[BruceWilkie]

Well I decided to clean up the spare 8.2 and get it ready for Debs car.(her ol 8.2 has about 370000 miles on it and is just beat). So... I grind the rust off the spare from our old 69 parts car replace the pinion seal... internals in spare like new but axle bearings got rusty as it sat with backing plates off/axles loose in a not so dry area. (buried in a collapsed shed for a few years up in NY)

Anyway... these axles and housing dont have the sealed bearings that Debs 69 has. In fact her bearings and housing ends are bigger!... I took this rear from a rusty old 69 bird that we had for years(80's). This "parts bird" was a late build 69 the numbers all matched but it came with 1970 #11 heads vs the 69 heads and a few other updates over Debs early build 69... This rear has a mid 69 casting date and its definately not a Chevy 10 bolt.

This axle housing has two piece bearings (seal between retainer and bearing) that the outer race measures approx 2.55 OD ... Outer race pressed into housing end. The ID is same as Debs car. The axles themselves are identical. Look up bearings for a 69 bird and all you find are the larger 2.74 OD sealed bearings like Deb has in her car.

Any idea what bearing it takes? No way the timken RW507CR fits.

Help!!!

[HWYSTR455]

You need the SET 9 or A9 bearing with the 712145 seal. The seal is important because it provides the proper preload. Some of the other seals out there are a hair thinner and don't provide the proper preload. I used the National brand and all was good.

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[BruceWilkie]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

You need the SET 9 or A9 bearing with the 712145 seal. The seal is important because it provides the proper preload. Some of the other seals out there are a hair thinner and don't provide the proper preload. I used the National brand and all was good.

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Thanks... any source on those numbers? Brand? I noticed the seal is between the retainer and bearing, is this correct?

BTW... I kind of like the taper bearing vs roller bearing...my old 68 bird and Debs 69 had bearing/seal issues... the old parts car rear had zero evidence of leakage and the bearings were in great shape way back a dozen + yrs ago when I sold the backing plates... I should have bolted the axles back in.

[HWYSTR455]

Those are valid National part numbers, most parts stores carry them. Any others could cross the number to whatever they have, but as I mentioned, the seal is pretty critical, since it provides the preload.

Yeah, the seal goes between the retainer and the bearing. Using the OE retainers provides the best results. You can clean them up with a wire wheel and shoot them with engine paint.

The tapered bearings solved a number of problems, and from my understanding are superior to the encased, non-tapered design.

Make sure the axle area the seal rides on is clean and smooth before having the bearings pressed on.

On a final note, if the race fits too loosely into the housing end, you can use a punch to dimple the housing tube right by the step the race stops against. Do like 4 that are 90 degrees apart, tightens it up.

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[rohrt]

Bruce you should post up a pic of the bearing your working with. I have never heard or seen of one like that.

[BruceWilkie]

Originally Posted by rohrt

Bruce you should post up a pic of the bearing your working with. I have never heard or seen of one like that.

I'll try later tonight... have another axle with common bearing so I'll do a side by side.

BTW NAPA has the bearings... Still havent found the seals or a cross reference. Looks like the Set 9 comes with seal but havent found that one...so far just the bearing.

Tryin to explain to Deb just swapping all the guts into her housing is a bit more work.... especially after sanding this housing down... When I do her housing its getting everything new, gear ratio change(I think around 3.23 best compromise), posi, bearings, even the fill plug(hers is froze in place I made a fill hole in the cover)... For now this good used 2.56 nonposi will do just fine... if I get the bearings/seals it needs.

[HWYSTR455]

I have photos, attached, and you can see the part numbers. The one set I ordered from Ames, and in their' catalog they list dimensions. As an FYI, some 8.5 rears use the same bearings.

The user on here 'monzaz' has extensive knowledge of these types of rears, and schooled me on the correct parts on an Olds forum, when I was struggling with the clone. Maybe PM him and see what he has to say.

http://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/...seal-help.html



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[BruceWilkie]

Well so much for last night... First pic is the taper bearing(the race was in the housing end) equipped axle...the outer race/housing bore is 2.5591" od/id respectively.

2nd pic is the larger od sealed roller bearing (axle seal mounts in housing before axle installed)... Most 1st gen birds use the larger ID housing end (2.7475"ID)sealed roller bearing... Apparantly when they decided to continue 69 production waiting for the 70-1/2 'bird they ran out of the "big end" housings and switched over to this housing which uses the same ends as most A bodies of that era...

BTW could NOT even find a cross reference to the 712145 seal but 712146 is the common seal to all the axles that use a Set9 bearing in those years... It seems to measure the same... we'll find out when I pull the bearing...

Appreciate the insight thanks again.

[HWYSTR455]

I was reading the part number from the pic, and it's hard to tell if it's a 5 or a 6, so that part number you have is probably right. (712146)

Think you got it, good luck with it all, and post results once you have it all done. Curious to see how you made out.

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[BruceWilkie]

Many A bodies in 1970 plus Grand Prix Monte Carlo use the set 9 bearing and 712146 bearing seal. Many apps use the set9 but other seals... Set9 is a taper roller bearing
with race built as a 1 piece assembly... the "9" bearing best I can determine comes with the race separate. The larger OD bearing found in majority of 1st gen birds is a sealed ball bearing and the axle seal is installed in the housing...


Now I'm delayed because of stupidity...

The press at the shop is bent!!! Someone used it with wrong pins in one side! Just what I need... now I got to find someone that will let me use their press and figure out how to square ours back up... after I find the missing correct pins...

The friggin idiot who likely did it(or one of his kids) quit last month... I've spent the last 3 weeks fixing some of his work... grrr!!! Wouldnt surprise me if he used the pins for part of his steering shaft on his rat-rod...(He quit the week he finished it.) Great welder but not so great technician...

I'll post the results when its back together. Glad its a spare and not the rear thats in the car...