Bendix front axles?

[1955CJ-5]

OK...the axles are definitely Bendix...all the little balls fell out when i took it apart..

 

But, according to the photo that Walcks has of the spindle bushing, this has the spicer/rzeppa bushing installed..it has the flange and the lubrication grooves..

So whats up here? The little tag on the knuckle oil seal reads "Bendix joint"...

Do you think someone just replaced the spindles (both are the same) without changing the axles?  It seems to me that it should not have gone together with the wrong spindle bushing, not enough clearance....unless the bendix joints are so worn that the spicer bushing was put there to take up the slack...

I know..buy new spicer axles...oh boy....if I do that will I need to remove the inner axle tube bushing, as it's described as a bendix only part...?

[garage gnome]

Is this the part you are talking about?

http://walcks4wd.com/bushing-spindle-rzeppa-and-spi.html

I would call them and ask.

A set of rzeppa axles should be easy to come by. I have 3 sets...

[1955CJ-5]

Yes, that is the part.  I called when I ordered the king pin bearings and bushings, and was a little confused when they said that the bendix joint axles do not have the  bushing with the flange, as mine sure looked as though they had a flange...

Are rzeppa's better than spicers? The spicers seem to be readily available new from Walcks....

I'll call in the AM and see what I can learn...

[garage gnome]

I think the bendix are a bit better. I'm using rezeppa on the Jalopy because the PO blew up one of the Bendix ones.

[1955CJ-5]

Do you think that having the bendix joint come apart easily is reason enough to replace them? The book indicates that you can re-assemble them and use them as long as the wear is not "excessive"..how much is excessive?�

And the "locking pin" is a little confusing, as the ball pin just fell out, so it was not locked in place, unless the locking pin is just there to keep the ball pin from disappearing into the axle shaft?

[1955CJ-5]

Ok..I get it...I read the instructions again and again and it now makes sense...The lock pin just keeps the ball pin from falling back into the axle where it is placed during the assembly process...but i can assemble my axles without removing the lock pin...probably worn...

And the Kaiser-willys site indicates that the flange type bushing can be used with either type axle shaft....they also have some NOS rzeppa type axles..expensive!

[1955CJ-5]

All my questions answered...

http://www.vernco.com/FrontAxle/id374.htm

What a great source of information!

[1955CJ-5]

All my questions answered...

http://www.vernco.com/FrontAxle/id374.htm

What a great source of information!

From the above link I learned that the larger balls in the bendix axle are supposed to be .875" in diameter....In the left axle all the balls were under sized and in the right axle only one was undersized, in the area of .866". I ordered 10 new ball bearings so I will replace all of them if I can. This will help tighten things up I hope.