Green Snap Ring Style Bearings and Autocrossing

[Reddartowner]

I'm sure this has been answered somewhere else already, but here's my question.......

My son and I are building up a '68 Dart for street use that will see occasional autocross use. The rear uses the green bearings with the snap ring retainers. Will these retainers hold the axles in place with the side loads imposed by autocrossing ?? They seem awfully flimsy for that sort of loading. The rear has an Eaton Truetrac differential in it so using stock tapered bearings is out of the question, but I REALLY don't want to see a quarter panel get peeled off by a wayward wheel/axle.

Please, only answers from people who have actually used this setup for autocross or road race duty......I've seen way too many posts from someone who knows this guy who heard about someone who........blah, blah, blah.....

Thanks,

Mark.

 

[RustyRatRod]

If autoxcuda doesn't chime in , PM and ask him. He does that kinda racin, but I am not sure what he uses for rear bearings. He's a good guy always willin to help.

 

[mikedevore]

Everything that I have read, states using the OEM tapered A7 Timkens for anything that brings side-load. The green bearings are for straight line racing.

 

[72BBSwinger]

Abodyjoe has used the greens for years with 0 problems. I've had them in my car for 13 years on the street and track with no problems. Just started doing corners this year.

 

[dusterbd13]

i beat the stuffing out of my snap ring greens all over the place. highway, autocross, open track, drag strip, etc. ive had a set go bad and get noisy, but i think that was due to sand getting in there, or from the hogshead self destructing on me. current set are holding up great, and thats with enough lateral force applied to them to move the rearedn in the car over an inch. (reason i know its an inch is because my rear end yoke clearanced my muffler in 1/2 inch inward, and i start with 1/2 of clearance. thats some serious side load, there folks.)

michael

 

[oldkimmer]

.....................The factorys ford/chevy used a pin or spacer block to take up the side loading........kim.......

 

[Reddartowner]

Thanks, that makes me feel better about my setup. Dusterbd13....sounds like you could use a panhard rod............:happy3:

 

[RustyRatRod]

Thanks, that makes me feel better about my setup. Dusterbd13....sounds like you could use a panhard rod............:happy3:

That would have to be a unique panhard bar setup to use with leaf springs. A panhard bar makes the rear axle travel in a lateral arc which leaf springs are incapable of.

 

[Reddartowner]

Actually, a friend of mine in my college days had a '64 1/2 Mustang he autocrossed using a panhard setup, and the Mustangs had leaf springs. The trick is to run the bar so that it is nearly parallel to the ground so the lateral movement is minimized. What little lateral movement occurs can be absorbed by the leaf spring bushings. I would ride in that car on occasion, and the only lateral motion in the chassis was in the tires. It would definitely put your face against the window...........

 

[72BBSwinger]

Watts link would be ideal but a panhard bar would work.

 

[72BBSwinger]

Watts link would be ideal but a panhard bar would work

 

[dusterbd13]

the thought has crossed my mind. more than once. on both.

but the car isnt quite that serious. yet.

michael

 

[72bluNblu]

Gurney AAR rear end set up...

Works for them! rayer:

As far as the green bearings, I wouldn't set up a car that way for autocross. That's not to say they won't work, but if I were setting up a car specifically for autocross I'd use the stock tapered bearings. They're just better designed to deal with the additional side loads. If its not going to be a dedicated racer though, I wouldn't worry about it either.

 

[67Dart273]

Gurney AAR rear end set up.!.

Can you post a / more photo(s) of this? I don't understand what it is/ how it works from that one shot.

 

[dusterbd13]

appears tyo bbe an adjustable panhard setup, with flat leaves. frame mounted splined sway bar with pillow blocks.
cant identify the "lowering block" though, as its not an actual lowering block.

id LOVE to see more of this setup. LOVE TO. please.

please

please

please


michael

 

[72BBSwinger]

Is it just me or does that pinion angle look way up? I can't tell but the opposite end of that panhard attach to the frame?

 

[72bluNblu]

Can you post a / more photo(s) of this? I don't understand what it is/ how it works from that one shot.

appears tyo bbe an adjustable panhard setup, with flat leaves. frame mounted splined sway bar with pillow blocks.
cant identify the "lowering block" though, as its not an actual lowering block.

id LOVE to see more of this setup. LOVE TO. please.

Is it just me or does that pinion angle look way up? I can't tell but the opposite end of that panhard attach to the frame?

Sorry guys, I don't have any more pictures. I found them online, this is the only one that shows the rear end set up with any detail.

The way I understand it, dusterbd13 is pretty much right on. Zero arch springs, frame mounted splined sway bar, and an adjustable panhard bar. Lowering blocks appear to lower the car an additional inch from the zero arch springs (THAT'S LOW). Pinion angle does appear to be up a lot, although that may be partially because of the angle the camera had to be at to be under the car.

As far as how the panhard bar is mounted, I really don't have a good idea of how they did it. In this picture you can see a large plate behind the driver's rear tire that seems to extend down from the frame that captures the panhard bar. But as to any more details than this, I don't have any.

I think Steve (autoxcuda) covered some of this before, but I can't find the thread. Hopefully he'll chime in...

 

[72bluNblu]

Aha! Here's a video that shows how the panhard is mounted on the Gurney AAR.

Video is a walk around of the entire car, panhard mount is shown at 1:14 in. A large bracket does indeed come down from the frame to mount the opposite end of the panhard bar.

[ame="http://youtu.be/NHXrGEO4GWM"]302 Found[/ame]


And, just for fun. Gurney car at Road America. Man it sounds sweet....

[ame="http://youtu.be/zNG8Aj7DEic"]302 Found[/ame]