Play between rear wheel bearings & stub axles

[Smutts]

I always seem to have hassles with the rear wheel bearing on the VWs I have had. This is a job I have done dozens of times on various cars, Datsun, Ford, Toyota, Renault. No problems. The two Golfs and Polo, done by the book, shoving the washer with a screwdriver, without levering, and my reward is the wheel wobbling as though the bearing is *******. Aha! thinks I, I does the thing up a bit tighter so there can't be play, and I can still wobble the poxy wheel around. The only thing that I can think of is that there is play from the stub axles being undersized, or the aftermarket bearings commonly sold in the UK have too large a hole where the stub axle goes through. Or did VWs just leave the clearances a bit generous? Any thoughts?

[Smutts]

On closer inspection, heaving the wheels at 12 and 6 o'clock, they rock.(apologies to Bill Haley), 3 & 9 o'clock, they don't. I think that Devon roads being so wriggley, the constant rocking to and fro fron cornering has chafed the stub axles where the bearing cones? sit. Hard bearing metal, softer tougher crack resistant stub axle steel, slight but heavily loaded movement, 150,000 miles. The bearing steel will win. Anyone got any theories?

[Col]

Yep,

Had this on my old MK3 Golf. There was play between the bearing races and the stub axle.

Thankfully the stub axle is quite cheap and quite easy to change.

But totally agree, this should not happen in this day and age, especially on a VW. Like you never had any problems with the countless Fords I've owned in this department.

[Smutts]

Looks as though I will have to add this to the list of VW peculiarities, like the mk2 Polo glovebox (shoebox?), 9mm 12 point bolts on Polo clutch, 020 gearbox suicide rivets, exploding heater matrixes, hopeless headlights, those door handles, £14 to replace lightbulb in the heater panel. I can feel a rant coming on! Why do I love my VWs so much?