]

Checked my brakes the other day, and found 'grease' in the hub and on the back plate. Is this the 'dreaded rear seal disease'? (Daft question I suppose.)
If so, must you change the lot, as in inner/outer seal and bearing? I suppose if there is grease in there, the outer seal must have failed?
Any (usefull) thoughts appreciated. Are Rough Trax bearing kits as good as Toyota stuff, price of both etc.

[TonyN]

It'll be diff oil, the bearing wears and then the axle can move around and then oil gets past the seal and onto the brakes.

With the wheel and hub off, you should find if you hold the axle end and pull it in and out, there will be play in the bearing.

Roughtrax bearing kits are fine, I always use them.

The important seal is the one in the axle tube after you've taken the halfshaft and back plate off.

[swampy]

It'll be diff oil, the bearing wears and then the axle can move around and then oil gets past the seal and onto the brakes.

With the wheel and hub off, you should find if you hold the axle end and pull it in and out, there will be play in the bearing.

Roughtrax bearing kits are fine, I always use them.

The important seal is the one in the axle tube after you've taken the halfshaft and back plate off.

Cheers for that Tony, I sort of thought as much, it just seems more like grease than oil.
Seal/bearing kit on order, just need to sort out the best method.

[wishbone]

Could someone have gone ott with the copperslip ?

[swampy]

Serious Note.

Could someone have gone ott with the copperslip ?

If only it was that straight forward.

On a more serious note. Can you still 'potter' about locally with this condition, untill the 'kit' and an opportune moment presents it self? Along with a cohesive plan of action.

[TonyN]

Unless the bearing is actually falling apart, most people don't notice till the truck fails the brake test on MOT day. So don't worry to much, just don't go on a Europe tour... lol

[Apache]

Oh ha ha ha

Some people notice when they see oil running down the inner tyrewall on their way back from the showers on a campsite somewhere in Northern Spain!

[swampy]

Oh ha ha ha

Some people notice when they see oil running down the inner tyrewall on their way back from the showers on a campsite somewhere in Northern Spain!

Did I detect a hint of personal experience there?:
How about the diff oil loss, surely that must get to a point when diff wear is going to start taking place? I would not like to have to try and source a new axle, or even change it for that matter. thinking2

[Apache]

I doubt you'd ever lose enough to bother the diff to be honest - you'd probably lose the hub first.

Yes, lost a rear wheel bearing in Northern Spain 2/3rds the way along the Pyrenees. Not the most convenient place for a 'showstopper' - so while the repair (3 days including ordering the bits in a completely non-english speaking part of Spain) was undertaken in a local back street garage we got drunk a lot on Spanish beer.