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Hi All I have had my 2002 KZN165 since new and dealer serviced up to 180K and it now has 210K on it so going by the recommended service interval the wheel bearings were dew to be greased or replaced at 200K, so I have gone back thru all my service records yes I have them all and noted that Toyota has only "Repacked front wheel bearing & ball joint grease" at every 20K the key word being Front no mention of the Rear wheel bearings? at any service.

So am I right to assume they have never been done or touched in 19 years whilst being dealer serviced?

I'm not shy of doing them myself but looking into it I would need to make up a SST out of some pipe and plate (not keen to flog the Axle down onto a piece of wood) then buy a press and some die's ect and would probably also go Genuine bearings at $230 each as if they have lasted 210K with out being touched they are probably worth it so a one off job probably 50/50 to do it my self or get toyota to do it.

Wheel bearings probably don't need replacing if there's nothing wrong. Paying extra to go to a dealer ship is your choice, but any qualified and reputable licensed mechanic can do the work for you, often at a much lower price.

Original wheel bearings are quality bearings and since the front were packed and serviced they should be fine. The problem comes when someone fits cheap bearings (usually Chinese) and wonder why they don't last. Timken bearings are as good as OEM and will last, probably for the life of the vehicle and as Rob says, unless there's a problem in the rears they should be ok. If ever someone does work on the axles, it's always a good idea to check or replace the bearings with quality replacements, not the cheapest you can get!

A good quality bearing should last a lifetime if they’re kept clean and they don’t overheat. In fact they get harder the more use they get. I’ve removed bearings from aircraft engines that have no measurable wear after more than 50,000 hours of use.

I’d clean and inspect the wheel bearings and if they feel and look ok why replace them? Grease them up, reassemble and off you go.

Philos, you say aircraft engines.... Where did you practice aircraft engineering? I'm ex RAN and Hawker DeHavilland.

Gipsy wrote:Philos, you say aircraft engines.... Where did you practice aircraft engineering? I'm ex RAN and Hawker DeHavilland.

Former Dept of Aviation here.
I guess the world is not always quite as big as we might think.

Rob, were you in Canberra? Rick Lee or Glen Harley ring any bells?

Nah, KSA. Don't recognise the names, but that doesn't mean much. It was nearly 40 years ago.

50 for me

Gipsy wrote:Philos, you say aircraft engines.... Where did you practice aircraft engineering? I'm ex RAN and Hawker DeHavilland.

I hope this reply works. Tried yesterday but was locked out…

I’m ex Qantas AME - mechanical, from Tullamarine. I worked in the engine shop for overhauling the 737 CFM’s for 6 years then moved into heavy maintenance. I started off at Government Aircraft Factories in Melbourne and Avalon and yes got my hands on some pretty tricky military stuff - Mirages and FA 18’s mainly and some other bits and pieces.

How about you Gipsy? Where were you based. The military stuff is incredible huh?

Yes mate, military stuff is amazing. I started with Hawker DeHavilland overhauling and dyno-testing V12 Merlin's and Griffon, R18 radials then moved to Iroquois ih1b Lycoming and then Pratt and Whitney a4g Skyhawk. Finished in 1977 and went on to business management. If you're ever in Nowra, check out the RAN Aviation Museum at HMAS Albatross. I turned a spanner on almost every aircraft in there (literally those particular aircraft). Google it and there's pages of information there.
https://www.navy.gov.au/heritage/museum ... arm-museum

I’d love to try and get to the museum one day thanks Gipsy. I’m planning a drive down to Melbourne in the near future.. maybe a little detour is in stall?

Nice list of engine work there. Those Merlins are a slight to behold. We had one at RMIT in Melbourne where I studied. Talk about drooling. Wow that thing was awesome to look at and talk about. There was a P51 right next to it too!

Ok.. I’ll see if this post makes it through….

Philos wrote:I’d love to try and get to the museum one day thanks Gipsy. I’m planning a drive down to Melbourne in the near future.. maybe a little detour is in stall?

Rather than the "detour" you suggest, try travelling down the coast. The museum at Nowra is only one of a million different things to see on the South Coast of NSW ... Especially if you're into Fishing, 4WDriving or just relaxing in an absolutely beautiful environment. Travelling the expressway on the top of the mountains is fine if you're in a hurry, but if you have the time, then take the Princes Highway. You won't regret it.

Absolutely Rob, the coast trip is a sight to behold and the museum is on the way!

Philos, the Mustang p51 used an American copy of Merlin but couldn't get it to produce the power of Merlin, so they ended up with the real Merlin from Rolls Royce. The Griffon was a bigger version of Merlin and produced up to 2500shp.
Merlin 27litres versus Griffon 37litres, 1850hp versus 2420hp in the last of them used in the last Mustangs.