Front and Rear Bearings – 63-82 Corvette

63-82 Corvettes, like many other vehicles, has front and rear wheel bearings that can wear out over time due to regular use and age. In this specific model range, the front and rear wheel bearings are known as “tapered roller bearings,” which allow for higher side loading. The fronts are held on by a washer and castle nut that is virtually hand tight to minimize drag but also minimizes play. The rears have a spacer and shim to make the system more secure under load which gives the bearing assembly it’s strength but also makes the rear bearings harder to setup to rebuild.

Front wheel bearings: The front wheel bearings on C2 and C3 Vettes can wear out due to factors such as lack of lubrication, contamination, and normal wear over time. Signs of worn front wheel bearings may include a grinding or humming noise from the front wheels, uneven tire wear, steering wheel vibration, pulsating or spongy brake pedal, uneven brake pad wear, or excessive play in the wheel when jacked up off the ground. If these symptoms are present, it is advisable to have the front wheel bearings inspected and potentially replaced.

Front wheel bearing hubs: The front hubs not the Corvette are prone to warpage like a rotor. The face of the hub, when clean, should have a run out of no more than .008 and we prefer less than .005. These low numbers are due to the fact the C2 and C3 Vettes have a fixed caliper versus a floating caliper like most standard late model Corvettes. If you are constantly bleeding the brakes for a spongy pedal and/or have uneven brake pad wear, you probably need to replace your hubs not just rebuild with new bearings.

Rear wheel bearings: The rear wheel bearings are also susceptible to wear and tear. Symptoms of worn rear wheel bearings are similar to those of the front bearings and may include noise that increase and decreases with speed along with play in the wheels. The rears tend to actually wear out faster than the fronts due to the OE manufacturing spec to produce cars at a production speeds. Parts to inspect when you find play in the rear wheels before replacing any parts include; the strut rod/camber rod bushings, t-arm bushings, half shaft u-joints and inner axle in and out play.

If the rest of the components are good, then it’s time for a rebuild. When rebuilding your own parts you must inspect all the components to ensure proper bearing life and brake pedal feel. The rear spindle has to be inspected for run out on the face of a clean spindle. This should be no higher than .005. The bearing surface areas should be inspected for excessive wear or if they have been machined down for a slip fit. The slip fit helps with install but is not the proper way and can lead to premature bearing failure. We’ve rebuilt many a bearing assembly that were fresh rebuilds to find they had overly worn or slip fit spindles. Finally an often over looked item are the caliper mounting brackets. They can be bent from the car bottoming out and/or pad knock from worn out bearings. For proper braking on a fixed caliper, these should be replaced if not spot on.