Visited the machine shop that will be doing the bearing replacement. They are very experienced doing this job because the local Toyota dealer contracts them for this and many other jobs. When I questioned them if they have to re-do bearing retainer because of leaks (from the seal lip riding on the bevel of the retainer), they looked at me like I was crazy. This gave me reassurance that they know what they are doing.

My question is this:

How many people have experienced an inner seal failure because the seal does not ride far enough on the bearing retainer, but rather on its bevel? (Only for those with ABS brakes.)

Thanks for your replies.

I wouldn't say mine failed after the first time I replaced the bearings, retainers, and seals because that would imply that they were seated correctly from the beginning. When I had new retainers pressed on and replaced the seals 1000 miles later I measured to make sure it was 4.5 mm with the retainer reversed as per Dr Coffee's method and all is well now. Regardless if you reverse the retainers or not measure and do a grease test prior to completing the reinstallion of everything. (Recognize that 4.5mm might not be the correct measurement if you choose to not flip the retainer.)

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Only one reply so far. The 'problem' of the seal lip riding on the bevel seems to have affected only a couple of people. It appears to not be an issue.

My wife took her axle to a machine shop right across the street from the Toyota dealership. They said they pressed axle bearings for the dealership all the time.

Then they pressed everything on all the way, everything all butted together (like how 99% of situations where multiple things are pressed on). This lead to a couple of replaced seals and continued leaking before we figured out the seal wasn't touching the ring at all, it was neatly hanging out in open air.

She had to take off the *other* axle and the one with the new bearing and take it back to them and point out the various air gaps between the different components. They had to buy some new parts and redo it because they damaged them taking them off. We stopped using that place, they've screwed up various other things as well.

I think you're way ahead of the game if you know about the air gaps ahead of time and know to remind them and double check their work afterwards.

I went and looked up the part numbers and did it with some friends and apparently the inner seal was "changed" a couple years ago and I got an inferior part form Napa. I took it to a mechanic and they discovered there was a change in the part (the bevel, I think) and we believe that's why it failed 6 months later.
Another reason mine may have failed however, was I did an OME "lift of about 3.5" and now my trackbar/panhard is pushing at an angle and my rear isn't tracking straight.