question for drop axle owners/taper bearing kit

[NEWFISHER]

Filling my weekend with both axle swaps and have a question on the fron drop axle with taper bearing kit. O.e.m set up has a floating dust shield behing the inner hub bearing and it rides on the backing plate. When you switch over to tapered bearings do you use the shield or does the collered lip of the backside of the inner hub bearing rest against the backing plate/spindle area? The new set up pushes the inner seal far enough into the backside of the hub and won't touch like the old set up and I can't find any tech on this with gearsy finge
Thanks
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[olskool68]

I've found a few articles from classic truck mags website about this, well, for my truck. I would think that the bit about the tapered bearings would be the same. Looks like they don't use the original dust shield again.

http://www.classictrucks.com/tech/09.../photo_14.html

I'll be doing the same thing. I just got my spindles on the drop axle, was a pain because it was a TIGHT fit. Hope this helps

[NEWFISHER]

Thanks olskool68, they didn't mention it at all in the article. The taper kit looks to have meant to omit them based on the flange that the large inner bearing has that rests against the backing plate. Good news! Especially after I destroyed one getting the old race off the spindle grrrrr.

I can't wait to drive it with the taper kit. I have tossed the ball bearings on the last few cars I have restored and its the single most noticeable difference in driving an older vehicle. So smooth!
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[mknittle]

let us know what you come up with. my dad will be doing a roller swap on a hybred one and a half /1 ton drop bread van axle. for his peterbilt pick up project.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Anyone know if 15" rims still fit after making this upgrade?

I have old knock-off, non-AR Torq Thrusts on my '55.2 and have nothing to replace them with if I install this same kit (that I already have stashed!)

[mr48chev]

The tapered bearings in the original hubs wouldn't make any difference with wheel fit Dan. If you are going to a disk brake conversion and the wheels aren't disk brake friendly you might have to use a thin spacer (1/8 to 3/8 depending on the wheel) for caliper clearance and possibly do a bit of grinding on the edge of the caliper. Pretty much the same as when I ran the Crager Mach 8 14x7 cast aluminum wheels on my 48 with a Camaro stub and 72 Monte Carlo disk brakes.
We used to use the spacers all the time in the 70's with drum brake wheels on disk brakes. You did/do have to make sure that the lug bolts are long enough to get full contact with the lug nuts though.

I think I have those same spacers on the 54 car hubs on my I beam axle under the 48 now to help the 14 inch Enkies clear the 54 drums.

[NEWFISHER]

Mknittle....worked perfect. 100 miles freeway and in town, stopped several times to check for excessive heat or looseness-none.

Dan....mr48chevy is 100% correct with everything in his post. Contact the builder, supplier of the disc kit you have and ask if the deminsional size of your wheels will work with their kit or if a spacer, how thick, will be needed. They will need backspace etc measurements to work with. Good to know now before you do the swap and find that the wheels won't bolt on!
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[mr48chev]

It will depend on the wheels. Usually the problem (and it isn't that big of a problem) comes when you run drum brake only wheels on disk brakes.
In the early 70's I worked in a Firestone company store in Texas and we ran into the older mag wheel interference issues with the disk brakes on the early 70's cars quite often. Guys would have a nice set of rims off their mid 60's car that they wanted to put on their new early 70's disk brake cars and the rims would rub the calipers. The spacers moved the wheel out just enough to clear and they were good to go.