i remember seeing a guy on ebay selling "kits" to convert various cars from ball bearings to roller bearings. The kits were nothing more than the new bearings and races that just happen to fit the old car spindles. No machine work or anything. He had them for my car (60 poncho), so I'm wondering how I can figure out what new style bearings would fit. Anyone know?
on my 60 chevy I swapped the hubs with ones off of a 64 chevy that already had roller bearings. Roller bearings are cheap to for those hubs. Like 10$ compared to 30 or 40 bucks. I believe they started putting roller bearings in around 61 or 62 but I'm not sure. I'd just try and find some later model hubs if that trick will work on your pontiac like it did my 60 chevy.
a guy at work told me if I pull the bearings out and bring them to work, we could mic them and just spend the day digging through the bearings and books tryign to find somethign that would fit, but I cant' drive the car to work if I pull the bearings out...
heres the ebay guy i was talking about, too bad he was smart enough to not show the part numbers in the pictures... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=34200&item=7901816295&rd=1
Bearings can be bought by type of bearing, ID, OD and width. The bearing number(s) are universal every bearing company uses th same numbering system to ID a particular size bearing. Here's just one companie's spec list and site. http://www.hchbearing.com/english/Specification/inchtaper.htm http://www.hchbearing.com/english/products.html Just look them up or go to a local bearing supply store (not Pep Boys, a store that sells just bearings and seals) and tell them what you need to fit. they will have it.
Look in the Yellow Pages and find a place that sells bearings. Take your bearings and races (inner and outter bearings/races) and they'll mic the i.d. of the bearing (that rides on the spindle) and the o.d. of the race (rides in the hub) and can cross reference it in their books to find a bearing that fits. There isn't a conversion bearing anymore for '55-'57 Chevys (have to swap whole hub out). I also tried doing this with my '54 Buick, too, and it didn't work because the bearing's inner race had a deep shoulder on it that bottoms out on the spindle. Without that shoulder, the hub goes on the spindle too far. (I'll have to machine a spacer I guess). If the bearing house can't go to their catalog and find a swap, you'll need to change hubs. I was 0 for 2. -Brad
we can mic it and find a match at work ( i work at a parts store), I just thought there might be a reference guide somewhere for the swap, or at least someone who had done it before.
my 56 olds NAPA had two options listed ball and roller it was a no brainer. what are you working with
go to www.askjeeves.com and type in cross reference for SKF bearings and you should be able to find a chart with the dimensions in it.You should try timken also.Like the other guy said once you look in the charts and find your sizes take that number and NAPA can order it for you.
while we're on the topic of bearings, go buy some american made bearings! Timken just announced closing another plant, their first plant to open in now closing. 1200 jobby jobs. there are certain things that are important to keep producing on domestic soil, and bearings are one of them.
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