Green or Tapered Axle Bearings?

[rgp266]

I have only used "Green" rear Axle Bearings in race only applications having been advised 30+ years ago that they don't like to go around corners/don't handle side loading well. Are the current crop of "Green" bearings better quality? I though to maybe use them in a limited use (under 1,000 miles a year) application car that will be a cruiser rather than a brawler. Thoughts, please.

Bob

 

[747mopar]

I guess one way to look at it is allot of the factory rears used regular roller bearings including the famous Ford 9" so while the tapered Mopar bearings may be superior (maybe overkill) the roller bearings have done the job for years. I wouldn't sweat it

 

[Cranky]

Yup....the tapered bearing is a bit of overkill but they are superior to a regular ball bearing. They take much more loading in all directions vs ball. What I don't really like about the newer Green bearing is the snap ring for the retainer plate looks pretty thin to me. The older ones have the retainer plate made onto them. It looked stronger but maybe not. Anyone ever had a separation from the bearing?

 

[Badvert65]

According to Dr.Diff (and others) the one with the snap ring is the way to go. The plate keeps the bearing in the housing. The idea of the clip is that the bearing 'floats' slightly in the end of the housing to allow for housings that are not straight. Sounded good to me which is why I have a set sitting on my shop table, waiting to go in my 65 Belvedere street/strip car at this very moment.
Wish it wasn't so friggin cold outside...

 

[snakeoil24]

Define overkill? Tapered bearings are always superior period!

 

[Cranky]

Define overkill? Tapered bearings are always superior period!

Yup....they are made for severe duty, that's for sure and they are a bit of overkill for a passenger car. When you look at the full picture, we're a very small percentage that will subject our cars to severe duty. There are millions of cars out there that perform well in normal duty using ball bearings for the life of the vehicle. Define life of the vehicle? The average car on the road today is 10 years old and I don't think any auto manufacturer planned on that one let alone one that's still on the road after 40+ years lol. My 66 was on the road for just over 30 years but only had a little over 100k miles on it when I tore it apart to rebuild it. Why did Chrysler do their rears this way? Good question. Pretty much all of the Big 3 went to a needle roller in their rear ends long ago which I didn't think were going to hold up very well but they have. And use the axle surface itself as the inner race? Good God, who thought up that mess!? It seems to work tho. My 20 year old Dakota has seen 2000 lbs in the bed many times plus it gets beat constantly. And who said 8 1/4 rears are junk? They may not handle a ton of torque but they sure aren't junk.

 

[mopar 3 B]

Ball bearing use in american vehicles stop in the late 50 mainly because of bearing failures during rail shipments from the manufacture to dealerships. Of course they were not the sealed bearing found in today's autos and would explain the extended life of the green bearing. I have replaced a few Chrysler rear axle taper roller bearing. They have all been pressed on the axle. Where does the clip go?

 

[snakeoil24]

Yup....they are made for severe duty, that's for sure and they are a bit of overkill for a passenger car. When you look at the full picture, we're a very small percentage that will subject our cars to severe duty. There are millions of cars out there that perform well in normal duty using ball bearings for the life of the vehicle. Define life of the vehicle? The average car on the road today is 10 years old and I don't think any auto manufacturer planned on that one let alone one that's still on the road after 40+ years lol. My 66 was on the road for just over 30 years but only had a little over 100k miles on it when I tore it apart to rebuild it. Why did Chrysler do their rears this way? Good question. Pretty much all of the Big 3 went to a needle roller in their rear ends long ago which I didn't think were going to hold up very well but they have. And use the axle surface itself as the inner race? Good God, who thought up that mess!? It seems to work tho. My 20 year old Dakota has seen 2000 lbs in the bed many times plus it gets beat constantly. And who said 8 1/4 rears are junk? They may not handle a ton of torque but they sure aren't junk.

I think the taper bearing idea came from Chrysler being an Engineering company from the early days and just figured the added strength was worth the extra cost. Then the Dana corp influence had a lot to do with it also.

 

[Kern Dog]

The ball bearings are fine for limited use. I wore out a set in less than 5000 miles. I love to turn corners, so when this set starts to fail, I am going back to the tapered.
The bearings used in the 8 1/4" and 9 1/4" are rollers, not ball bearings. Their contact area is FAR greater than that of a ball bearing.

 

[rgp266]

This application is a 8 3/4 under a '65 Valiant but it would also apply to my Roadrunner. Like I said, I'm not a Road-Racer type nor am I going to Drag Race this deal, just cruise it although some of the cruises can approach 100 miles each way.

Bob

 

[lewtot184]

timken bearings are designed for a thrust load, ball bearings aren't. ball bearings are cheap compared to timkens. pick your poison. this whole thing is about mopar people being too damn dumb to perform a simple adjustment.

 

[A383Wing]

I have heard of more bad issues with the green bearings compared to the original tapered style......I'll stick with the factory set up, thank you

 

[Cranky]

timken bearings are designed for a thrust load, ball bearings aren't. ball bearings are cheap compared to timkens. pick your poison. this whole thing is about mopar people being too damn dumb to perform a simple adjustment.

Ball bearings do take thrust but not nearly as much as a Timken will. Is a ball cheaper? Sure it is but it's not cheaper because it's a cheap bearing. It costs much more to manufacture a tapered roller. Cars produce much more radial loading than axial loading and a ball should more than handle 'normal' driving. That said, how true is the housing? A Timken will handle a housing that isn't true better than a ball will.

 

[lewtot184]

Ball bearings do take thrust but not nearly as much as a Timken will. Is a ball cheaper? Sure it is but it's not cheaper because it's a cheap bearing. It costs much more to manufacture a tapered roller. Cars produce much more radial loading than axial loading and a ball should more than handle 'normal' driving. That said, how true is the housing? A Timken will handle a housing that isn't true better than a ball will.

balls are junk.

 

[Cranky]

balls are junk.

wow.....there's a lot of equipment from small to large including automotive that ride on ball bearings. Are you sure you're not running China made junk?

 

[383man]

I have used both with no problems. Right now I have green bearings in my 63 and they have been in there for 5 years or more. And I drive it alot from April to November. Ron

 

[5.7 hemi]

Cranky hit the nail on the head with regards to the housing straightness. There isn't a housing around that is perfectly straight from the factory. So when you narrow a rear housing, it's trued and that makes the greens last almost indefinitely.

 

[747mopar]

timken bearings are designed for a thrust load, ball bearings aren't. ball bearings are cheap compared to timkens. pick your poison. this whole thing is about mopar people being too damn dumb to perform a simple adjustment.

I hope nobody is that dumb haha, I have pig swaps down to an easy 20-30 min job.