"jim beam" <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote in message
news:nsCdnUS7ZJs6fCbbnZ2dnUVZ_hjinZ2d@speakeasy.ne t...
> Wayne L wrote:
>> "Tegger" <tegger@tegger.c0m> wrote in message
>> news:Xns9986D4270250Dtegger@207.14.116.130...
>>> "Wayne L" <wlogsdon@snip.net> wrote in
>>> news:af84c$46ba7006$d1cc7c5a$19925
>>> @snip.allthenewsgroups.com:
>>>
>>>> Should the rear wheel bearings on a 2003 Accord be cleaned and
>>>> re-greased
>>>> every so often?
>>>>
>>>
>>> No. Sealed for life. These are not like the old tapered roller bearings
>>> you
>>> may be used to.
>>>
>>> The rear bearings tend to have far longer lives than the front ones.
>>> This
>>> is because they are largely shielded from road splash.
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Tegger
>>>
>>> The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
>>> www.tegger.com/hondafaq/
>>
>> Hi Tegger. Thanks for getting back to me. You're the best!
>> Yeah, every other car I've owned, except my wife's 99 Grand Prix, has had
>> the tapered roller bearings with the keyed flat washer, all around, or
>> just the back, and the rule of thumb I used was "clean them out and
>> re-grease every 35K. When I took the dust cap off of the 2003 Accord, it
>> looked similar to the 87 Accord I had...same disposable "peened" nut (I
>> have a half a dozen used ones in the tool box...figured in a pinch they
>> might be usable on the opposite side) but when I saw that instead of a
>> keyed flat washer it had what looked like a sealing sheet metal
>> disk.........I figured I'd better get some info before starting the
>> disassembly. A few weeks ago it popped into my little brain that the
>> Honda had about 61K on it and I had never greased the rear axles. I've
>> seen more than one car on the shoulder with a broken rear axle, probably
>> caused by a red hot bearing.
>
> no dude, you've never seen a honda with a broken rear axle.

I'm sure you're right. Probably GM and Ford products, which is why I'll
never buy another one of those, except my wife insisted on the Pontiac
because a lady she worked with loved hers.......probably the color :-).
Actually I've been happily surprised about the Grand Prix. 60K, 8 years
old, no problems, no rust holes, paint still OK. First GM product out of 6
that did that! Of course it still rides and rattles loose as a goose.

>
>> My wife's 99 Grand Prix has an obviously sealed rear axle unit. This is
>> the first car I've owned in a long while that I didn't spring for the
>> whole shop manual set, because I usually kept them until they were ready
>> for the junk yard. I've had dealers tell me they didn't want my trade
>> in. Then I'd tell them "no trade in, no sale", then they would offer $50
>> and I'd say thankyou, saved me the trouble of getting rid of it :-) But
>> after spending countless Sunday's under the car fixing things,
>
> recreational car maintenance.

I still do the oil changes, brakes, belts, etc., but I don't call pulling
heads, changing timing belts, changing computers, troubleshooing bad
sensors, replacing headliners, rebuilding jeep 5 speeds, replacing
distributors, replacing rear main seals, replacing marine outboard cranks
and driveshafts, replacing broken turn signal rings, replacing ignition
locks, doing valve adjustments, rebuilding carburators, rebuilding brake
calibers, replacing front wheel drive axles and bearings, replacing struts,
replacing clutches and throwout bearings, adjusting clutches, replacing
pilot bearings, dropping gas tanks, repairing car audio systems etc., etc.,
recreational, unless you define recreational as all work done by unpaid
non-professional mechanics. I assume you are an automotive technician?

>
>> and with Honda's being the most reliable cars I've ever owned, and with
>> just about the lowest recall numbers in the business, I hope to trade
>> this one in and get another in a year or two. BTW, the manuals are up to
>> about $200 for the complete set.
>>
>> Thanks again Tegger
>> Wayne