The rear axle rebuild in my brother's Duster is making slow progress, but it is moving along. The housing is stripped and both the old and new pinion gears are bare. Incidentally, neither pinion gear had any shims behind it and there were no shims behind the front pinion bearing either.

Anyway, my question is about the carrier bearings. I want try and get this rebuild finished this weekend, but I don't have the special tool to pull the carrier bearings. The bearings on the replacement carrier look and feel pretty good. Are 8.25 carrier bearing known to fail? This carrier and gearset came out of an early 70s van and are 3.5:1 ratio. I am hoping I can get away with leaving the original bearings on the carrier. Would it be wiser to replace the bearings or are the odds in my favor that the bearings are still ok?

Thanks.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Come on now... All that work and your gonna risk it?

I've done dumber things.... I just really want to finish this project this weekend but I don't have the "correct" tool for the job and there are no machine shops that will get it done on time.

I need to come up with a home brew carrier gear puller....

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

May be able to cut them off. Dremel mini cutting disc, the thick kind not the thin ones. Go around the top and bottom... that should get the outer race and rollers off.

Few options now... cut a slit left to right (along the axis of the axles) on opposite sides. Go at least half way through but be careful not to get to the carrier. One good whack with a chisel and they otta come off. Thought I saw a post on here about something similar being done with axle bearings. If the chisel gets the carrier clean it up with some crocus / emery cloth or whatever fine paper.

If you have access to a welder, after cutting the above slits run a bead of light penetration (don't go welding the race to the carrier...) along it between one slot and the other. If the slots you made previously are deep enough when the weld shrinks it should cause it to crack.

Heat it with a torch and you may be able to work it off.

I WISH I had a torch. Someday.

I think I have figured out a way to pull the carrier bearings using a standard bearing splitter, a socket, and maybe some washers. I'll hopefully give it a try tomorrow.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

a useful video I found:

1969 Chrysler Master Tech Volume 69-5, Servicing the 8-1/4 inch axle

Dig the music.

Hmmm. From 4:27 in the training video: "You can reuse a [carrier] bearing which has a smooth, dull-grey (gray?) roller path in the cup, even if the path is a bit one sided. Of course, the rollers must also be smooth and free of flat spots. In fact, I replace bearings only if they show signs of pitting, spalling, overheating, cracks, or other damage."

Sooo, if Chrysler itself recommended only replacing obviously damaged or worn carrier bearings, I might chance it and keep running the bearings currently installed on the carrier. Time for a very close inspection.

Found another good video (its a two-part):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBA8KjUGsXw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6Jno_NYV8A

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Specialty tools? SPECIALTY TOOLS?!? We don't need no stinkin' specialty tools!!!

I figured out a way to pull the carrier bearings with a cheap bearing splitter and a two jaw gear puller and a socket. So I WILL be using new bearings. Yay.

Driver's side:



Passenger side:



That little 4 inch vise is critical. There is no way I could hold this assembly still with one hand and exert the leverage needed to pull the inner bearing race with the other hand. Bend or cut the bearing cage away, let the rollers fall away, place the bearing splitter on the upper lip of the inner bearing race, use a socket that is smaller than the bearing race inner diameter but larger than the hole in the housing (a 32mm socket worked perfect for me), and use the two jaw gear puller to pull the inner race off the differential.

With a little luck and hard work I should get this project finished up this weekend. Huzzah.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.