Carrier bearing shim

Res731

Res731

Senior Member
I’m in the need of additional shims behind the bearings on the carrier. Anyone know if there is a part number for the shims but carried at the local autozone or equivalent? I got mine from Snyder’s but if I have to order, then I will be waiting till next week. Trying to get the assembly moving this weekend.

TIA.

Rudy
 
Sorry, I see your in Australia. Autozone is a local retail car supplies place. I've been searching their web but don't see any shim stock.
 
Even ACE hardware has some. I would go with the steel not brass stock. You can cut pretty thick stock with kitchen shears. Burnish the edges when done.
 
I do lots of rear axle rebuilds ( have done hundreds ) and have only used a shim once that I can recall.
In my opinion you have something wrong which dictates that. I would take another look at your housings, bearing seats, etc make sure all is true and no burrs etc.

I just rebuilt one and put in a 4 speed and was suspiacious of why the gasket thickness was so great on the carrier preload. Ha!! Someone had used a chisel to unseat the carrier bearings and left witness marks and it caused the new bearings not to seat properly. Caused a .050 difference .

I think you have an issue. Find the problem and correct it. You may not have the experience to identify and not trying to be curt about that but it may be factual so I would recruit someone in your area if there is an experienced A mechanic to take a look at it and assist.
Liked engines even thow they aren’t Brain surgery there is still a methodology and procedure about them that the average guy will most likely not cover or catch because they don’t have the necessary tools and knowledge of their nuances .
Larry Shepard
Expert Model A service
 
The original bearings had spun, so I had the carriers knurled and the bearing seat trued up. Thus I'm having to add shims to account for the wear , just didn't know how many I would need. I have 3 on one side and 4 on the other and its stiff to turn but not locked. I haven't even gotten to adding the paper gaskets.
 
Res731 said:
The original bearings had spun, so I had the carriers knurled and the bearing seat trued up. Thus I'm having to add shims to account for the wear , just didn't know how many I would need. I have 3 on one side and 4 on the other and its stiff to turn but not locked. I haven't even gotten to adding the paper gaskets.
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It sounds like you're headed in the right direction. But without original dimensions (face of carrier split to bearing seat) you'll be working sort of from scratch. Someone may be able to measure this? Or somewhere in cyberland someone has the drawing to which the carrier was made (we know the Ford drawings are extant - at a price.)

Scratch might work. Might be tedious since where you're headed is a certain amount of drag with the rear axle halves assembled to the pumpkin/banjo - and - to make matters more difficult - you then have to get your bluing (I use magic marker) and find where the pinion contact point is and adjust your gaskets to center that.

You with the shims will have UBER adjustability of relative carrier/bevel gear position - but that is the problem to get past.

Joe K
 
I didn’t think of that but your right. Adding more shims on be side or other of the carrier will adjust the pinion contact.
 
Res731 said:
I didn’t think of that but your right. Adding more shims on be side or other of the carrier will adjust the pinion contact.
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BUT - labor involved since you're not only removing a trumpet - but also pulling the rear axle (or at least the carrier if the axles are still separate) AND using a puller on the bearing.

Or perhaps the cup to the same effect - maybe this isn't so bad? It might do well to simply settle on one thickness of gasket, possibly the thicker one (to defer "ripping" on dis-assembly) and make all your changes of carrier position on the bearing cup shims alone?

Make life simple. Hold one aspect constant and change the other.

I will complement you - this thread makes for interesting intellectual insight.

Once you have a proper pre-load, positioning the carrier by moving shims/gaskets from left to right to get correct contact is EVERYTHING.

Joe K
 
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If beer cans are to thick then try one or more layers of aluminum foil. The stuff measures about .001" or so. Jack
 
Not saying that aluminum shims wouldn't work . My concern would be dissimilar metal reaction between the bearing and the aluminum shim . This may not even be worth consideration , Just a thought . I've never used this type shim but Bratton offer this shim at a low cost . A made to fit shim would save time rather than trying to cut one out of shim stock .
 
The shims I have seen ONLY fits under the bearing on the carrier. If Brattons carries ones to fit under the cup, what is the part number? It would save me making my own. In my OP, under the bearing is not the optimal place for the shim. No one that I know of is making new carriers and many that you run across are marginal at best because bearings have spun or "JUST" press back on. Every time the bearing is removed and replaced, you are moving metal. So far I have not run into many axle housings that had problems with the cup being loose.
 
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