I'm looking to convert the original style ball bearings on my 1957 3100 to the modern tapered ball bearings. Can anyone give me part numbers for tapered roller bearings for the front wheels on a 1955(2nd series) through 1959 Chevy 3100 (1/2 ton). I know that kits are available from various restoration houses, but I think these are just standard tapered roller bearings that I can buy from my local parts house if I only knew the number of the bearings and races. Thanks, Thirdcoast
I've never found a stock replacement tapered roller bearing that would fit.... I run ball bearings in my old trucks, doesn't seem to be a big problem.
I have had ball bearing type in most of my old cars.They are expensive to buy new and hard to find in stock compared to tappered rollers ,but cheap if you keep them packed and adjusted properly .I have reused races and bearings from donor cars to mine with success as well many times ...
I dont think there is just a bearing conversion involved and thats it .Most likely you will have to use late model car rotors and often times it involves machining to the spindals .If you wanting to use the stock hubs and brakes cand just switch the bearings then i dont know.I do know that 40's and early to mid 50's Chevy cars and 1/2 trucks have interchangable hubs on the front.I also know that you can use 61-64 Chevy car hubs and tappered roller bearing to convert 55 - 60 cars over from Ball bearing type and it a direct bolt on ...
If you take a serious look at the kits that some of the suppliers offer you will see a spacer or bushing if you will that goes on the spindle so that a tapered bearing will fit the spindle correctly. The seal also rides on that bushing. It would be ideal and popular as all hell if one of our member machinists decided to start turning out the bearing adapters and selling just the adapters so that we could bop down to any parts house and pick up a set of bearings and go. The outer bearing isn't a real issue as you just need to match the inner and outer Id of the bearings and buy and install the new bearings.
The real problem is that the inner ball bearings they used have a huge inner race, and there just aren't any normal tapered roller bearings that have that small of an inside bore, and that large of an outer race. I have 4 NOS B-52 new departure bearings I got from a hamber a while back, it should be enough to last my lifetime...keeping a few of the old trucks running.
Check Classic Parts of America, www.classicparts.com . They carry direct replacement roller bearings for both the inner and outer bearings. They go right in the stock hubs, without any modification. Seems like these bearings also fit 49 - 54 Chevy passenger cars, too. If you use the search feature on the Classic Parts website, search for wheel bearing, NOT wheel bearings. A search for wheel bearings, with the S on bearing will not bring anything up.
I looked into machining a bunch of those spacers because that was exactly my plan! It was not cost effective for me to do so because the cost of the material was so high. ( cant remember exactly what material it ended up being ) It was cheaper to just buy the kit from CPP and replace the bearings as needed. I may try again if theres enough interest in them though. I have a machine shop at my use 24hrs a day! I think I still have a set of spacers for the 55-59 truck too.
Thanks folks, I guess I will just buy the one of the kits.... How much of the aftermarket parts do you think come from china??? I am trying real hard to NOT use chinese junk on my 57 Chebby Pickem Up Truck.... Again, thanks for the help, Thirdcoast
The Jalopy Journal
