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Should I replace my rear axle bearings?

I have a 1989 Toyota 4WD Pickup (22RE) with roughly 160,000 miles. My immediate problem is that the differential housing gasket has developed a slow, but messy, leak.

Since I have to pull the axle shafts to R&R the diff gasket, I figured I'd replace the two seals and o-ring on each half-shaft. However, it is my understanding that I have to press off the axle bearings to replace the outer grease seal. So I figured it might not be a bad idea to replace the bearings. But the bearings are $40.81 each and the bearing retainer sleeves are $11.96 each. So the bearing R&R will cost $105.54 (ouch). So, my questions are:

  1. Do I, in fact, have to remove the bearings to replace all the oil/grease seals?
  2. With 160K miles, is it recommended to replace the bearings? Or should these last much longer than that?
  3. If I keep the old bearings, but remove them to replace the outer seal, can I re-use the old retainers?
  4. If I replace the bearings with new ones, should I also replace the retainers?
  5. Are there any other tips or recommendations I should know about for this job?

Thanks! Michael

Reply to
DeepDiver
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You'll find some of the answers here:

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And yes, I belive the outer most seal is behind the bearing, inner seal and o-ring are accessible on the end of the axle housing. If the bearings fell tight and turn smoothly, they are probably fine. If loose or they feel gritty, probably a good idea to replace them.

Reply to
Roger Brown

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