Had this thought today when I was planning to 'dump' my 58 down to the ground.............how do the wheel bearings get any oil ?

If the car is that low will the oil reach the outer bearings when the hubs are probably higher than the level of oil in the gearbox?

Your thoughts !!!
(I'm sure this has been answered elsewhere........or maybe no one cares!)

It probably wont Craig. Maybe when you go round corners some oil will find its way up there. Might also wind its way up the axle when you are driving along.

Or replace the bearings with the packed and sealed type??

run sealed bearings.
It does get up there though, always seems to be oil in the tubes when pulling brakes etc off.
Not sure on a long straight drive though, thats when the bearings would dry out I think...

i have a few sets of spare sealed wheel bearings.. but never had to use them the og ones are still fine in the 58 (not that i have it now) but its been a coupla years now. spose when you go around corners/wheels spinning the oil gets there in the end

i think the sealed bearings will let oil in and thin the grease out leaving nothing in there,i think it will also make it harder for the oil to get in there once the grease is gone , its probably better to just leave unsealed bearings in there and fill the box alittle more than you would like to, maybe fit some kind of breather to the box that will not leak out any oil...
could be wrong as i have not tried to lower a swing beetle , just had experience with bearings etc and have found the sealed bearings dont last to long in submerged conditions

They are not submerged when the car is really low, thats the whole reason for using them.
If they were submerged in oil you wouldnt need them.
Driving on a long straight road at high speed when real low tends not to send much oil up the axle tubes... and thats when you need it. They may see a splash of oil, but wont be submerged in it.

Gravity when u go round corners


If you used pre packed bearings the grease would wash out when the gearbox eventually hits the bearing

Jack the car a bit higher on the fill side when you top up the oil, so as to get a bit more in, then worry about it when it happens. My OG bearings have lasted 3 years so far and still seem fine.

I'm guessing that at speed there is a constant mist of oil floating around inside the gearbox, like the blowby mist you get inside the engine. The oil may find it's way up to the bearings via this mist?

Hi

I was thinking about this, what if you put a breather hose in the top of the bearing housing, this would allow the oil in the axles to fill up to the level of the oil in the main case.

Or how about fiiting a pump to squirt oil onto bearings?

Steve

I'm running sealed bearings and they seem to be fine.. we'll see what the toe-in does to them next time i take apart the rear drums..