Axle bearings for 8.75 rear

[AZRC]

What are some recommedations for axle bearings for 8.75 rear end? I am going through one right now and plan to also put a disc brake conversion kit on it.

 

[eagleone1983]

I was recommended the "green bearings" from Dr.Diff. Supposedly they are not as strong as OEM but unless you have some crazy fast car there wouldn't be no difference. Upside to them is also that they do not need to be adjusted.

 

[ga66mopar]

I always use oem timken bearing. The oem bearing is tapered while the green bearing is not. The green bearing are just roller bearings. The green bearing is not made for any side loads which means not meant for curves. The oem bearing does have an adjustment that the green bearing do not have but it is really easy. If you convert to green bearings you have to remove the spacer in the center of the carrier where the axles meet. Also if you run a spool the green bearing is a must because the spool doesn't have the spacer. I'm sure most people would never have a problem running green bearings but I don't see why you would since the oem bearing is better and cost about the same.

 

[Meep-Meep]

The green bearings are deep groove ball bearings similar to what you would find on a OEM Ford 9" and they do take a thrust load. They are still inferior to the tapered roller bearings that Chrysler used but if you don't have the factory adjuster and plates then you're stuck using them. If you do have all the factory hardware then go the factory bearing route. The Timken number is set 7 for the tapered rollers.

 

[Cranky]

Ford used ball bearings in the 8" rears too. Ball bearings do handle plenty of side loading but like Meep says, the Timken handle more. Modern day rears like the 9 1/4 (C-clip rears) mostly use the roller bearing setup but it's not a tapered roller design. The up side to a ball bearing?? They consume less horsepower.....

 

[ga66mopar]

http://www.moparaction.com/tech/quest1/HOW_GREEN_ARE_MY_BEARINGS.html

The Greens are low-capacity ball bearings...maybe 1/10 the side-load capacity of the stock Timkens. They are fine for drag racing, pretty lousy on the street, and pretty scary if you're into cornering or towing! (Admittedly, I've never personally seen one catastrophically fail, but I've seen plenty get noisy and sloppy).

The Fords are sealed rollers, way better than balls. The reason why you don't see more of 'em is 'cause they require you to weld on custom axle housing "ends". I have featured these earlier in the mag, as a way to dump the C-clips on 8.25 and 9.25" axles.

I also must add that, except that they require more care during assembly (packing with lube, endplay adjustment, etc.) the stock Timken tapered roller setup is about as good as it gets.

Rick

 

[Cranky]

The Fords of the 60's used ball bearings and were not sealed roller. I've used the Greens on a drag car that ran 10's and yeah, it didn't hard make hard turns except for getting off the track and a few of those were not all that slow and easy. The Timkens are damn good and are also over kill but mom is well known for that. I also owned several mid 60 Fords and know how well they held up....I drove em hard and they broke a lot but never had a rear bearing failure.

 

[Patrick]

I always use oem timken bearing. The oem bearing is tapered while the green bearing is not. The green bearing are just roller bearings. The green bearing is not made for any side loads which means not meant for curves. The oem bearing does have an adjustment that the green bearing do not have but it is really easy. If you convert to green bearings you have to remove the spacer in the center of the carrier where the axles meet. Also if you run a spool the green bearing is a must because the spool doesn't have the spacer. I'm sure most people would never have a problem running green bearings but I don't see why you would since the oem bearing is better and cost about the same.

Show me a set of green bearings that ever broke going around curves! Truth is they are five times stronger than OEM. Thats the very reason mopar performance came out with them. They make the 83/4 as strong as a 9" ford so you don't need a dana 60.

 

[Cranky]

Show me a set of green bearings that ever broke going around curves! Truth is they are five times stronger than OEM. Thats the very reason mopar performance came out with them. They make the 83/4 as strong as a 9" ford so you don't need a dana 60.

Say what? There's no way the Green bearing is as good as the original Timken setup and a stock 9" isn't really any better than the 8 3/4" unless you have the nodular chunk for a 9 and once a 9 is built up, then it competes with the Dana 60. The draw back to the Dana is when you have to weld to the center part of the case and it's a bit heavier. If you don't know you're doing when you weld on it, you won't do a good job. A ball bearing does not take the side loads like a Timken tapered roller will and will wear faster when subjected to heavy side loads....plain and simple.

 

[ga66mopar]

Show me a set of green bearings that ever broke going around curves! Truth is they are five times stronger than OEM. Thats the very reason mopar performance came out with them. They make the 83/4 as strong as a 9" ford so you don't need a dana 60.

First I heard that green bearings are 5 times stronger than oem. Where did you see that study? Mopar has green bearings so you can run a spool.

Ford changed their design from a sealed bearing to a tapered bearing around 1979.

The tapered bearing design is the superior design. Will a sealed bearing work? Sure. If you use greens, use the snap ring style - not the one with the integrated retainer.

The stockers take a couple minutes extra to adjust. They last just about forever, and they cost about the same as a green bearing set. Why change them to an inferior design, even if it does work for most people?

 

[Cranky]

Why change them to an inferior design, even if it does work for most people?

Been awhile since I tried to find parts but the last time I checked, I couldn't find the parts I needed to rebuild a rear end. Finding the stock retainer plates and adjuster was a pain not to mention the seals etc....

 

[Meep-Meep]

There used to be a kit that you could get that had all the gaskets, adjuster and retainer plates but that's gone, hence the creation of the green bearing. I recently threw out a truck rear end but kept the axles because it had the hardware.

 

[Meep-Meep]

Show me a set of green bearings that ever broke going around curves! Truth is they are five times stronger than OEM. Thats the very reason mopar performance came out with them. They make the 83/4 as strong as a 9" ford so you don't need a dana 60.

Agreed that the green bearings won't come apart just by going around a corner or two but axle bearings aren't the reason an 8.75" would be as strong as a 9" Ford. The 9" Ford is probably stronger because of the longer tooth and larger diameter ring gear, pinion center line to axle center line is greater and the addition of a pinion support bearing, but that's not to say the 8.75" is wimpy. Bottom line is if whatever you're using hasn't broke yet then it's strong enough.

 

[Eddie Mopar]

I've ben running the green bearings for over 10 years of almost daily use.
No problems.

 

[64BEL]

I'm also running green bearings on the street. I wasn't aware of the negative opinions of them when I made the switch. So I'm keeping an eye on them. No problems so far - but not a lot of miles on them, either. Glad to read your comments about them, Eddie.

 

[Al K]

Another vote for OEM/Timken style,since I plan on a bit of street driving with the usual tight city turns and such. Plus,our roads really suck around here.

I do think that someone has the kits with the adjusters and such(Mancini's? Roseville?) and the bearings(mine are Nationals) are still around. I'm lucky to have found some adjusters on Evilbay,and have purchased complete rear aassemblies that had axles and hardware.I don't know what's available for the '64-and-back tapered style axles-I sure that's gettin' hard to find.

 

[Revhendo]

I'm pulling the greens out of my Roadrunner and putting the factory stuff back in when I change the pig out in mine. I had roughly three years of DD duty on them when I took her off the road for some upgrades. When I checked the axles I noticed a fair amount of radial play and they seemed a bit noisy. Of course I had to scrounge up the hardware because I couldn't find my original stuff anywhere in my garage. (I'm sure it will pop up after I finish working on the rear).

The OP had referenced getting a disc brake conversion. Do most rear disc conversions require green bearings?

 

[q-ship]

What are some recommedations for axle bearings for 8.75 rear end? I am going through one right now and plan to also put a disc brake conversion kit on it.

Since no one replied to your question, I will.

With rear disks, (in the vast majority of cases), Greens are required, as rear disks can't function properly with the axle side play that factory bearings are designed for.

As for all the negative comments on Greens, take them with a grain of salt, as the problem with the Internet is that it has turned into a source of dis-information. --- To much second hand info that is passed off as gospel, with no empirical data, and regurgitated as "fact".

The Reality is that "Greens" are a good quality bearing that will last for years in normal driving. They are necessary for most rear disk conversions. They are not as strong as the factory tapered units in heavy side loading, but they are ANYTHING but weak!

I have entered several amateur drift competions over the years (3 different cars equipped with Greens), and have only had one bearing start to growl.

One of the great joys of the Greens is that it only takes about 10 minutes too change one if it starts to make noise! --- Compared with the required trip, (and expense), to the machine shop to replace the factory tapereds. --- A full day + minimum.

Are the factory bearings stronger? Sure, but are they better (considering the cost, machine shop expense to replace them, slop that they require, and inability to work with rear disk brakes)? No chance!

Lets face it, the only reason the Green’s were produced was as an easy replacement to "the otherwise complicated replacement" of the stockers, plus rear disks require the zero axle side play that the Greens provide.

No car produced today uses the old design. Perhaps there is a reason for that. ---- I think it’s called progress!

 

[Revhendo]

Since no one replied to your question, I will.

With rear disks, (in the vast majority of cases), Greens are required, as rear disks can't function properly with the axle side play that factory bearings are designed for.

As for all the negative comments on Greens, take them with a grain of salt, as the problem with the Internet is that it has turned into a source of dis-information. --- To much second hand info that is passed off as gospel, with no empirical data, and regurgitated as "fact".

The Reality is that "Greens" are a good quality bearing that will last for years in normal driving. They are necessary for most rear disk conversions. They are not as strong as the factory tapered units in heavy side loading, but they are ANYTHING but weak!

I have entered several amateur drift competions over the years (3 different cars equipped with Greens), and have only had one bearing start to growl.

One of the great joys of the Greens is that it only takes about 10 minutes too change one if it starts to make noise! --- Compared with the required trip, (and expense), to the machine shop to replace the factory tapereds. --- A full day + minimum.

Are the factory bearings stronger? Sure, but are they better (considering the cost, machine shop expense to replace them, slop that they require, and inability to work with rear disk brakes)? No chance!

Lets face it, the only reason the Green’s were produced was as an easy replacement to "the otherwise complicated replacement" of the stockers, plus rear disks require the zero axle side play that the Greens provide.

No car produced today uses the old design. Perhaps there is a reason for that. ---- I think it’s called progress!

Oh dude, tsk tsk.

I believe I asked if his disc kit required greens. I also believe that I gave firsthand experience with my green bearings and the reason I am going back to the factory bearings. (I plan on side loading it a bit). Could you perhaps supply some empirical data about this "slop" required on factory bearings and how it might compare to, say, a Ford Series 20? I really don't see how axle end play adjustment is any more complicated than that of a steering gearbox and it doesn't take anywhere near as long as adjusting the valves properly. (Quick note, if your axle has zero endplay, it's probably too tight). I empathize with your having to send your axles out to get your bearings changed. I however have a press that works fine on all sorts of axles.

You are right, there are no vehicles produced today with this type of bearing. I would however say that your extrapolation as to the reason is wrong. I would offer that you look more towards the accountants in the corporation rather than the design of the product. Heavy duty trucks using full floating axles have bearing adjustments to be done after a service. Oh, and a lot of them have disc brakes, too.

 

[Kim]

I have spun bearings in my 8 3/4 they look to have spun lightly.If I use green bearings does this sovle my problem as the bearings are held in place by the axle flange