Certain rear wheel bearings use the axle as an inner
race. At times, worn or pitted rollers, chipped or
damaged bearings can wear a groove into the axle shaft.
Over time, the seal may also wear a groove into the
axle shaft. When this occurs it's usually necessary to
replace the axle shaft assembly, bearings and
seal.
A cost-saving approach offered by SKF is an axle shaft repair bearing. The
axle repair bearing assembly replaces both the bearing
and the conventional seal requiring no additional
parts. The repair bearing moves the position of the
bearing and seal so that they ride on an unworn section
of the axle shaft.
Six part numbers – R1559, R1561-F, R1561-G, R1563,
R57509 and R59047 – cover the most popular Chrysler, Ford and GM axles. Each repair bearing comes
ready to install for fast and reliable service.
Prior to replacement of the repair bearing assembly,
the axle shaft should be examined for rust, corrosion,
or imperfections that would prevent the bearing or seal
from proper seating or sealing of the new repair
bearing. The axle tube housing depth should be checked
to ensure the repair bearing can be used for your
application.
The depth and inner dimension of the axle tube should
be compared to the width and outside diameter of the
repair bearing. Certain models have a narrowed axle
tube that will not allow the repair bearing to be
properly installed. If the axle tube has a bearing seat
on the inside of the axle tube, measure the depth from
the outside edge of the axle tube to the inside seat
and compare this to your repair bearing width. This
measurement will ensure the repair bearing can be
properly seated. Next measure the axle tube inner
dimension with a telescoping gauge; this will determine
if the axle tube may narrow on the inside.
If the axle tube does not narrow and the seat recess
measurement is acceptable follow the guidelines below
for installation:
Following the vehicle manufacturer’s
recommended disassembly procedures, remove the axle,
old seal and bearing.
Use only a fine grade emery paper to clean
the axle shaft between the flange and the worn area.
This will be the new roller path and seal surface.
Remove new bearing from its protective
wrapping and dip it in clean differential oil. Allow
bearing to drain excess oil before installing.
Install bearing in the axle housing with
seal facing out. Caution: assembly force must be
applied to bearing ring and not to seal. Striking or
pushing on the seal will result in failure. A correctly
installed bearing may extend out from the housing up to
1/4".
Re-install the axle per manufacturer’s
recommended assembly procedures. Remember to clean
differential housing and fill the differential with
clean oil.
For more information about the
SKF and its products, visit
www.vsm.skf.com.
SKF is a leading global supplier in the areas of
bearings, seals, mechatronics, services and lubrication
systems. The Group’s service offer includes technical
support, maintenance services, engineering consultancy
and training. SKF is represented in more than 130
countries and has 15,000 distributor locations
worldwide. The Group’s annual sales 2009 were SEK
56,227 million. The number of employees was 41,172.
www.skf.com.
