I tried posting this once before and it wouldn't go, probably because it was too long, so I will try to be less wordy.

On the way down to Bristol I noticed a noise characteristic of a failing bearing. It seemed to be coming from the right rear so I pulled the axle. Some years ago I converted over to "Green" type ball bearings on my 8 3/4, the bearing seemed to have too much play in it and didn't turn as smoothly as it should. I decided to try to drive home with it anyway. One of the best parts of driving a slant 6 is seeing how much abuse they will take. I nursed my car home from long trips 3 times with wiped out rear transmission bushings.

I kept watching for signs of over heating on the way home but I couldn't really detect anything on Sunday night and made it all the way to Indy. I even started thinking that it might be another bearing in the carrier or transmission that would benefit from being bathed in lubricant. On Monday morning I decided to risk the drive around Chicago, a place you definately don't want your wheel to fall off. I made it okay but when I did a tempearature check in Beloit, WI the right side was definately hotter than the left. From that point on things started to deteriorate and I stoped frequently to cool it with a wet towel.

I got to Eau Claire, within 100 miles of home but then I chickened out. Gary Bruner said that if it got too hot it could weld the outer race of the bearing into the housing, a prospect I didn't find appealing. So I rented a car and drove home and picked up the trailer and towed my car home, the first time I have ever not been able to get home under my own power in over 10 years and 100000 miles of driving all over the country. It turned out to be an easy fix, remarkably the bearing pressed right off without galling.

I would be interested in hearing of other's experiences with ball bearings. I know what Richard Eherenberg thinks about them but he could never get beyond the idea of using 9" spindles. I believe that 7 1/4 rears have ball bearings and they seem to work satisfactorily. Any ideas would be appreciated, I wouldn't expect them to be that fragile. In any event I will have to replace my spare set before I go on another trip.

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If you didn't drive it there, it's not a street car.

I've kept the tapered roller bearings in my 8 3/4 axles due to the much greater thrust carrying capability over ball bearings. It was also less expensive as I've never had a bad 8 3/4 axle bearing. My cars get suspension upgrades to improve handling and generate more cornering force than is typical and I live in country with plenty of curvy roads. Yes, I've had to live with a little axle bearing lube seepage, but it never was enough to foul the shoes or drums.

I'm not actually able to answer your question because the only ball bearing axles I've owned were in 7 1/4s. The 7 1/4 I removed from my '72 Swinger did have a bad axle bearing.

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Joshua

Good story, Seymour. I feel for you on the "tow" part of the story. So far, I have only been towed once, when a dist gear shredded in Baker, CA at 115 deg in August 2000. I got a new gear in the morning, and made it home to Pasadena w/o further ado.

I do not see that ball bearings should be inherently dangerous. Ford 8" and 9" rears in tons of cars/trucks had sealed ball bearings. Now, I know the tapered roller is better, but it seems that the "Green" bearings must just be designed wrong or something.

Street driving those things like you do, they should last forever. Must be a design flaw.

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

The only caveat with Green bearings is that you have to remove the thrust stop from inside the carrier with them. If you don't you will get premature failures from side loading on the bearings all the time.

I've never put a lot of stock in what E-booger says myself.

I had a bearing fail in my 7-1/4" in the Duster, but it had over 140,000 miles on it when it went. I guess at around 130,000 I should have popped the seals out of them and repacked them with grease.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.