Hi guys
I need help
I've an old Bentley with a whining axle.
A recon one needs a mortgage approx £9000
What alternatives can you think of.
[Edited on 26/3/18 by Lightning]
Live axle?
I'd imagine it's going to be a wheel bearing or diff/half shaft bearing. If so, can you source the parts and replace them yourself?
I know from working on Peugeot rear axles (trailing arm and FWD car) you often need presses and special tools to get bearing races in and out.
[Edited on 26/3/18 by nick205]
Bananas
The parts must be made of gold as the nose bearing alone is £400 plus.
Looking at replacing it entirely with a made to measure american axle. Cost down to £3k
Going in the right direction but still too much.
Breakers?
quote:
Originally posted by Lightning
The parts must be made of gold as the nose bearing alone is £400 plus.
Looking at replacing it entirely with a made to measure american axle. Cost down to £3k
Going in the right direction but still too much.
The bearings will almost certainly be non-Bently
so more info please
A photo would definitely help
No breakers have one , and if they did would probably be equi-shagged.
Bentley made there own axle
From what I can see far too complicated
The car is a 1956 Bentley S1 6 cylinder
Some sort of commercial vehicle may be the right sort of size? Doubtful the ratio will be much use though.
If the CWP are worn they will need replacing, and that will be the expensive bit. Bearings etc should not be anything like that price. Sounds like a
"Bently Tax" to me.
I guess you need to measure the width and get the ratio as a start point.....
Yep. The prices are a joke. Eg rubber exhaust mounts £50 each (made my own)
Was thinking of finding another axle that would fit.
Have been contemplating a complete drive train upgrade. Maybe not as radical as the Rolls Royce Silver Cloud on Jay Leno YouTube video. This has an LS
motor, well cool.
A quick Google shows a 3.08 ratio in the Bentley, jaguar provided a 3.07 Salisbury with a very corse spline, although in an IRS casing they also
dropped into solid axles e.g Aston Martin.
Good news is they can come with plated diffs.
I have a early e-type with larger bearings, I pinched the 3.31 CWP out of it, I can measure up and know someone who may have a early 3.07 set of
gears, this may be what you need.
If you can build in then get halfshafts made to match which would not be that expensive and away you go.
Have you got a drawing and measurements of the one in your car?
[Edited on 26/3/18 by mark chandler]
[Edited on 26/3/18 by mark chandler]
just take the bearing out and measure them, then type that into google. Chances are you'll be able to by them from the states, saying that have
you tried the states? they have soooo much more parts than us and getting stuff shipped is not all that expensive though I always get a customs
charge. It might be worth taking it to a garage that can inspect the axel and diagnose the source of the whine before spending much money so you can
be sure of replacing the correct part, though if you strip it noisy bearings will be obvious.
[Edited on 27/3/18 by Mr Whippy]
My first approach would be to take it to a decent garage, they can probably tell if it is a bearing just by listening to it!
Assuming you don't mind it being off the road for a bit, I'd definately take the axle it out and strip it or have someone do it for you -
the bearings will almost certainly be available just by measuring the size, and if not a machine shop can probably make sleeves/machine housings to
make something reasonably priced fit.
I've found this place pretty good for bearings, and you can type in the dimensions to find what you need. https://www.bearingboys.co.uk/
If you strip it and it isnt the bearings, then at least you know, and you wont be searching for the axle off something else (which you will end up
with a whole world of grief getting flanges/splines/mounts etc etc to fit...)
Best of luck
Hugh
quote:
Originally posted by Lightning
The car is a 1956 Bentley S1 6 cylinder
must be very loud to hear it in that car
I have discovered that the Bently S1 is the same as RR silver cloud 1, maybe find an axle for one of those easier?
http://www.flyingspares.com/shop/axle-diff-differential-crown-wheel-pinion-rh2561.html
Good site here for the bits for a rebuild:
https://www.introcar.co.uk/lookbook/s1-rear-axle-shaft-li248
https://www.introcar.co.uk/lookbook/s1-crown-wheel-pinion-li256
Great article on the issues with these axles here http://www.kda132.com/pdfs/technical/steering/Rear-Axles looks like probably others too!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Axle-Differential-Bearing-fits-1959-1970-Rolls-Royce-Phantom-Silver-Cloud-NATIO/152919753983?epid=191611719&hash=item23
9aba44ff:g:ThsAAOSwaPtZ4ku4
Flying spares diff is the right one, however they only guarantee if you get shafts at £1100 each totalling £8k less delivery
Don't think the value would be effected too bad as not overly expensive to buy..
Yes it must be quite loud as there is considerable insulation. Although not too loud in the car.
Don't want to take it off the road quite yet as it has some weddings to do which will earn some cash.
Accountant looking into having it a company car which will help with repair costs.
I do agree once stripped bearing should be able to sourced even if housings have to be machined.
Its a nice car. The engine was refreshed with rings And shells in 1999, 5000 miles ago!!
Stupid question but it has oil in it?
I remember kludges back in the day of fixing noisy diffs and gearboxes, one was to put in sand!!! Obviously that's not a good idea but there may
be thicker oils, oil/grease mix that may quieten it down for the short term.
Banana's used to be the trick to quieten down diffs and gearboxs years ago, and self lubricating
Silly question, but some idiot hasn't put a modern oil in the diff have they ? as that vintage it would of been mineral oil only
steve
Ah ... When I bought the car. I noticed that it had a leak, only to find no oil!. Put in EP90 mineral oil.
Considering trying EP 140 oil as a stop gap. Although bit worried about making it worse.
These people are next to my office in Southend-on-Sea.
http://www.prideandjoyclassiccars.com/
They restore and look after some very very tasty cars, so I have no doubt that they will know and have an opinion on your car problem.
They must always have to face the problem with sourcing parts. Maybe give them a shout and see what they can do for you.
You really need to get someone who knows these cars to give a diagnosis on whether it's just a bearing or if it's crown wheel &
pinion.
If the latter then EP140 might help, do NOT put bananas in unless you are bodging it up to sell & even then a fairly nasty trick - funnily enough,
though it might shut it up temporarily it's more likely to cause long term damage
If it's just bearings then they will almost certainly be available as at that age will defo be imperial - metric bearings specific to modern
manufacturers can be harder to find, but I'd be very surprised if the bearings in it were anything particularly special or unusual to Bentley
yeah unlikely but you never know, the part numbers or bearing size may be stamped on the side of the bearings, even Bentley's & Rolls were
just parts bucket cars, chances are loads of car makes at that time shared parts with it. The bearings are probably same as Landrover...
[Edited on 28/3/18 by Mr Whippy]
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
yeah unlikely but you never know, the part numbers or bearing size may be stamped on the side of the bearings, even Bentley's & Rolls were just parts bucket cars, chances are loads of car makes at that time shared parts with it. The bearings are probably same as Landrover...
[Edited on 28/3/18 by Mr Whippy]
Litghning - can we see any photos of the axle - is it still on the car?
I appreciate all your useful comments . I'll take some pics. I've also got exploded diagrammatic views.
I found that there is a youtube of silver cloud axle strip down. Very useful
Hi there, the link to the article in my last post describes the tripe bearing set up that was used, and also the machining that needs to be done to
mod the axle for the more reliable taper roller type if you are thinking of that sort of mod.
Regards
Hugh