My Willys 3A and 3B Community

Your Projects => Your CJ-3A Project => Your Modified 3A Project => Topic started by: MikeB on September 29, 2018, 12:59:00 PM

Title: D44 bearing help.
Post by: MikeB on September 29, 2018, 12:59:00 PM: Ok so from my best calculations the D44 rear axle in my M38 came out of mid 70ï¿½s IH Scout ii, 58ï¿½ wms to wms width, 30spline shaft and 4 bolt (4 1/4ï¿½ bhc) bearing retainer plate with 11ï¿½ drums.

Problem is I put a new bearing amd seal on the drivers side 3 and a half years ago, drove the Jeep on to a flat deck and brought it to my new shop. Durning the 3 1/2 years I have driven the Jeep around the yard and drive and racked up a staggering 2 Kmï¿½s. No thatï¿½s not a typo itï¿½s a 2.

Last weekend I went to work on the rear brakes, new shoes and a brake bleed and found a good 1/2ï¿½of end play, in and out, up and down, in the drivers rear axle. Took everything apart and found the bearing shredded and full of steel chaff. Passenger side has a slight amount of end play say 1/8ï¿½.

Looking at the axle I notice the bearings and seal sit flush with the flange on the axle when installed, the brake drum plate sits around the seal but not over it and is 1/8ï¿½ ish thick, then there is a retainer plate that bolts everything together.

Well there is a 1/8ï¿½ gap between the retainer plate and the oil seal/bearing, so under any side loading the bearing and seal will always walk out 1/8ï¿½ .ï¿½ :(

So how to get rid of that 1/8ï¿½ gap?

The bearing set I used was a Timkin set 10 which is correct for basically all no tapered D44ï¿½s.

Is there a shim plate that goes somewhere, I have searched but not found a answer.

No sense putting new bearings on until I can figure out how to eliminate the end play, because I really do t want my axle to walk out on me while Iï¿½m doing 50!
Title: Re: D44 bearing help.
Post by: athawk11 on September 29, 2018, 10:04:52 PM: I'm not familiar with that axle model, but the Willys version of the 41 and 44 require a shim pack to accomplish the proper preload on the bearing.ï¿½ These are placed between the axle flange and the bearing retainer plate...behind the brake backing plate.ï¿½ I have some photos somewhere.ï¿½ If I can find them, I'll post them.

Edit:

(http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa397/athawk11/Willys%20brakes/20130311005_zps3da4ce48.jpg) (http://s1195.photobucket.com/user/athawk11/media/Willys%20brakes/20130311005_zps3da4ce48.jpg.html)
Title: Re: D44 bearing help.
Post by: MikeB on October 06, 2018, 02:35:30 PM: Well the axle is 100% from a 70ï¿½s scout ii, and the reason the bearing failed was the bearing. I had the Timken rep at my work looking at a issue with one of our gear boxes and I brought up my little issue turns out the bearing I used was a Cheap NAPA bearing, not a Timken or another decent brand but cheap bearing made in the Philippines. Looks like the inner race separated, split in two allowing the bearing to walk back into the retaining collar, and the overall height is less than the Timken bearing, hence the end play. I have a pair of Timkens on order and should have everything back up and running soon. I also have a set of 1/4ï¿½ thick scout retainer plates coming in also. [ch65533][ch65533]

Cost difference between the cheap NAPA bearings and the Timken was only $12, not sure saving $12 is worth it, donï¿½t cheap out on bearings.