When was the last time you changed your rear hubs?
#61
A respected race car builder / shop owner here in the bay area told me the original hubs that came on the Miata seem to live significantly longer than the OEM replacements. He recommended I replace mine every two years and also said regular racers should do it every year.
The rears would be better new if the metallurgy was know to be of the same or better quality from 20 years ago. That is debatable to.
#65
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I wouldn't consider "I use street tires" a reasonable excuse to avoid swapping these - the parts are too cheap and the failure mode too catastrophic. In addition to the hub, I lost a wheel, three tires (flatspotted the fronts), an exhaust system, and wrecked the rear bearing, and I got extremely lucky.
#67
I am trying to do a Cost/Benefit of buying front hubs, replacing the ball bearings with better spec'd ones, and repacking with AMSoil or just replacing with Timken branded hubs straight from the box whenever I do the rear hubs.
#69
I wouldn't consider "I use street tires" a reasonable excuse to avoid swapping these - the parts are too cheap and the failure mode too catastrophic. In addition to the hub, I lost a wheel, three tires (flatspotted the fronts), an exhaust system, and wrecked the rear bearing, and I got extremely lucky.
#80
You can try to separate them, but my advice would be to just buy another axle and knuckle, and a new hub and wheel bearing. Don't forget anti-seize on the axle splines.