replace rear bearings and seals

[stinkydogfilms]

Hello,
I had to avoid two idiots and their roadrage yesterday and slammed my right rear wheel into a curb.
I have a leaking real seal and hopefully only a ruined bearing.
I had to drill and chisel the rim off. The lock key broke. I bought a lock nut removal socket that did not help. I put the spare rim on and get a wobble (not lateral) in the rotation.
The wheel does not spin easily and I feel a wobble of some type as I drive.

I may have someone else do the work because we are back into the upper 90s.
If I do it myself, how difficult would it be?
Also will need help getting the other 3 rims off at some point.
It is a 90 Colony Park.
Thank you,
Mike

[His Royal Ghostliness]

Slide-hammer is your friend for both the seal and the bearing behind it. If you don't own one you can rent them at the parts store. Some kits actually have a very nifty axle bearing removal attachment (in several sizes), but even just the hook attachment will get the job done. Installing the new parts is easiest with the dedicated seal and driver set tool, basically a bunch of flat aluminum pucks in different sizes with a handle that threads in the middle of them and that you can beat on with a hammer. But you can improvise and use stuff you got laying around as well.

For removing the stuck lock nuts on the wheels, you can try heating them real good and giving them a go again with the locknut removal tool you bought. Hell I've had to get just regular nuts glowing orange (on an aluminum wheel no less!) and cool them down a few cycles to get them break loose, rust/corrosion can be a bear to deal with. Barring that, you can try welding some regular nuts onto the locknuts, that will also have the aforementioned heating/cooling benefit as a side effect.

Your radial wobble from the spare wheel could very well be simply an unbalanced tire. Ford wheels are both stud-piloted and hubcentric, if it is a genuine Ford wheel for a Panther it will center onto the axleshaft flange and be true even if you only have 3 lugnuts holding it on

[stinkydogfilms]

Thank you HRG.
I had the Wobble with both rims.
I am hoping somehow some bearings got crushed and not a bent axle.
Is it difficult to remove a clip (?) from the center (pumpkin) iHn order to remove the axle?
It is a 3.55L.

[sly]

8.8 teardown video from Eric the Car Guy. If just removing the C-clips, you don't have to remove any bearing caps. just stop at the point the c-clip comes out and you won't need any special tools except the slide hammer for the wheel bearing.

[jaywish]

I am thinking bent axle or two bent rims. You could have bent the housing but in my limited experience it is less likely then the axle.

Take a known good rim from somewhere else on the car to test this so you can get an axle before you start the job if it is needed.

If you drive too far with a leaky seal you can cook all the bearings & axles, if not the gears themselves.

[stinkydogfilms]

Thank you Sly and Jaywish.
The garage I use is 2 miles away so I think I can make it driving slow.

[gadget73]

Just a mention, but make sure the whole locking bolt comes out of the differential. It should have a long bit past the threads. If you get something that looks like a stubby bolt with no pointy part, the carrier will not come apart.

Also, once that pin is out of the middle, do not rotate anything. If you do, the side gears will come out and you'll have to get it all back into position again. They'll stay just fine as long as it doesn't turn though.


If the bearings are hosed, the axles probably are too. Inspect them close for damage. If you think they may be bent, roll them on a flat surface and have a look. Hang the flange off the table or whatever if you need to and roll it. If its got a bend, you'll see the flange wobble or the axle shaft will seem to have a hump in it as it goes.

[merc91]

Before diving in, I would put the rear on stands and have someone in the car put it in drive while you look at the tire/wheel to see if its an up and down slop like a busted bearing or a wobble like a bent axle.

[His Royal Ghostliness]

Do that with the shifter in manual 1st gear tho, if you just leave her in drive she will idle-shift herself all the way into overdrive and wheel speed there is kinda impressive and somewhat intimidating to stand close to.

[stinkydogfilms]

Thanks for the advice.
I'm going to check it this weekend.
I will keep the forum advised.
Thank you all again,
Mike

[stinkydogfilms]

It's a bent axle. The car is Bernies old wagon.
He put in a 2010 Mustang rear.
I read his post "passing the torch" when he was selling the car.
Does anyone know the Dorman number for a right rear axle to fit a 2010 Mustang?
Is this a 28 spline axle?
I have a 1990 CV 3.55L complete assembly if I have to use the axle out of it.
Thank you again

[His Royal Ghostliness]

Is it a complete '10 housing, or just the diff and gears? And who is Bernie? If there's a build thread on here the info will likely be there. Or you can send him a private message regarding it?

[stinkydogfilms]

Bernie is a forum member who sold his wagon when he joined the Navy last year.
I think he still reads the board.
If you search
"Passing the torch
You ca see the build up thread.
I take what I read as a complete assembly.
I will try to pm him.
Thank you

[jaywish]

From the passing thread it seems like it was only the posi carrier but I would have thought in 2010 they were 31 spline which would have required different axles, so confusion and uncertainty there.

If you can find his build thread that might have more data.

You could post a link to the full build thread right here.

[stinkydogfilms]

This is a hard one to find.
I do have a complete 1990 k code from a crown vic I'm going to see if the axles are the same as the 90 Colony park. Hopefully the CP has the stock axles.
I was trying not to break into it.