I've just replaced the innner & outer rear wheel bearings & I still have a little movement in the left rear wheel. When I say little, u really have to try hard to feel it when pulling the wheel from top to bottom.
I thought that the bearing seat in the trailing arm may be worn but the bearings are a very snug fit into their housings.
Should I next try to replace the long sleeve/spacer that is inside the arm? or just try replacing the axle?
Any thoughts appreciatted.
regards
Jak

cleaned the housing out < the bearing is this sitting square in the housing ,have been there before ,I cut a shim fitted it in the back of the housing > fixed :thumb

Jak Did you tension up the rear axle nut tight ... or are you testing with out do this up ??? When done up it should all squash together

The bearings all seem to be sitting sweet, although I suppose it's worth a second look.
Dave, I've got a 5 foot steel pole to do my axle nuts/flywheel, it's tight!
Jak

Jak,
The 5 ft bar should torque it up OK...
So, really, You cannot tell if its the axle or the pivot bush & Bolt..
I wouldn't change the axle, they should all be the same... [for your model] its really strange.. You could file the brake drum, where the Nut screws onto... a small amount... until the looseness disappears.. or leave it for a few weeks and then retighten it again... The only explanation is that the bearings must be slightly over size.. a few thou..
How bad were the old bearings worn??
Usually the bearing Cup [outer] protects the housing where it sits... Can You move it back & forth from side to side also??
I would leave it for a while , nothing can get damaged... and see if it can be retightened in the Future... if it needs to be..
Lee

Hi Jak

Your traling arms might be flogged out.

How to take play out of IRS rear wheel bearings

Owners of IRS (4 joint) rear end equipped VWs take note. If you've recently changed your rear wheel bearings and still noticed rear wheel play when the car's jacked up, here's a very simple fix.

The rigors of time will eventually pound out the outside wheel bearing housings so the bearing and race no longer fit snugly. This slop in the outside roller bearing puts a lot of stress on the inner ball bearing, drastically shortening its life. To tighten up the outside bearing, put feeler gauge between the race and the housing. Feeler gauge strips are available at any good auto parts store and are available in thicknesses from .OOI to .030-inch. Use your feeler gauge to determine the correct thickness, then cut a strip of feeler stalk long enough to go around the race.

Have a read of January Zeitscrift.

1302Steve

I tried that exact thing Stevie as I had read the article, but I can't get any type of feeler guage in there, the bearing outer is a perfect fit into the trailing arm housing. Thats why I thought the axle may be buggered.?
regards
Jak

Jak a long shot is the spacer sitting in between the 2 bearings??

Is it just that you can feel movement or is it drastic compared to the other side ??

or are thye both crook??

Sorry , I didn't reply to Lee. I run rear disks, they have been on for 12 months I suppose now? I tried leaving for it a few days driving & tried re-tightening it but it wouldn't tighten anymore.
I can only move the wheel from top to bottom, not in & out.
I hadn't replaced the inners before & the outers were replaced about 4 years ago, this was just to make sure.
I'm pretty confident that it's not going anywhere, but it's just that u can here a small clunk or knocking noise when going over bumps from the left rear & it really bugs me.
I'd like to resolve it.
As another note, when the car is on the ground u can't move the wheel, no matter how hard u try.
regards
Jak

Yeh the Dave the spacer is sitting in there, & no there is no movement at all on the right hand side.
Is that what u meant?
Jak

yeah just checking... so looks like you may have to get some feeler gauge shim and slip it in or try another trailing arm.

Jak, when I replaced mine (1995) I used "liquid metal" around the bearing housing on the trailing arm, this will hold the bearing tight.

Is there any wear on your axles ?

All obvious questions !

U say you here a clumk from the left rear when going oer bumps? Have u eliminated everyhting else that could be causing this, Rear body to pan mount bush gone, shocks, torsion bushes, etc etc

My Sons Baja Beetle was doing that for a long time, pulled everything apart looking for the cause. Turned out to be the Pivot arm rubber bush - was chopped out..
Also the pivot bolt kept coming loose..
after the new bush was fitted, no knock and the pivot bolt hasn't come loose since...
I couldn't really see that amount of free play in the rear axle, making any noise...
I could be wrong...
Lee