I have started to insxle xlqtall a new Crown one piece axle in my AMC 20 wide track. The kit has Timkens bearings and the inner race is .035 different than the outer race. The way the bearing is to be installed will position the inner race out past the axle housing flange that .035. The instructions state to test fit the spacer and bearing in the housing and grind the spacer if needed. I have done that and now have the bearing test fitted in the housing and set at .050. The instructions say that it should be no less than .020 and no more than .060. Am I doing this right ? Before I have the bearing seated on the new axle I want to make sure it is going to work right.
New one piece axles
- Thread starter redhorse
- Start date
Turbogus
Active member
I purchased my '78 CJ 5 a couple of years ago and had been having some rear axle problems. Shortly after acquiring this CJ axle grease was seeping out of the hub. Upon removing the axles we noticed that the inner wheel bearings were WELDED to the axle, not by heat/friction, but by someone with a welder! A local shop re kitted this axle (narrow AMC 20) with a Yukon 1 piece axle kit. 1st try and the bearing free play was too tight - burned up the wheel bearings. 2nd try, too loose - axle backed out of the housing shortly after leaving shop. 3rd try and things went well for about two months and then noticed some seepage at the rear hub again. Sure enough, the free play had increased. This go, a non stock bearing keeper was installed to hold bearing firmly in place -we hoped! The shop chief noticed that there were two half circle ( ) inserts incorporated into this axle that were part of the 'welded' axle, no mention of these in the AMC service manual that I luckily had acquired since getting this Jeep, and another odd thing is correct free play couldn't be obtained without these half circle inserts. We contacts Randy's Ring and Pinion and learned that a spacer was missing for the kit we had purchased from them earlier. We had to pull the dang thing apart AGAIN and with Randy's on the phone for guidance we set the bearing clearance at the long side of tolerance, 0.62
One week later I smelled that old 'hot bearing' odor
I had become so familiar with, pulled the axles again and saw the damn roller bearings formed a 'conga line'. So I made a trip out to Mac's Jeep Parts and we pulled a Dana 44 out of an old Jeep Scrambler, installed a Lock Right differential and new bearings throughout and I've not had any issues since (knock on wood). After turning in the AMC 20 for core we noticed that the troubles lied in that the reason the inner wheel bearings were welded to the axle shaft were that the axle tubes had become crooked from the diff~!
I sure hope yours is an easier path!
One week later I smelled that old 'hot bearing' odor
I had become so familiar with, pulled the axles again and saw the damn roller bearings formed a 'conga line'. So I made a trip out to Mac's Jeep Parts and we pulled a Dana 44 out of an old Jeep Scrambler, installed a Lock Right differential and new bearings throughout and I've not had any issues since (knock on wood). After turning in the AMC 20 for core we noticed that the troubles lied in that the reason the inner wheel bearings were welded to the axle shaft were that the axle tubes had become crooked from the diff~!
I sure hope yours is an easier path!
SteelHeadz
Super Moderator
OUCH! thats a lot of friction.
This is a problem with the 20 axle, if it is wheeled hard. I welded the housing and the tubes together when I install the one piece shafts in my narrow trac. I had no problem running 33 for a the two or three years that I ran the axle.
I have since switched to a ford 9", but only because I found one for as really good price and wanted a wider axle.
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