I replaced an axle seal on my 53 Ford car. I observed that the axle bearing is pressed onto the axle itself and then the assembly is “tapped” into place. (I had to use an axle puller to get the axle to slide out) It didn’t take much effort to remove and re- install the axle into the housing. I was wondering… what keeps the axle bearing from working its way out of the housing? There is a grease/dust cap that bolts over the bearing but isn’t that is just to keep the dust out?
That steel retainer you see between your bearing and the flange, that bolts to the axle housing is what holds your axle in.
a loose fit of the bearing onto the axle can allow the axle to slide out of the bearing on that type of setup. had that happen on a '60 corvette just as i got off the freeway. i looked over and saw a tire about a foot out of the wheel well. yikes!
That flange is known as a "bearing retainer." But it really is only good if there's a tight fit between the bearing and the axle. Still a lot better then the C clip arrangement of some other axles though.
The flange and the collar on the inside of the bearing which is a press fit along with the bearing being a press fit on the axle. I've never heard of one coming apart except where someone had polished up the axle surface a bit too much after loosing a bearing. It's a place where making it nice and smooth and shiny before you press the new bearing back on may not be a good thing to do.
Ok, thanks guys! I haven't had any problems with this setup or anything. I was just wondering about it when I was road testing my car and drove around a sharp corner.
On a 55 thu 64 Chevrolet there is a retainer ring that fits on the axel behind the bearing to help prevent it from sliding out, it could be tack welded if your in doubt. Don't remember if Ford has the retainer ring or not, other wise it's pretty much the same principle. Had the axel just slide out on a 56 Chevy and axel failure on 58 Ford, both resulting in burnt paint and being on foot.
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