This past Saturday, I was going to install new brakes around the car. I jacked the rear of the car up, went over to the drivers rear tire to start loosening the lug nuts, and as I went to kneel down, I put my palm on the top-side of the tire, only to find out that the wheel had almost 1/4" of play in it! My first thought was that the tire was loose. Nope. It wasn't. Went around to the other side to check. The pass side has even MORE play in it!
So after changing my underwear, I dropped her on stands and that'* where she'* been residing. I am scared to drive her after finding this out. She'* got almost 130k on her.

Is this a normal occurance? Or what? I take it I need some new bearings, but has anyone heard of them being this bad? In the REAR?

I think you may be on your own on this one, i can not recall hearing another single complaint about a rear wheel bearing

Having that much play in the rear hubs, I would be inclined to think they were singing, yes?

The only noise is a slight humming when curving to the right from a bad driver'* FRONT bearing. I heard no noises from the rear of the car. That'* why I was so shocked to oberve this. The guy at my local Napa said he'* never heard of that either. I took the tires off and could wiggle the lugs up and down on both the driver'* and passenger'* side. I don't know of I'm losing my mind or what!

Tomorrow I'm going to take the hubs off and inspect them. Just to make sure someone isn't putting happy powder in my morning coffee

Oh yeah. I didn't need to take the hubs out to tell they're bad. Both sides. I don't know how they ever got this bad. Or bad at all in the first place. Guess it'* Napa time tomorrow.

Anyone have any suggestions/ideas :?:

I'm thinking the car has some roughness in it'* past.

Have you slid the back end around before?

I'm not sure. I think that the ABS connector location would cause a problem if there was a nut back there. I didn't see a nut hiding behind there.

Well... Last summer I was coming home from work. Dark and rainy. There was a dog sitting in the middle of my lane (of couse). The dog didn't move, so I did. I took the shoulder and fish-tailed it pretty good when coming back onto pavement. That'* the only thing that could of done damage... if any.

That shouldn't damage the bearings, but because the fwd car is not typically fishtailed, who knows. I do know that the rear suspension is not all that beefy either. (I think my '95 had stouter arms and link.) Even if you can "tighten" these back up, it is likely the damage is done and you'd have to replace them. One little metal chip will wear down the bearings until they eventually fail.