Christmas Eve my family and I got in our 95 Z28 to go to my moms house for dinner and gift exchange and all that good stuff. We got a couple miles from our house and started hearing a loud awlful noise coming from what appeared to be coming from the passenger side wheel area. I'm thing it is the wheel bearing. Yesterday, all the part stores are closed so I got the rear end drained, axles pulled, and the axle seals off. Today I got the axle bearings out and and replaced the seals and bearings. Got it all back together and lowered the car down and took a test drive. Right away it was doing the same thing. Came back home, took the rear tires back off and pulled the calipers off to see if that was problem. Same thing. Pulled the drive shaft out to maybe change u joints and noticed the pinion seal leaking. Now, I'm gonna change the seal but I noticed when I turn the pinion it is not smooth, there is a spot where it wants to lock up and when I turn it fast enough to get past that spot it makes the noise that I think I'm hearing. Is there a bearing behind the pinion seal???? Or is there something else that couple be going on??? Thanks for any help I can get.

Shawn

 

There are 2 'tapered roller bearing' assemblies on/for the pinion.The races are pressed into the housing.

 

Could be the pinion bearings/races.