Classic/Antique Car Repair: corvette rear wheel bearings, rear wheel bearings, wheel drive cars

Question
Brad! I thought your name sounded familiar! I am retired from Tate's Auto Service and I bought a 1978 Corvette new. I wanted to remove the rear wheel bearings to clean and grease. Will the bearings be destroyed doing so? I always subletted the bearing housing for customer repair because I did not have a press. I also have a "porta-power" that could probably be used to remove the axle on-car. Any ideas or links to those that could advise?

Answer
It has been a while since I tackled one of these puppies. The rear wheel bearings are tapered opposed roller bearings much like a front wheel bearing. The hardest part if I remember right is getting the spindle out of the bearings. Once you take off the nut holding the yoke on and remove the yoke, the spindle or stub axle will need a little help getting loose from the inner bearing. The factory manual shows what they call a puller but is actually a pusher, like a steering wheel puller. You may have to make up the center bar for the device. But the bearings should come apart without damage not like the front wheel bearings on some front wheel drive cars.
Brad