94 Caprice 9C1 police rear axle bearing question

My son owns a 94 Caprice Classic 4 door sedan which was a former New
Hampshire state police car. It gets driven between 5000-10,000 miles a
year, and no longer sees any high speed pursuits. It now has 150,000
miles on it and still looks and runs very well.
The car recently failed inspection because it showed signs that it had
started leaking oil from the right side rear axle seal. We pulled both
seals and axles to replace the seals and noted that while the right
axle surface, where it mates with the roller bearing was in fine shape,
the left side axle has a very slight indentation forming in the roller
bearing area. (This side was not leaking but of course we decided to do
both sides). I never thought to check for excessive bearing play before
I pulled the left axle so unfortunately I can't comment on that. The
left side bearings though look to be fine, with no apparent wear or
scoring. We went ahead and put the two new seals in, (we set them in
using a flat metal plate), and installed the right axle, brakes and
rotor, but then I got to thinking about the left axle. In my opinion
its a little scored but it really doesn't seem to be that bad. But
although I think that I know my way around a car fairly well, I'm a
Saturday mechanic, and certainly not qualified to render a professional
opinion on this subject.
I have described this to three local mechanics that I know, (they
haven't seen it), and they all have told me that it doesn't sound that
bad, and if it wasn't causing any trouble before, and if it didn't leak
then, I should probably just slap it back together and not worry about
it.
I should mention that I don't own a bearing puller or a driver to
install a new "save an axle" bearing seal combination, and although
that would not be a valid reason for not doing the job, I really don't
want to do it if at all possible it can be avoided. My son posted a
picture of this axle on another forum. The link is below. If anyone can
please take a few moments to look at it and give me your opinions I
would be most sincerely grateful. Also your predictions on life
expectancy if the "save an axle" bearing/seal combo its not replaced
would also be most welcome. Thanks very much, Lenny Stein.

Link is not attached, try again.
> wrote in message
oups.com...
> My son owns a 94 Caprice Classic 4 door sedan which was a former New
> Hampshire state police car. It gets driven between 5000-10,000 miles a
> year, and no longer sees any high speed pursuits. It now has 150,000
> miles on it and still looks and runs very well.
> The car recently failed inspection because it showed signs that it had
> started leaking oil from the right side rear axle seal. We pulled both
> seals and axles to replace the seals and noted that while the right
> axle surface, where it mates with the roller bearing was in fine shape,
> the left side axle has a very slight indentation forming in the roller
> bearing area. (This side was not leaking but of course we decided to do
> both sides). I never thought to check for excessive bearing play before
> I pulled the left axle so unfortunately I can't comment on that. The
> left side bearings though look to be fine, with no apparent wear or
> scoring. We went ahead and put the two new seals in, (we set them in
> using a flat metal plate), and installed the right axle, brakes and
> rotor, but then I got to thinking about the left axle. In my opinion
> its a little scored but it really doesn't seem to be that bad. But
> although I think that I know my way around a car fairly well, I'm a
> Saturday mechanic, and certainly not qualified to render a professional
> opinion on this subject.
> I have described this to three local mechanics that I know, (they
> haven't seen it), and they all have told me that it doesn't sound that
> bad, and if it wasn't causing any trouble before, and if it didn't leak
> then, I should probably just slap it back together and not worry about
> it.
> I should mention that I don't own a bearing puller or a driver to
> install a new "save an axle" bearing seal combination, and although
> that would not be a valid reason for not doing the job, I really don't
> want to do it if at all possible it can be avoided. My son posted a
> picture of this axle on another forum. The link is below. If anyone can
> please take a few moments to look at it and give me your opinions I
> would be most sincerely grateful. Also your predictions on life
> expectancy if the "save an axle" bearing/seal combo its not replaced
> would also be most welcome. Thanks very much, Lenny Stein.
>



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Here is a link.

http://shelly2110ma.tripod.com/siteb...s/100_3729.jpg

Not sure if this posted
http://shelly2110ma.tripod.com/siteb...s/100_3729.jpg

that one doesnt seem to be working try this

http://shelly2110ma.tripod.com/shellysworld/id28.html

I would get another axle. You should be able to find one in a boneyard
pretty cheap. Every one of those offset bearing/seal (save the axle)
deals I've ever seen were leaking in short time & had to be removed &
fixed correctly anyway. I would avoid that kind of repair. Good luck.

That is called brinelling, this axle should be replaced with the bearing.
> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Not sure if this posted
> http://shelly2110ma.tripod.com/siteb...s/100_3729.jpg
>



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Do you guys know if there is a reason that the left side went and the
right didn't? Is it something to do with the differential action just
perhaps tourqueing the one wheel on takeoff? It is a posi axle I'm
told. Or is there no specific reason why one side would go and the
other wouldn't? Are the lefts more prone to fail than the rights? Are
the left and right axles identical? And also if this is the case then
if we go to the junkyard should we try to pull a right first in hopes
of getting a good one? Thanks, Lenny.

I think the bearing just went bad and that caused the wear pattern on the
axle. I also believe the axle lengths are different.
> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Do you guys know if there is a reason that the left side went and the
> right didn't? Is it something to do with the differential action just
> perhaps tourqueing the one wheel on takeoff? It is a posi axle I'm
> told. Or is there no specific reason why one side would go and the
> other wouldn't? Are the lefts more prone to fail than the rights? Are
> the left and right axles identical? And also if this is the case then
> if we go to the junkyard should we try to pull a right first in hopes
> of getting a good one? Thanks, Lenny.
>



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On 12 Apr 2005 09:22:38 -0700, wrote:

>Do you guys know if there is a reason that the left side went and the
>right didn't? Is it something to do with the differential action just
>perhaps tourqueing the one wheel on takeoff? It is a posi axle I'm
>told. Or is there no specific reason why one side would go and the
>other wouldn't? Are the lefts more prone to fail than the rights? Are
>the left and right axles identical? And also if this is the case then
>if we go to the junkyard should we try to pull a right first in hopes
>of getting a good one? Thanks, Lenny.


There were some claimed issues back when these cars were new that GM
had left out some kind of "hole" that allowed the diff oil to slosh up
into the axle tubes and out to the ends to help lube the bearings.
The claim was that problems would occur but not until around 90K
miles, well out of warranty, so GM wasn't going to do anything about
it. As I recall, what you are seeing is similar to the predicted
problems. Supposedly the only way to get lube out to the ends without
the hole is to do some real hard and fast turns to throw it out by
centrifugal force. It could all be bullcrap but there was a flurry of
posts on it back then.
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