New pinion bearings

Fairlane500

Fairlane500

Senior Member
Hello,

I purchased a set of pinion bearings and it came with this spacer that goes between the races. Original doesn’t have this.

Is this an update that you just tighten to spec and it’s a preset dimension that’s good to go?

If you have experience with this I would like to hear from you your thoughts and experiences.

Regards

John
 

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Just for packaging?? Where did you get the bearings from?

What year rear are you rebuilding?

That piece was not with my new bearings and race when I recently rebuilt rear on my '38.
 
From experience,PAY particular attention to the brand of the bearings.if no brand,DONT use them .I will only use NOS ford ones or a recognised brand ,timken etc. some times I put. a spacer in-between the bearings ,BUT its a fiddly job to get the preload right with a spacer.

Lawrie
 
I'd NOT use the spacer; you set the preload through tightening up the two nuts with interposed tab washer. Agree with what Lawrie says above
 
Incidently, it's easier to set the preload on the side bearings prior to doing the pinion preload, as then you're not dealing with the additional friction from pinion set up.
 
Brian said:
Incidently, it's easier to set the preload on the side bearings prior to doing the pinion preload, as then you're not dealing with the additional friction from pinion set up.
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Follow this great advice from Brian! Makes a big difference.
 
Here is a pic of an extra set I just sold ,all NOS. Bearings are Bower which was a vendor for Ford.
 

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If your double cone race is not USA marked I would be wary also.Its actually harder to find than the bearings.18-4616 is the Ford part number.
 

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Charlie ny said:
VanPelt is an excellent source....do not forget the axle seals and premium gasket sets,
VP has them as well.
Charlie ny
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Thanks Charlie, I have converted it to 9 Inch Dutchman 28 spline Axles and spider gears so all good in that department. Just need pinion and carrier bearings.
 
A bunch of years ago, I rebuilt a banjo rear with new bearings AND a new ring and pinion. I had a hell of a time getting the preload on the pinion bearings. The preload would be too loose, I'd tighten the nut and the outer pinion would jump a bit and the preload would then be too tight. Over and over again. I finally got it good. It turns out that the pinion shaft was the same diameter full length and both bearings were fairly tight press fit. That shaft should have been a schosh looser for the outer bearing so wouldn't have taken so much force to move it to the proper preload point. Next time, I'll take a wee bit off that outer end of the shaft if it's the same diameter full length.
 
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PeteVS said:
A bunch of years ago, I rebuilt a banjo rear with new bearings AND a new ring and pinion. I had a hell of a time getting the preload on the pinion bearings. The preload would be too loose, I'd tighten the nut and the outer pinion would jump a bit and the preload would then be too tight. Over and over again. I finally got it good. It turns out that the pinion shaft was the same diameter full length and both bearings were fairly tight press fit. That shaft should have bee a schosh looser for the outer bearing so wouldn't have taken so much force to move it to the proper preload point. Next time, I'll take a wee bit off that outer end of the shaft if it's the same diameter full length.
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Original pinion shafts came with that step on them. The pinion shaft you describe, is what I would call a defective part. The guy that has 'moded' pinion shafts for me, is a flathead guy, and a crankshaft grinder. He knows this stuff, and simply duplicates what Henry did in the first place. Next time you have an original 30's pinion in hand, measure the shaft.... easy to measure the 'step'.
 
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