I have a 2005 Rubicon with about 5300 miles and I think I have a bearing going out. While I was riding today on the farm, I started hearing a squeaking noise so I got off and felt the axle and it was too extremely hot to touch it. I would think that the bearing is going out or has already went out. This is on the opposite side of the brakes.

My question is this bearing possible to change myself or would I have to take it to a dealer? Is there any special tools I would need if I did it myself? I do have a techinal manual. How hard is it to change and how long would it take?

Also if I keep on riding like it is, could I damage the axle?

 

Angler....I currently own a 2002 Rubicon and a year ago I had the same problem, it was my axle bearing. Also check your rear-end grease for water contamination.Usually when the bearing goes out the bearing seal will allow water to pass through into the rear-end. I hope this helps you. (CHECK YOUR REAR-END GREASE) look at the grease carefully if it has a milky look than it has water contamination and your bearing and seal must be replaced, and also drain all of the rear-end grease and replace it also.

 

When you say rear end grease, are you talking about differential oil? If not, how do I check the rear end grease?

 

Jack up the rear-end,remove fill cap on top of rear-end,make sure your bike is in neatural, rotate tires while watching inside the fill cap hole use a flashlight make sure the diff-oil does not have a milky tint to it if it does more than likely it needs the axle bearings and axle bearing seals replaced. Hope this helps you out, it sounds like the same problem I had and that was the solution. water by-passed the seals in return contaminated my diff-oil. You might as well change both sides to prevent future problems. HANK

 

While you have the thing jacked up, feel how things rotate when you turn the wheels. Also see if there is any slop in the axle/swing arm.

If it doesn't have oil in it, or the oil is contaminated with water, and it was bad enough to squawk and get hot, chances are it trashed the bearings, but you could try putting some fresh GL-5 75W90 and see what happens...

 

I would remove the left rear wheel , then the hub and check that bearing .. If it is good I would check the brake panel bearing ..

 

I got everything fixed. The only thing I had to replace was the bearing and seals on the wheel side and the o-ring on the differential end. It wasn't that hard. The hardest part was taking the shock off. It only cost about 30 bucks, not to bad.

I just wonder if I should have replaced all the rear axle bearings while it was down. When one bearing goes out, will the rest of them follow closely? Maybe I will get lucky and the other ones will last another 1000 miles or longer[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Usually the bearing fails because a seal fails first letting in mud/dirt/water which kills the bearing pretty quick. I've replaced 3 wheel side bearings (grass and shrubs usually get tangled around the axle killing the seal) in 10 years, and did the brake side bearings and seals only this year.

 

Are these machines yours or do you own a shop? If you own or work at a shop, that's hard to believe that you only changed 3 bearings in 10 years.

How much harder are the brake side bearings?

 

Sorry, this is on my own 1998 Foreman, I do all my own work.

For the brake side you have to completly dissassemble the brake and there are 2 bearings back to back in the aluminum peice that the brakes attach to. This year I completly dissassembled the rear swing arm, did the non brake side bearing, both brake side bearings, Every single seal, all the o-ring seals, and new swing arm bearings and seals, and replaced the boot between the swing arm and the engine. Now its all restored, fresh, and like it was when it was new.