W123 rear wheel bearing mystery

[Rocket99]

INstalled new FAG rear bearing kit, done it many times, not rocket science.

- with bare hand alone on socket when the nut started to feel it was tightening there was zero endplay, and the flange was suspiciously tight,

took it out , verified the races were "all the way home", reinstalled it, this time with one hand on ratchet wrench, one bare hand on counterhold, got proper endplay with less than one turn of the nut, the flange felt too tight.

next morning after doing nothing overnight there was zero endplay and th flange was too tight.

backed the nut off, to .005 in. endplay, still the flange was too tight. yes yes I know about using new crush washer....



Put the wheel on for leverage to rotated it to see what that suggested .... it sounds like the disc brake shoes are dragging too much, but no caliper is installed at all. that sound is coming from the hub, bearings, flange

Has anyone seen this before??

I suspect something fishy about the FAG bearings, mis matched roller tapers or something.

It is a different trailing arm , used, the previous one broke right in two, the bearing races installed normally,

The only thing that seems worth it is to try SKF or some other quality bearing. A call to the FAG engineers say another bearing kit or different brand.

Ideas ??? feedback especially from somebody who has seen it before.

Thx in advance.

PS ... the ever industrious NZScott below nailed it on the parking brake shoe causing the audible rubbing. Thank you sir. No more rubbing sound .... just too "thick" difficult to rotate, though smooth.

Perhaps its fine as is and when I drive it a bit, it will warm up, excess grease packed into roller cage will be squeazed out, and it will normalize.....