’33 rear axle bearing replacement

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  • June 5, 2015 at 3:52 pm #391383
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    After struggling to get the old bearings off my axle and to replace them, I sat down and put some thought into the process. It is regrettable that it took me this long to realize I should have reversed the order of “action then thought””. Maybe if I was younger.

    Here is the assembly as it is unbolted from the axle trumpet.”

    June 5, 2015 at 3:57 pm #399822
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    The housing just taps off to the nut side and will clear the nut. You should be left with a race and 2 opposed bearings. To remove the bearings, I cut through the bearing retainer cage and spread it apart. The rollers will go everywhere so don’t step on them.

    June 5, 2015 at 4:09 pm #399823
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    Your are left with the cones. In the picture the left bearing is complete and the right is just the cone.

    Next I use a Dremel with an abrasive cutoff wheel and heavily score the cone, being careful not to grind thru or hit the axle with the wheel.

    Then use a cold chisel and place it in the groove you have made and hit the chisel with a BFH, also known as a big hammer. If you have gone far enough thru the cone, this should split the cone and loosen it. If not repeat above steps until it is free.

    Being a steel guy I don’t like freezing or heating 80 year old steel in something like an axle. (Remember the Titanic) and I don’t have the major shop tools to do this easily, so I had to rely on other means.

    June 5, 2015 at 4:21 pm #399824
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    Here is how the axle looks with both cones off. You can see the cut in the cone leaning on the axle. You can also see the cut race in the previous picture. Anyone know why they forged a square in the shaft to separate the bearing?

    Now comes the hard part, replacing the bearing on a shaft that is over 2 feet from the end to the bearing. That is a tall press, a long gear puller or something else. I am waiting on some parts then I can cover the installation next week.

    June 5, 2015 at 7:34 pm #399825
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    Hi Bill, I’ve used a long heavy-wall steel tube, the correct ID to fit over the axle and fit against the cone of the bearing being installed, A similar steel tube was used to support the axle against the squared spacer ring.

    The long piece of pipe makes a very effective sliding hammer, and is making concentric, even contact on the bearing cone. It taps right on. Sometimes if I am concerned about too tight a fit, I’ll put the bearing on a 150 watt light bulb for 30 minutes while I polish the axle shaft and put a thin layer of anti-seize on the axle. The anti-seize and warm bearing have never failed to make for an easy installation.

    Greg Long

    June 5, 2015 at 8:39 pm #399826
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    Greg,

    I used this 15 pound tube to drive the previously heated to 230 degree bearing, but I got worried about the potential damage to the retaining cage. So I have come up with a more passive approach.

    Stay tuned

    June 5, 2015 at 11:04 pm #399827
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    Greg and Bill,

    If you have split the inner race to get the old one off clean the old race and turn it around so the small ODs are together and drive against the old race. Saves the cage. Jim

    June 6, 2015 at 7:22 am #412717
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    Jim,

    That is a pretty neat trick. I hadn’t thought of that. Then you could use Greg or my ” sliding hammer” with impunity.

    Thanks,

    Bill

    June 6, 2015 at 7:36 am #399828
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    Good Idea Jim ! My tube is machined at the bearing end to have contact only on the bearing cone. But I have had to re=machine that contact surface several times over the years because it gets beat up. Using an old cone, which is very hard would reduce or eliminate the battering the tube/driver will take.

    Greg L

    June 6, 2015 at 1:06 pm #399830
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    Interesting discussion gents-and progress too!

    John

    June 6, 2015 at 8:45 pm #399832
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    Bill. I was facing the same problem around Christmas. I did the trick of using the old split bearing cone to drive the new one on, but I have a small press that is just barely long enough with a bit of finness to press them on. The press was cheap (okay, it was from Harbor Freight) but does the occasional job like this well enough.

    The biggest problem I had was getting the outside cup out of the housing.

    Good luck! Jim

    June 7, 2015 at 11:13 am #399833
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    James,

    I just removed that race by running a weld bead around the race with my sub $100 120V inverter welder. When it cools, the bead shrinks the race and loosens it. Then I drove it out with a punch.

    Bill

    June 7, 2015 at 11:17 am #399834
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    Here is the weld around the race. You can see the 1/16″ welding electrode which is easy to handle and keep on the race.”

    June 7, 2015 at 4:52 pm #399835
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    That’s a neat trick. I really need to learn to do basic welding! Bought one over ten years ago but reticent to learn how to use it.

    I got the cup out by turning the arms of a small three arm puller to the outside to engage the cup edge, put a deep socket down the middle to keep the arms forced outward and pressed it out. I used the same trick as mentioned for the cones above to push the new ones in: cut a slot in one of the old cups and used it to bear against the new cup to protect while tapping it in.

    regards, Jim

    June 7, 2015 at 5:06 pm #399836
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    Pretty slick. I prefer mechanical advantage to brute force/ heat

    June 10, 2015 at 8:36 pm #399852
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    Here is the bearing install setup. I used (2) 1 1/4″ pipe flanges and 1/2″” 6″” all thread bolts.”

    June 10, 2015 at 8:40 pm #399853
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    Heat the bearings to 230 degrees. Tighten the bolts in a 180 degree apart, 90 degree apart then 180. Kind of a Z. I had about .0015 clearance between the flange boss and the bearing so the bearing barely turned when under compression. Very non dramatic and no impact.

    June 10, 2015 at 11:02 pm #399857
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    That is a great idea to pull the bearings in towards each other.

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