Hot Rods Convert to tapered roller bearings or no

I have heard differing reasons for doing this, and have heard warnings not to convert to tapered roller bearings. The warnings against seem to revolve around added stresses on the spindle, if everything is not brand new and exactly "square". The people who advocate tapered always say it is the best thing since sliced bread. But I wonder. Any thoughts pro and con? Talking about front axle here.

 

what front axle doesn't have tapered roller bearings?

 

Lots of old cars even up into the '50s had ball bearings.

I would convert to Timken bearings in a heart beat if I owned one that wasn't that way and it was time for new bearings.

 

You don't say what application you are using the bearings for - but here is some insight. RPM's and lubrication are critical.
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/tapered-roller-vs-angular-contact-ball-bearings-175253/ and
http://www.pem-mag.com/generation/from-all-directions-pros-and-cons-of-tapered-roller-bearings

 

i know.....but what axle is he talking about?

 

he is talking front axle.

 

i give up

 

I don't know on what the front axle is but most of them would lend themselves well to Timken bearings I would think.

We have a couple of threads going on here that the OP seems reluctant to say what is actually going on I am guessing they are afraid of being deleted or ridiculed. LOL

 

I converted my stock '37 Chevy front axle to tapered roller bearings several years ago and have had several thousand miles on it with no problems.

 

and I did my 54 Chevy many years ago and had a how to thread on it here. It's the best improvement you can do to the corvette front end that's under an old Chevy. No more periodic adjustments. It makes a modern car out of your antique

 

I worked on a buddies 49-50 AD chevrolet truck.. ball bearings on the straight front axle. as I recall, the OD and ID were "odd" sizes, nothing quick and easy to convert to tapered roller bearings. I also have drums from a 52 chevy car, ball bearings in it too.

 

Every old "ball bearing" pre 64 gm car we've had I've converted to tapered , thousands of miles in them , zero problems. I'll sell these old ball bearings on occasion at work old bca number is usually BO-1 & they are very pricey. Cost alone plus the trouble one might have finding them on a long away from home road trip is reason enough to go tapered. Flux

 

Back in the 70s my brothers and friends would swap out the ball bearings for roller bearings because the ball bearings would not last. They got tried of replacing them so they got the hubs from a newer Chevy and installed them on the older Chevys (Tri-Fives).
I did the same with my Nomad. Now, they sell roller bearings to fit stock hubs. I bought some for my AD. Go Rollers.

 

Thanks fella's, I'm not looking for part numbers or anything like that. The inside bearings are 25mm id x 52mm od, and the outer bearings are 20mm id x 52mm od. That translates to generic or SKF 30205 inner and 30304 outer. Timkens would be 4) 07204 cups, 2) 07079 and 2) 07097 cones. Like I said, the originals were the ball bearing type. Along with the tapered roller bearings and races, you can also go with straight roller bearings (no races, no balls).
That is a fairly fragile spindle, at 25mm and 20mm at the end, and both it and the hub are old, though crack tested. I would have no problem going with the tapered bearings if the spindle and hub (drum) were new, but they are not.
I have heard tapered bearings are best only used with new spindles and hubs, to ensure perfect alignment. Some say the older style ball bearings or straight roller bearings are more forgiving to imperfect alignment, wheras tapered bearings are not so forgiving. I'm talking alignment between stub axle and hub. Sources disagree, of course. so curious what other people may have found to be the case.
19Fordy that second link you gave is a good one, and I have read it, but it seems too technical. However, that is where I started making the conclusion that tapered are best with NEW parts only.

 

55 Chevy.

 

Timken's first application was for wagon wheels, well before the automobile.

General Motors happened to own both New Departure Bearing Co. (Ball bearings) and Hyatt Bearing (Cylindrical and barrel roller bearings), so that is why they rolled that way. (Pardon the pun)

Timken type tapered roller bearings are far superior to angular contact ball bearings with respect to handing the combination loads encountered by steering axles. Think point contact for ball bearings versus line contact for roller bearings.

Just check the published load ratings for those ISO tapered 30205 and 30304 versus a 7205 and 7304 ball bearing. No contest.

Your forged spindles will be fine. I would be more worried about a ball bearing shooting ****s on me in the middle East Podunk.

 

I've put a lot of miles on my old chevy trucks on ball bearings, with occasional repairs needed. Just like all the other cars etc I've had that had roller bearings.

The ball bearings are expensive, but if you have a Chevy truck from the 50s, or a car from 54 or older, the replacement tapered roller bearings are also expensive, and not available at a parts store. Plus, they don't have many rollers, compared to normal tapered roller bearings. And as a bonus, there seem to be problems with the seal not being held in place properly on some of them.

If you have a 55-60 Chevy car, you can swap 61-64 hubs, and get tapered roller bearings easily.

So...without knowing what you're working on, I can't give you a good answer.

 

Thanks 55Brodie- You are right, I am concerned about the spindle. Where would a straight (non tapered) roller bearing fit in on the load rating? Thanks-

 

Ball bearings are good for one thing, and that is taking down birds that **** on your car. IF you hit the bird, you shouldn't get in trouble with your Mom for vandalizing a neighbor. Now, about your avatar name.........................

 

Straight roller bearings have monster load ratings, however they are only suitable for radial loads...no axial or thrust possible.

 

Worse axial and thrust than the deep groove ball bearing?

 

Deep groove ball bearings can accept 1/2 their radial load rating as thrust. Cylindrical roller bearings can tolerate zero thrust as the axial force would separate the roller ***embly from the inner and outer rings.

 

Nothing wrong with "bicycle bearings", my Dad bought his '57 Chevy PU new, has gone through the 235, through a 283, and resides with a 454 now...gonna guess...200K to 250K on it now...just a guess,...all with the original bearings, all I ever did over the last 35 years as he did, get seals, repack them, and run them.

So like Squirrel says...they still work

 

Thank you 55B I think I am starting to comprehend the differences.
Cylindrical roller bearings would be good for a solid rear axle, and no good on the front steering axle.

 

I changed my 37 Chebby to 51 drums and tapered bearings and never looked back

 

I have a great deal more trust in 70 year old ball bearings than in new Chinese rollers ... I've driven hundreds of thousands of miles on GM cars & trucks using white Lubriplate wheel bearing grease - packed in the '60s & '70s - every year when pulled to check, they go back in after redistributing what's in the hub back into the bearing - by hand - as taught by real mechanics in the mid '60s.

 

For some reason GM did make the change.

 

I have some straight roller bearings with lipped races (one cylinder crank main bearings) that take thrust. Not a bunch as I recall, prolly not enough for steering.