Rear Wheel Bearings

[HammerDown]

I am a strong believer in making the inner bearing slip fit. To do this the axle needs to be put in a lathe and emery paper is used to make the inner bearing a slip fit. Just a few minutes on a lathe and the inner bearing can be put on/taken off by hand making setup and future routine maintance easy.
QUOTE]
I did this a loooong loooong time ago, and glad I did. Makes life easy when setting up and servicing rear bearings. Heck, I think I'll go check mine just for giggles...be back in a few.

 

[76okievette]

I read some place that doing this was not a good idea, I don't remember exactly why but I do remember reading it. Next time I need to get at the bearings I will consider this but for the next couple of years at least I won't have to mess with them.

 

[norvalwilhelm]

The original idea of press fit inner and outer was if the axle broke the press fit inner bearing might hole the axle from comming out the side of the car with drum brakes. When they switched to disc's this was no longer a problem since the caliper would hold the rotor from walking out from under the car.
Tom's axles which are some of the best in the industry advertises slip fit inner bearings. It really makes the job of removing/replaceing the rear axles so much easier.

 

[JohnZ]

The danger with doing that is if you create too loose of a "slip fit", the inner race can rotate relative to the spindle and can eventually gall the spindle surface and overheat the bearing; the tolerance window is pretty narrow.

 

[HammerDown]

The danger with doing that is if you create too loose of a "slip fit", the inner race can rotate relative to the spindle and can eventually gall the spindle surface and overheat the bearing; the tolerance window is pretty narrow.

Hmmm, how can the inner or outer Race's slip/spin if the long spacer and thinner set-up shim is pressing their load force on them?
Personally, I've had it this way for maybe 18 years. And it was a friends very reputable Corvette/machine/repair shop that suggested me to do it and does their's that way also.
Agreed, a dead slopy fit on the spindle is a no-no, but a standard bearing/spindle slip drag fit would be fine...my car's proof of it.