rear bearing adjustment

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dan5354

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Putting tires on my 67 Barracuda and I noticed up and down play on the passenger axle. The bearing feels fine and of course I can't do a visual without removing it, so I put new seals in and tried adjusting. In order to adjust any up and down slop out I don't get any end play. Is this a telling me I need to replace the bearings?
 
What rear, stock bearings and axles?
 
69FBCuda said:
What rear, stock bearings and axles?
Click to expand...
Yep - tapered bearings. Not Green.
I have never had to adjust rear axle bearings before. Sorry for my ignorance. The manual shows the dial indicator measuring an in and out movement, but wouldn't that also slow for some up and down looseness?
 
I would imagine with a conical bearing and race you would have some circumferential/radius play relative to in-out play
 
dan5354 said:
Putting tires on my 67 Barracuda and I noticed up and down play on the passenger axle. The bearing feels fine and of course I can't do a visual without removing it, so I put new seals in and tried adjusting. In order to adjust any up and down slop out I don't get any end play. Is this a telling me I need to replace the bearings?
Click to expand...

What axle 8-3/4? How did you replace the seals without pulling the axles? And outer seal without pulling the bearing?

When I have to do an 8-3/4 I pack the bearings with grease after replacement or even just removal prior to insertion and then set the end play to near zero.
 
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I too have adjusted for close to zero end play. These are tapered bearings if you allow much more than a few thousandths, you will have up and down play. Which is not wanted.
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
I too have adjusted for close to zero end play. These are tapered bearings if you allow much more than a few thousandths, you will have up and down play. Which is not wanted.
Click to expand...

And then the dreaded leakage and ruined brake shoes unless you upgraded to disc!
 
end play to zero is not going to allow for any thermal expansion. In a conical bearing, the in/out is a fraction of what the up/down is going to be, and that is next to nothing. If you cannot adjust the bearing in anymore to take up any runout then maybe something else is pooched.
 
pishta said:
end play to zero is not going to allow for any thermal expansion. In a conical bearing, the in/out is a fraction of what the up/down is going to be, and that is next to nothing. If you cannot adjust the bearing in anymore to take up any runout then maybe something else is pooched.
Click to expand...

We said near Zero. Pack the bearings in grease first and ultimately near zero is perfect.
 
what is your "near zero"? .008 is pretty small. From .018 to .008, is there any discernable difference?
 
Perceptible by feel.

Everyone does not have a dial indicator at there disposal. I do but have done so many I do not bother anymore and know the grease pack method works well and gets it were it needs to be. Maybe just fortunate
 
Same here. I didn't always have a dial indicator, degree wheels, brake lathe, welders, etc. I got use to a certain "feel" for end play and to tell you the truth, I still don't use a dial indicator to adjust axle end play.
 
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