[sam c.]

Thanks for the comments... just to clarify my post, the bearing itself seems very tight and in good shape. What surprised me was the play in the shaft. Not a ton, mind u but several mm. Again, that play wasn't in the bearing but in the entire shaft assembly when I was prying the cover off. My thought was that in addition to other abuses these bearings endure, the end play in the shaft has to allow a good amount of side loading as well.