Rear axle bearings.
Posted: Thu May 27, 2021 6:53 am
Today I stripped a rear axle assembly I recently bought at a swap meet. There were plenty of really good bits. Once I cleaned them up I discovered four axle bearings measuring just .0005 - .003" wear. Of particular interest was the fact that
there were 3 different bearings, one Hyatt, one just like a Hyatt and two Pollard brand English made bearings. There are differences. The Hyatt has he usual 4 pins riveted at- each end to hold the assembly together. The unbranded look-alike is assembled the same way. However, the spiral wound rollers in the Hyatt are made with 1/4" wide rolled strips, whereas the unbranded one uses 5/16" strips.
The other two are Pollard brand bearings made in England. The roller strips in these are 7/16" wide, so far fewer coils in each roller. Significantly, these bearings are made with 8 pins to hold the cages together, and these pins run through the eight rollers which make up the bearing. Seems to me to be a better idea. These two being on the inside next to the diff centre show just .0005" wear. The cages on the end are thicker than on the Hyatt bearing.
I checked my stash for others. I found some Hyatts with the narrow strips, far more like the Hyatts, with no brand and the wider strios in the rollers, but none made like the Pollards. I expect these would not be found in USA, whereas Empire sourced parts are more likely in Australia.
Allan from down under.
there were 3 different bearings, one Hyatt, one just like a Hyatt and two Pollard brand English made bearings. There are differences. The Hyatt has he usual 4 pins riveted at- each end to hold the assembly together. The unbranded look-alike is assembled the same way. However, the spiral wound rollers in the Hyatt are made with 1/4" wide rolled strips, whereas the unbranded one uses 5/16" strips.
The other two are Pollard brand bearings made in England. The roller strips in these are 7/16" wide, so far fewer coils in each roller. Significantly, these bearings are made with 8 pins to hold the cages together, and these pins run through the eight rollers which make up the bearing. Seems to me to be a better idea. These two being on the inside next to the diff centre show just .0005" wear. The cages on the end are thicker than on the Hyatt bearing.
I checked my stash for others. I found some Hyatts with the narrow strips, far more like the Hyatts, with no brand and the wider strios in the rollers, but none made like the Pollards. I expect these would not be found in USA, whereas Empire sourced parts are more likely in Australia.
Allan from down under.