Rear Axle: Rear Axle Bearings

[JohnMSeymour]

I am installing new bearings on my tapered axles. My axles dont have a stop/flange for the bearings (even though the parts catalog appears to show them on the axles).
So, how do you determine how far on the axle the bearing goes on?

[StudeRich]

They go until they Stop, without excessive force, but WITH a Hydraulic Press.

There should be Marks on the Axle from the last Bearing.

[Studebakercenteroforegon]

I would not use a press. These are tapered inner diameter bearings. Many years ago, an experienced Studebaker mechanic showed me how to imtall these bearings. Have the axle pointing upward - hold the bearing over the end of the axle - then let go of it. Gravity will find the perfect match of the tapers. I had a customer call me and said that his axle bearings were too far inward on his axles. He confessed he had taken then to a shop where they were “pressed” on. I told him it was possible that the inner diameter might have been made oversized from this. But he told me he had the bearings removed and he reinstalled them just by dropping them on to match the tapers, and they fit just as they were supposed to.

[doofus]

I have always dropped them on then "Set" them with a tapered punch. they always seem to return to the same spot on tha axle. wonder what the manual says here, on vacation and nothing handy. Luck Doofus

[JohnMSeymour]

I have always dropped them on then "Set" them with a tapered punch. they always seem to return to the same spot on tha axle. wonder what the manual says here, on vacation and nothing handy. Luck Doofus

My manual just says to put them on.

[Bud]

I have never used a press to install rear axle bearings. Like everyone else says, drop them on and give then a tap with a brass drift punch. Bud

[Topper2011]

My manual says to use an arbor press, but talking to both Hermann Thoms and Radio Roy, they just use a piece of pipe that fits the axle and dropped onto the bearing, seating it.

[Greenstude]

If an axle bearing is put on too far, the rollers can be squeezed between the races. The bearing then will heat up, bind and totally self-destruct. I had that happen with my 1947 Champion while driving 50 m.p.h. This was only 30 miles after the bearing was installed on a NOS axle shaft. The speedometer suddenly shot up to 90 m.p.h. while the car coasted to a stop. The axle shaft came out to the point the sidewall of the tire was rubbing on the fender. The axle bent.

The shop manual gives the correct end play. While someone who is a mechanic is welcome to correct me, I believe having the correct end play may indicate that the bearing is at the correct location.