Rear ABS wheel bearing problem - Advice please?

Hi Everyone, 
I've literally just this weekend gone purchased my second ever jimny, a 2004 model thats been heavily off road modified already, including axles off a 2016 plate 

I've just replaced rear cylinders and shoes both sides (originals were full of crap and perished from off road play) but wheel bearings are also knackered (play at wheels) so I'm going to replace them too...

decided to whip driver half shaft out today to have a looksee whats what.
First concern was during strip down and removing ABS sensor... (being a magnetic probe) there was a lot of gunge and fine metal filings stuck to the end,
upon pulling the shaft itself i discovered a competely battered wheel bearing and what looks like an ABS ringed bearing retainer, but all the teeth appear to have been ground flat to almost a machine polished finish! 

Turns out I've also missed a non illuminating ABS symbol in the ignition cluster at startup during my inspection (I drove from Wales to Scotland for this truck so I was pretty beat up already by time I arrived) which now leads me to concern about what's actually going on here with the discovery of the missing teeth on bearing retainer etc.

my mechanical knowledge and ability is relitively limited but I'm far from daft, I just can't grasp what's gone on or potentially been bodged here and why...
unfortunately I don't know enough about jimnys to call it and there seems to be nothing online regarding my particular circumstances.

I reached out to seller to make enquiries and claims abs bulb has never illuminated in his ownership (again, my bad for missing it) but assures me ABS has activated on him several times while off road and 'sliding in mud'.

worth noting that it drove home 270+ miles from Scotland to Wales without missing a beat so it's obviously not a total lemon, but i plan on using it on our fantastic network of green lanes locally so I need to know it's 100% right and safe as my son often comes out with me too.

As it stands I don't want to move forward without a bit more insight from the big jimny family! 

I've attached a photo of the shaft/bearing etc... hopefully one of you can help me out here. 

many thanks,
Welsh Tom 


 

i cant imagen what happened to that ring but i took off mine and never had any abs lights on

Thanks for the reply, So you fitted an ABS bearing but removed the tooth ring from the retainer itself before fitting? Thanks

I don't understand how that doesn't cause any problems.... but I also don't understand how mines ground down and I don't have any problems either?? Aside from knackered bearings and oil seals of course. About to whip pass side half shaft out so will see what's going on in there.

it has been ages like that with no abs and never had any problem . the only reason i can see for your problem is that there was a broken metal piece and got stuck there .are both sides grinded or just one side? also there is an inspection hole in the dif in the sensor place mybe something is broken or stuck there

If the seller only used it locally for pay’n’play sites, etc, and the bearing was already on the way out… add 270+ road miles to that and the bearing could have collapsed during the journey back to Wales (I’m on the North Wales coast btw  ), which could support him saying the ABS light wasn’t on when you left… with teeth being ground off on the journey home… no pickup teeth and your ABS light would have come on…

At least you got home safely! 

Time to inspect the seat where the bearing sits as they are a tolerance fit and replace the bearing and ABS pickup ring / retainer as these need cutting off for bearing replacement anyways…

Keep us all updated, we’ll help you along the way!

Dave
 

Here’s your homework for tonight -

www.bigjimny.com/mediawiki/index.php/Rea..._bearing_replacement

the BigJimny WiKi ! (Jimny Information in the top banner)