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Lightly freshening up the Malibu’s 10 bolt

J

JohnC

Veteran Member
Senior Member
I had mainly planned to clean up and paint the rear end. In doing that I planned to change the gear oil and clean up and powder coat the cover. Also made sense to change the outer bearings and seals. I’ve never done real rear end work before. Is that anything else you would do while you’re in there? I have no reason to think there’s a pinion seal leak or anything like that.
Any tips are removing the outer bearing races? IMG_3245.jpeg
 
No trick to the outer bearings, just a simple inside puller will get it done. The pinion seal is easy enough, but if you're confident it doesn't leak, leave it. The carrier bearings are most likely timkens and if they are and don't show any wear, you're looking for color on the rollers or race, they're probably good. If you If you change the pinion bearing, that's when you have to reset the r&p, if not, clean and coat several teeth and check contact. There's a few other things to address IF you're going through the bearings but I'll let that go until you know.
 
If you go too deep you’ll need to replace the Crush Sleeve, or so I’ve been told, that was about 8-10 yrs ago when I had my 12 bolt rebuilt with new axles, bearings, seals, posi and crush sleeve but I’m going by what I was told by a reputable shop
 
The only time you replace the crush sleeve is new gears or new pinion bearing. You can replace the pinion seal by just marking the yoke nut on it's rotation, then retighten to it's original spot plus 1/8 inch more on rotated torque. If you're replacing the carrier bearings all you have to do is check backlash but you'll need to study up to get proper preload and how to read marking compound.
 
JohnC said:
Any tips are removing the outer bearing races?
Click to expand...
No tips as the bearings are roller bearings with no race to remove. There is a tool that the auto parts stores will "rent or lend" when you need one, that goes on the end of a slide hammer. Sometimes you can get them out without using the tool but its so much easier with one, you should try to find a parts store that lends one out.
One thing to look out for is worn out axles where it rides on the outer wheel bearing. If the axle looks all grey and rough looking or with any grooves showing where the bearing rides on it then the axle might need replacing.
I use a piece of emery cloth (sandpaper?) to clean up the end where the bearing rides and then check to see how the axle cleans up. Even if the axle looks good, I still give it a quick clean up with the emery cloth before I put the axle back in the housing.

www.harborfreight.com

Rear Axle Bearing Puller Set, 3-Piece

Amazing deals on this Rear Axle Bearing Puller Set at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com www.harborfreight.com

This is the tool that goes on the end of a slide hammer and slips in behind the axle bearing then the slide hammer will pop the old bearing out from behind. There's probably a video on Utube of someone doing the bearing removal but its pretty much self explaining.
 
Yeah, it's pretty common, especially on 12 bolts that tend to get abused because of the car they were under which had nothing to do with the driver of said car.
It's a case hardened axle and when it fails, it's pretty obvious with a visual.
 
Wrestled the rear end out of the car and got the brakes removed. I had planned to reuse the shoes because I thought they were really low mile but I can see at least one is cracked so I’ll get a new set. I was hoping to not have to rebend and brakes lines but the one that goes to the passenger side had the flare but fused to the line and got beaten up being removed even using flare nut wrenches.

Is it ok to simply hose out the rear end with brake cleaner? (Just to flush out any sediment etc)

I’ve never done this before but seen it on TV. To remove the axles I have to remove the bolt (circled in red), which allowed you to remove the shaft (also circled). Then remove the C clips with a magnet tool?

IMG_3265.jpeg
 
Yes, but it's a good idea to tip it up, scrub it out the best you can with rags, then wet the rags with brake cleaner, swab it clean, then flush it out. The idea is not to get those filings spread into the carrier or any cavities you can't get to without total gutting. Your pattern looks good, a bit worn, but not bad.
 
71350SS+454 said:
No tips as the bearings are roller bearings with no race to remove. There is a tool that the auto parts stores will "rent or lend" when you need one, that goes on the end of a slide hammer. Sometimes you can get them out without using the tool but its so much easier with one, you should try to find a parts store that lends one out.
One thing to look out for is worn out axles where it rides on the outer wheel bearing. If the axle looks all grey and rough looking or with any grooves showing where the bearing rides on it then the axle might need replacing.
I use a piece of emery cloth (sandpaper?) to clean up the end where the bearing rides and then check to see how the axle cleans up. Even if the axle looks good, I still give it a quick clean up with the emery cloth before I put the axle back in the housing.

www.harborfreight.com

Rear Axle Bearing Puller Set, 3-Piece

Amazing deals on this Rear Axle Bearing Puller Set at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.
www.harborfreight.com www.harborfreight.com

This is the tool that goes on the end of a slide hammer and slips in behind the axle bearing then the slide hammer will pop the old bearing out from behind. There's probably a video on Utube of someone doing the bearing removal but its pretty much self explaining.
Click to expand...
I’ll have to see what local parts stores have available. The only slide hammer I have is one that came with my stud gun and the tip had a chuck to grab pins so not sure that’ll work for pulling bearings. Might have to MacGyver this job.

IMG_3267.gif
 
Basically its a tool that flips down so it can be inserted thru the bearing and then up against the axle bearing. Then the slide hammer can be used to smack the bearing out from outside the housing.


This shows a guy doing the removal his way about 1/2 through the video. We all have our own ways of doing this, even though he's basically doing it correct.
 
Last edited:
Just a thought, but if you want to get a visual on the condition of your carrier bearings, take the caps off, note the side they came from, pull the carrier and inspect the bearings, also keep the shims
organized for reinstall.......then simply take a 5ft chunk of of pipe or whatever you have and shove it through the entire housing till you catch on the opposite race and tap it out.
 
Spent a few hours yesterday lightly degreasing the rear end then going over it with every means of abrasion I have at my disposal (except sand blasting). Angle grinder, pneumatic die grinders, scrapers, wire wheels, paint stripping discs, roloc discs and abrasive cartridge rolls. Then scrubbed with a tiny stainless brush and Purple Power. Hosed out the gears a bit with brake cleaner. Took out the axles and then took off the backing plates. I’ll probably stick the axles back in so that I can suspend the rear end by the axles - that way I can flip the rear end around to paint and not have to paint around jack stands under the axle tubes. I ordered a can of Spray Max black epoxy in the rattle can. The axles look good. I can’t feel any groove where they sat on the bearings. IMG_3283.jpegIMG_3282.jpegIMG_3281.jpeg
 
Those axle tubes look perfect, it'll take paint well. You may want to clean those axles real well at the bearing end, the case hardening is thin, about as deep as tin foil and when it goes it appears spotty and blue and brown. If they're in good shape, they'll appear like consistent polished steel, like a fresh forged crank.
 
I rip a piece of medium fine emery cloth about as long as the long side of the paper and then clean the axle at the bearing ends like I'm polishing a shoe. That cleans them up really nice and if anything is still showing after that you need to look at it more closely then.
I find all kinds of usage for emery cloth its a very versatile cleaner and other uses. Around 2002 I went to a swap meet and a guy was selling rolls of it for $5 each. So I bought 1 medium and 1 course. The rolls were about 10 inches around so I'm still working on them till today although both rolls are about half of what they were when I first bought them. (y)(y) So remember to keep your eyes open when you're at the swap meets

 
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