axle with green bearing problems

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coreyg

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So Im in the process of putting wilwood disc brakes on the rear of the car. I took my axles down to have the lug nut studs moved to have 5x4.5 pattern. He also installed a set of green bearings on the axles they are mo400 bearings. So I installed the drivers side brakes and everything went well, go to the passenger side and the snap ring on the bearing that is suppose to rest against the axle housing is about 1/8" to 3/16" away from the housing. So I thought maybe switch them nope same thing as soon as I tighten one side it pushes out the other side. Any thought or solutions.
 
If it is has the thrust block in the differential, it must be removed.
 
you may have to cut your axle enough to let it go all the way in
 
The thrust block is located in the center of the differential. The differential cross pin passes through it. It's job is to give the axles something to limit their movement. Once green bearings are installed, the thrust block must be eliminated so the axles can be installed properly. Cutting the axles is a hack job and not the correct way.

You need to get a factory service manual for your car so you can see and understand how to work on it.
 
coreyg said:
What is the thrust block?
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Pin.jpg
 
you can use metabo or portaband. I have run some for years that were cut down with no problems.
 
Did you back off the end-play adjuster?
I had a machine shop manufacture a couple of spacers to install between the backing plates and the banjo.This maintained the relationship of the brakeshoes to the working part of the drums.
 
I don't like ball bearings. They fail at stupid times and do not withstand abuse or tire out of roundness. Had many fail in 7 1/4 rear ends. Give me tapered cone Timken bearings, thrust block and side adjuster any day.
They tell you when they need greasing, and long before there's damage.
 
Darthomas said:
I don't like ball bearings. They fail at stupid times and do not withstand abuse or tire out of roundness. Had many fail in 7 1/4 rear ends. Give me tapered cone Timken bearings, thrust block and side adjuster any day.
They tell you when they need greasing, and long before there's damage.
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X2...Put the regular tapered bearings back in and throw those green bearings away.....

remember side load on a ball bearing is on the cage or bearing housing itself....whereas a tapered roller bearing side load is on the race and bigger surface area of tapered rollers....that is why those green bearings are listed for drag racing use...straight line.... no heavy use cornering
 
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I also like that the tapered bearings,properly greased, are as good as maintenance free, lasting for decades, and many,many, many,thousands of miles.
Other designs with the bearings running directly on the axles, um, not so much.
 
Darthomas said:
I don't like ball bearings. They fail at stupid times and do not withstand abuse or tire out of roundness. Had many fail in 7 1/4 rear ends. Give me tapered cone Timken bearings, thrust block and side adjuster any day.
They tell you when they need greasing, and long before there's damage.
Click to expand...

I do not see a problem with using the green bearing for longevity -- they did build more than few Fords over the years with 8 and 9 inch rear axles that used a sealed roller bearing for many thousands of miles on their axles with no problems street driving or racing . so why would changing over a mopar to the same type bearing be an issue.
 
john-9 said:
I do not see a problem with using the green bearing for longevity -- they did build more than few Fords over the years with 8 and 9 inch rear axles that used a sealed roller bearing for many thousands of miles on their axles with no problems street driving or racing . so why would changing over a mopar to the same type bearing be an issue.
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So did all Mopars built after 1970 or so. As did all GM cars (to the best of my knowledge). There has never been widespread failure of ball bearings on rear axles.
 
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The whole point of having a Mopar is "Chrysler Engineering" which was a term from the old days when it meant something.
Yes, ball bearings are "adequate" and chevs and fords have them.
Why would I want something of lesser durability when I am not racing and looking for the last hundredth of a second in a quarter mile?
I like rugged dependability and the huge surface area of cone bearings.

Setting the side load is so easy.

When I bought out of round tires, I learned just how quickly ball bearings fail.
 
Darthomas said:
The whole point of having a Mopar is "Chrysler Engineering" which was a term from the old days when it meant something.
Yes, ball bearings are "adequate" and chevs and fords have them.
Why would I want something of lesser durability when I am not racing and looking for the last hundredth of a second in a quarter mile?
I like rugged dependability and the huge surface area of cone bearings.

Setting the side load is so easy.

When I bought out of round tires, I learned just how quickly ball bearings fail.
Click to expand...

IMHO, the peak of high performance cars was around 1970. That also corresponds to about when Mopar got rid of the tapered/adjustable bearings. Was that not also due to "Chrysler Engineering"?
 
john-9 said:
. so why would changing over a mopar to the same type bearing be an issue.
Click to expand...
Say you are shopping for a maid. You go into the maid-store and see all kinds of maids there.There are fat ones and a skinny ones, and beautiful ones,and so on. But among them is the most ordinary looking girl, if perhaps, a little robust;but she can cook and clean, and do everything that you ever wanted in a maid.And she is willing to so nearly forever, without ever complaining.So you take her home and put her to work,hard work.She is so good at doing her maid-thing, that you even forget about her;perhaps for decades.
Are you sorry you ever brought her home? Of course not.
Are you sorry you didn't bring a skinnier,younger one home?....................... Maybe the cheaper one, with balls?
 
You must remove the differential thrust block because Wilwood brakes are not designed correctly. The Green wheel bearing snap-ring was never intended to seat against the housing end.
 
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