I thought this might deserve a separate posting. The first photo is of a 2" grinding wheel mounted on a 3/8" machine bolt used to cut the race. I used a cordless drill running in reverse so as not to loosen the nut. The second photo hows a rough section just to the right of the cut. I almost obliterated the evidence. It took about 10 to 15 minutes to cut it completely through. There is another smaller rough section to the left, out of focus. The third photo is of the smaller rough section.
When running a ball bearing over the smaller rough section, pinched between thumb and forefinger so that it does not rotate, I can feel it catch when it hits the spot. The larger rough spot is too close to the cut to do the same get a good read on it doing the same thing.
Seeing has how none of the discussions that I found on this subject anywhere on the net ending with an ‘aha’ moment, I thought I would do this one up right. The original google search that I used was ‘new u joints now vibration’. This was suggested to me by Google after I typed in ‘new u-joints’, which indicates that it is a not-uncommon subject. I later expanded the search to include <“carrier bearing” OR “center support bearing”>.
To ME…those gall marks suggest that whomever installed the bearing…used the wrong area of the bearing to Bang on with his hammer… We all know the correct surface that is available to use on a bearing install… Looks like this installer did NOT. That bearing would or should have never left the factory testing if it was present during mfg…I think the installer did this damage. What do you think?
Seeing as how this was a driveline shop that has been in the same family and at the same spot through three generations I kinda doubt the installer didn’t know what he was doing or have the proper equipment to do it it right. It’s also hard to believe that one could pound a bearing on by hitting or pushing it anywhere but on the inner race without completely destroying it, mean exploding it, not just scoring the outer race. It takes some serious tonnage or bang-age to put one on. Here’s what I used:
I can’t imagine a driveline shop would use anything less, and probably a lot more, at least a hardened pipe with a solid end for smacking, made especially for the purpose, more likely just take it over to the press. It’s only two feet long and I took in to the shop with the u-joint removed so there nothing at the other end but the naked yoke. Nothing easier than taking it over to a press and do it like they do all the others that they do. Let me ask, if you owned a shop press and had to put on a carrier bearing and you had done it a thousand times on that press, with you bang it on with a hammer, or would you press it on with your shop press? I know what I would do.
Like I mentioned on the other thread, I think the bearing itself was a just a cheap, loose bearing with no manufacturing ID and the galling occurred either at the factory or after driving around with it loose, more likely the later. The CB was branded as Westar, a name I will not likely forget. As I recall, when I first noticed the vibration, it was barely there to the point where I thought it might just be the road. At the end there was no ignoring it, and driving at the vibration speed became scary. It definitely got worse over time.
Now that I think back on everything I wrote in this post, the looseness probably caused the vibration and the vibration caused the galling.
But I doubt the driveline shop caused the looseness.
Huh. Just a clarification though. You said you should bang on the inner race to install? Can’t imagine doing that. Didn’t you mean you need to press on the outer race to install? I would never hammer on an inner race.
If you hammer on the outer race the force has to be transferred thru the ball bearings to the inner race, not a good idea in my opinion. That would surely destroy the bearing.
As I previously stated , I am not surprised to find out it was the bearing , however I am surprised that an experienced drive-line shop couldn’t isolate the problem to the bearing .
Good post! These are the pictures we want to see. I’m not saying that just because the pipe and hammer are two of my favorite tools. That break in the race is impressive.
