1957 Rear Wheel Bearing Seals

[David C.]

Recently had a grease leak on the right side rear axle. Both sides have new bearings with integral seals on one side. The other side of the bearing has no seal. I installed them with open side toward the inside. In reading past history, some have said that the seal that comes with the bearing must be removed and turned around as it is ment to keep out debris not keep oil in!
Any information on this would be appreciated.

Thanks Dave

[Terry D.]

Re: 1957 Rear Wheel Bearing Seals

David
Are you sure the fluid leaked out through the bearing? I had same problem and the fluid was leaking out between bearing and housing. I finally solved the problem by using Loctite 680 on the outside of the bearing. This forms a seal between bearing and housing. Most, but not all, of the bearings today are open on one side. Hope this helps
Terry

[Terry D.]

Re: 1957 Rear Wheel Bearing Seals

David
Just as an afterthought, what number bearings are you installing ? If memory serves me 57 is a one year only bearing. Search for posts by Tom Parsons, he posted one with pictures of the difference in bearings and what fits what. If you can't find it e-mail me and I will send you a copy.
Terry

[Tom P.]

Re: 1957 Rear Wheel Bearing Seals

David
Just as an afterthought, what number bearings are you installing ? If memory serves me 57 is a one year only bearing. Search for posts by Tom Parsons, he posted one with pictures of the difference in bearings and what fits what. If you can't find it e-mail me and I will send you a copy.
Terry

Terry is correct, the 1957 axle bearing (BOTH Vette and pass car) is ONE YEAR ONLY!
Next, DEPENDING ON MANUFACTURER (Delco, Hyatt, Green, SKF, National, etc, etc, etc) and the period when the bearings were made, SOME rear axle bearings were open on one side (toward the inside) and lubed by the rearend oil. And some were permanently lubed and sealed on BOTH sides. For a bearing which is sealed on both sides--------------------DO NOT REMOVE THE INSIDE SEAL! Also, depending on manufacturer, some bearings have one groove/O-ring, some have two. Some bearings have deep/wide grooves and thick O-rings, some have shallow/narrow grooves and thin O-rings.
I cannot sign it in blood, but from over 50yrs experience working on early Chevys and Vettes, it APPEARS the early manufactured bearings were open on one side and then later on, they were sealed on both sides. I really haven't noticed a difference in longevity with either style.
Now, with that said, what I HAVE SEEN is a leak with a brand new bearing caused by improper installation of the bearing. Somehow the seal got messed up when the bearing was improperly pressed on, OR, when the axle/bearing was installed into the end of the housing, the O-ring got pinched. BEFORE installing the axle with a new bearing, be sure the inside of the housing is nice and clean-----------------DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT use any kind of an abrasive (such as sand paper) to remove any debris or rust (it will remove some metal from the bore). The bearing is supposed to be a slight interference fit. Use something such as steel wool or Scotchbrite and some kind of lube, WD40, etc. Then thoroughly clean the bore and lightly lube it. When inserting the new bearing, watch CLOSELY to assure the O-ring doesn't get pinched as it slips into the bore.

Here are comparisons of 55-6/57/58-64 axle bearings.
The 55-6 has a smaller diameter.
The 55-6 and 57 bearings are the same thickness.
The 57 and 58-64 bearings are the same diameter, but the 58-64 bearing is about 1/8in thicker.






For the bearings which have seals on BOTH sides, this is the OUTSIDE. Depending on manufacturer, the outside seals may be different colors. I've seen red, green, black seals.







And this is the INSIDE seal-----------------THERE IS A DIFFERENCE!



Last, when pressing on a new bearing and lock ring, DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT press them on together!!! Press the bearing on first, then press on the lock ring. Even the manual instructs to press them on separately.

[David C.]

Re: 1957 Rear Wheel Bearing Seals

Terry,Tom,

The bearings I just purchased are Timken #RW 307 R. The new ones that I used during restoration have China written on them and I do not remember where I got them. The Timken bearings that I just got are from Rock Auto. One side (inside) has a plastic or nylon cover but it is not completely closed which will allow oil to enter. The other side is sealed and I am wondering if the seal is meant to keep out dirt and keep oil from passing through.

Thanks for you advise

Dave C

[Tom P.]

Re: 1957 Rear Wheel Bearing Seals

There ABSOLUTELY MUST BE a seal on the outside for two purposes. One, to keep outside contaminants from entering the bearing, and two, to keep rearend oil from leaking to the outside.