Have a question that I hope someone here has the answer. I'm replacing the rear axle shaft seals(both inner and outer). The seals leaked gear oil onto the rear brake shoes. I'm also replacing the axleshaft bearing. The question I have is what type of lubricant should be applied to the new bearing during installation-gear oil or bearing grease. Due to the inner shaft seal I don't see how gear oil would get to the bearing during normal use. I checked Kia's tech site and the net but came up empty handed.

The gear oil in your differential runs down the axle tubes to lube the rear axle bearings, that's why it's important you keep your diff topped off. Its not a bad idea to dip them in gear oil before you install them though.

Dennis

Thanks for the reply. Not trying to sound smart but I still don't see how gear oil gets to the bearing. In most rears there is only 1 seal or there are oiling passages to the bearing. When I looked inside this rear I did not see any oiling passages in the housing or oiling grooves in the shaft. The inner seal is such a tight fit on the shaft, I don't see how oil would get past. Again not trying to sound smart just trying to figure out if I'm getting ready to destroy this new bearing from lack of proper lubrication. Thanks.

Are you sure you have an inner seal, when I had mine apart I didn't see an inner seal just the outer one. I didn't grease my bearings when I put them back in and no failure in 20,000 miles.

Dennis

There's definitely an inner oil seal as well as an outer oil seal. The outer oil seal comes out with the axle assembly. The inner seal tends to stay in the axle housing. I checked out 1995, 1997 and 2001 on Kia Tech Info and it shows both seals for all three years. I've been getting some grinding noises lately and thought it was the left rear bearing. It was a little junked up, but seemed decent so I cleaned it out and used some synthetic wheel bearing grease on it. I do have to say that my inner oil seal did seem to have been leaking a little though.

Still haven't solved the grinding. Maybe it's the front...

I don't remember seeing an inner seal but that doesn't meen it's not there, my Kia service manual doesn't show one but the exploded view on kiacarparts.net (where I oreder all my dealer only parts)shows one (on lineprice is $4.12). I will be pulling my rear axle shafts out to check them before I put the kia back up for sale just to make sure I'm not selling a time bomb.

Sorry for the wrong info, Dennis

No need to apologize. Called an old friend that knows a tech for a kia dealer. He asked him the same question I asked. The tech responded with "I know exactly what he's asking. There is nothing in Kia's manuals as to what lubricant to use before installation. I just apply some gear oil." I called a local dealer I buy parts from and the answer I got from the service dept. left me with a hung low and shaking head "Don't know, we replace the whole unit." What!!???? Have not contacted Kia directly yet but appears no one at the local level where I am knows. Before I reinstalled the axle shaft I lightly packed the bearing with bearing grease and coated it with 90wt. gear oil right before sliding it back into the housing. Eventually I guess I'll find an answer--I hope.