2002 RWD 4 dr, limited slip. Right rear axle bearing and seal are shot. I expect the axle to be trashed at the bearing surface as well. What has worked for you guys? A "repair" bearing is the easiest but I read a lot of horror stories. Best I can tell its:

1) Repair bearing

2) build up axle and machine bearing surface to specs

3) Junk yard axle

4) New axle from say Rock Auto

What do you guys suggest that have been through this?

Thanks,

George

 

I have my '02 4dr 4wd rear axles out as I am replacing the wheel bearings; left side was very noisy. I stopped by the local Pic-A-Part last weekend and was told that a complete rear axle was $150...that is everything, maybe even springs.
I think this would be the cheapest and quickest route to go as there are LOTS of Blazers out there.

I am hoping to find a G80 differential to replace the OEM open carrier. Trouble is the only way I could get a complete rear axle home is to use my Blazer; so I will have to put it back together first.

 

Had the same problem.

Changed the seal/bearing with original style, lasted a few months, started leaking again.

Went to the "repair bearing," again lasted a few months, and was leaking.

Finally ordered a new shaft from rock auto, and so far so good. Only been a couple months, though.

I planned on going the pick-n-pull route, but they didn't have a drum brake 4wd in the yard. 2wd is narrower, and I read somewhere that the disc brake ones are different as well.

Here's what mine looked like:

 

Such parts are normally induction hardened at the bearing surface.

Just dealing with such a problem on a steering king-pin of a 64 car. Pitting on the needle roller surface.
Nearly impossible to fix. Machining is possible only if the surface hardness is retained. This means grinding to smaller diam. On an axle that means a weak spot in the worst possible spot. IMHO - no-go.

New axles. Make sure the spline number is correct for your order, there could be different number of teeth depending on the application.

 

If bearing did not spin in the housing, the correct repair would be a new standard bearing and either a new or used axle.

If bearing locked up and spun in the housing, the housing is junk.

2WD axles are shorter than 4WD axles, so don't try to use a 4WD axle from the junkyard in your 2WD and disk brake vs drum brake is another concern (as Cleburne red already said). Then there is 7.5" vs 8.5" ring gear.

I would do something like LKQ Pick a Part (pull it yourself junkyard) - axle will be dirt cheap. Make sure your rear is not an 8.5" (actually 8.65"). Take yours along to match up. The only 2WD 8.5's were behind 4.3v6 with 5 speed (primarily in Extremes) - so if you don't have one of these, then another 2WD Blazer if you happen across it) is your best bet. If you do have an 8.5, just go ahead and order a new axle - it is doubtful you will ever find a used one locally that you can pull yourself.

I personally have an 8.65 from a 2002 Extreme with an Eaton Posi installed in my 1989 S10 racer. It had a bent axle when I got it. I had to pay a pretty penny for a used axle that was found out-of-state.

There are plenty of internet instructions on how to ID 7.5 vs 8.5 Blazer/S10 rear ends. Primarily the axle tubes step down in size as they go out to the wheels on the 8.5.

 

Are you replying to me? I think I'm the only one who posted a photo, but I'm not OP. I was just showing the wear on my axle compared to the new I replaced it with.

 

I saw the photo and assumed it was the OP's. Sorry. I went back and corrected my post. Actually I ended up saying a lot but added very little useful content!!

 

When my axle came out it looked the same as yours. Since there are so many axles across so many combinations with inconsistent cross reference material, I waited until I pulled it and ordered a new one based on the specifications of the axle. rock Auto was down all weekend so I found one on eBay and it arrived new from the US factory. Chose a US made Delco/Koyo bearing and will install everything this weekend.

After I saw that the axle had lost 0.070" at the bearing surface I decided against a repair bearing since the existing axle looked like a "score and break here" scenario. Besides, I read about a lot of failed repair bearings. A junkyard axle was going to have to come from a perfect RPO code match to be sure that I didn't waste a 150 mile round trip so I nixed that as well.

Thanks,

George

 

Didn't bother posting a picture since mine was essentially the same.

George