02GF74
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| posted on 16/4/07 at 08:38 AM |
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fitting wheel bearings - English axle halfshafts
I am seeping a small weepage of oil from the halfshafts - English axles.
On Saturday, pulled both out (came out very easily just by pulling - a bad sign? as previously I had to use a home made puller).
I put some blue gasket sealant on to the sides of the bearing and also onto the plate that bolts them in place and the seepage is still there.
Now the oil can come via the seals or a gap in the outer bearing/axle casing due to being a loose fit.
How can I verify if the seals are shot?
Haynes manual mentions they are pressed on and should be sentto Ford service centre - has anyone replaced them at home with DIY tools (big hammer,
vices etc)?
Also there is a blob of weld between outer race and the halfshaft it self - what does that imply?
Does anyone sell recon half shafts?
Home come I am not receiving mails for new replies?
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coozer
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| posted on 16/4/07 at 08:43 AM |
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A blob of weld? There should be a collar that is heated then pressed on to hold the bearing against the hub. It shrinks against the shaft preventing
the bearing moving.
Dead easy to cut the old off but you need to be able to heat the new one red hot evenly and get it on the shaft promto.
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
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02GF74
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| posted on 16/4/07 at 08:49 AM |
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^^^^ now I'm confused 
so there is a bearing that is a pressfit onto the shaft and another collar thing that then presses against the inner race to stop it from spinning on
the shaft.
I needto take a closer look as the haynes does not mention and additional collar.
so is the bolb there becasue the collar is not fitted? or the collar is there and was not fitted in the right way?
[Edited on 16/4/07 by 02GF74]
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britishtrident
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| posted on 16/4/07 at 09:18 AM |
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The wheel bearing is quite a light interference fit on the shaft, the retaning collar is a much tighter interference fit when replacing the bearing
the collar is normally heat shrunk on.
The blobs of weld on a halfshaft are a really bad idea as they can cause fatigue failure of the shaft at that point. They will have to be cleaned off
carefully and the bearing area of the shaft polished up before a new bearing can be fitted.
It may help to leave the shaft in a chest freezer overnight before fitting the bearing.
You can fit a new bearing without a press by heating it submerged in a bucket of oil, then with the bearing still hot drop it over the shaft and knock
it it into place with (making sure it is the correct way round) using a bit of scaffolding tube big dia enough to go over the shaft. When fully home
the retaining ring is then heated to cherry red dropped over the shaft and knocked home.
[Edited on 16/4/07 by britishtrident]
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NS Dev
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| posted on 16/4/07 at 11:20 AM |
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what you think is the "inner" ( i assume you meant inner not outer) race is probably the retaining collar, as it will be tight up against
the bearing.
The blob of weld is common, and much as the science of it says all sorts about fatigue etc, its what Ford Motorsport always used to do on their escort
axles, and we did it on our old semi group 4 car before we went to a fully floating atlas axle.
We never broke one at the weld or anywhere near it, but when we used a spare shaft with no weld, we pulled the shaft out of the bearing and lost the
shaft and wheel (this was on a much heavier car than a locost remember, and it was forest rallying)
grind off the weld, pull the bearing and collar off, press on the new bearing, warm up the new collar and press it on, then replace the tack weld.
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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02GF74
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| posted on 16/4/07 at 12:25 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by NS Dev
what you think is the "inner" ( i assume you meant inner not outer) race is probably the retaining collar, as it will be tight up against
the bearing.
I thihnk you are right - I wasn't paying enough attention but did notice the the bearing is an unusaul shape.
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coozer
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| posted on 16/4/07 at 01:00 PM |
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Got any pics? Its getting a bit confusing. Is the weld holding the bearing or helping retain the collar?
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
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NS Dev
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| posted on 16/4/07 at 01:54 PM |
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the weld will be a blob on the "inside" edge of the collar, it stops the collar coming loose and the shaft and wheel disappearing out of
the axle casing on a tight bend!
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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britishtrident
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| posted on 16/4/07 at 06:56 PM |
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I have seen a shaft on a FVC powered Escort racer (one of Doug Nivens) break at the point where the bearing was welded to the shaft.
The failure was a classic fatigue failure, the shore lines originating from the toe of the weld.
Normally on any type or make of live axle a halfshaft breaking at the outer end is unknown, a standard unwelded shafts always break at the inner end
at the splines.
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02GF74
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| posted on 17/4/07 at 08:18 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by coozer
Got any pics? Its getting a bit confusing. Is the weld holding the bearing or helping retain the collar?
no need for pics. I had a nother look and it is as has been described; bearing with sealed races and then a msaller diameter collar - the blobs of
weld, one each side of the collar to half shaft.
So is there an easy way I can tell if the oil is coming via the seal or between the out bearing and axle casing gap?
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