Symptoms
Gear oil on the inside of the rear wheel or the brake shoes, a growl that changes with speed, or play in the rear wheel.
The fix, step by step
- Remove the wheel and drum, disconnect the brake line and remove the backing-plate bolts, then pull the axle.
- The bearing and retainer are pressed on, so cut the old retainer off carefully and press on the new bearing, retainer and seal.
- Reinstall, bleed the rear brakes and top up the differential.
- Trail Tough's SJ410 backing-plate mod lets future axle changes skip opening the brake lines.
Tools & part numbers
- Slide hammer
- press or bearing shop
- die grinder
- brake bleeding kit
Where to buy the parts
Samurai rear wheel bearing kit (Koyo bearing, OEM retainer and seal)Trail Tough ↗Amazon ↗
SJ410 backing platesTrail Tough ↗Amazon ↗
Chromoly rear axles, 1986–95 Samurai (pair)Trail Tough ↗Amazon ↗
Hunting a used or discontinued part? Search eBay Motors for Suzuki SJ / Samurai parts →
Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.