Are the 28 splines and the 31 splines close to the same diameter? I have a 1957 Ford small bearing housing and axles and was wondering if I bought bigger axles, say from an aftermarket company, would they have a bearing to fit it?
The spline has nothing to do with bearing size. The side gears have the splines in them and can be changed. You can order just about any bearing/spline combination from most any axle co. Currie, Moser, Dutchman, Strange and a zillion others.
You can not just change the side gears. The carrier would have to be bored out as well due to the axle shaft diameter being larger on a 31 spline.
What I meant, was does the axle diameter go up as the spline number increases? Obviously a set of 35 splined axles are not going to be the same diameter as a 28 regardless of the side gears. I have a later pumpkin with the 31 splined gears.
From what I have read there is an aftermarket bearing to use a 31 spline axle in a small bearing housing. I also read that because of the construction of the bearing "less material" it fails sooner than it should.I would ***ume that to fit the larger diameter of the 31 the bearing rollers or races must be thinner. Less material =less heat absorbtion=early failure.
The area where the bearing and wedding ring goes is slightly larger in diameter than the shaft itself. However that area where the inner race and wedding ring are pressed on is the same diameter on the 28 and 31 spline axles.
I know, just pointing out that there are more options to new axles. Boring the carrier is a simple operation.
Yes, A 31 spline axle will be larger in diameter than a 28 spline. The early 57 style axles tapered thin through the middle and break easily.
Makes sense to me, I switched to 31 spline axles when I broke my 27 splined ones & I didn't get 10,000 miles before one of the bearings went out. I also have big 30" tires that probably doesn't help. Later, Mark
Even more reasons NOT to use a "Factory Ford" axle. Good aftermarket axles are only about $325.00 and worth every penny just in the amount of aggravation you'll save.
Call moser engineering, yes the diameters are different from 28 to 31. When shorting axles, they can tell you how much meat they need to respline a 28 or 31.
Although tire size does matter, the quality of bearing is the key factor. I run a 31" tall by 15" wide slick at the track and a 29" tall by 18" wide tire on the street with absolutely no bearing issues. Needless to say I work the hell out of my rear end components but I know this and don't skimp on the parts. Besides, I only want to build it once.
Had Ford axles resplined once, they twisted like a pretzel. CALL MOSER! I find that they had the best customer service, the best parts and last but not least the best price.
Big bearing axles also came in the Ranchero, Convertibles, Sean Deliverys, Skyliners and many p***engar cars. I pulled a big bearing one from a 57 Ford 2 door sedan ... 6 cylinder, straight drive with Overdrive. I have found that when dealing with FOMOCO products of the 50's ... there is NO hard, fast rule for knowing what came in what.
Do you run small bearing housing ? I run Moser axles & bearings (at least I did till the bearing went out) Replaced with Timken, we'll see how they do, but in the mean time I'm looking for a big bearing housing to replace mine with. Later, Mark
Hey Mark, Yes I run a small bearing housing, it's the only way that you can run a small bearing axle. Your next question is probably, WHY? Its what the car started with and really didn't see a need to spend the extra cash just to say "I've got a big end bearing housing". However my Nodular case is a big bearing case with the big bearing "Daytona" pinion support. That's where you really need your strenght.
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