MTFCA Forum

Are the parts suppliers no longer able to get the adjustable drive shaft bearing kits? Does anyone know where to get them?

Did you try Birdhaven?

Pretty sure Chaffin's now carries them.

Thanks for the info!

Fun Projects made both adjustable and non-adjustable bearings. I believe John started with the latter and added the adjustable version for folks who thought they should have to adjust something.

Interesting Steve: I guess I never considered buying the non-adjustable bearing because I thought it somehow inferior to the adjustable type. This opens another question; which bearing do most prefer or recommend and why?

Have purchased modern pinion set up from Birdhaven (enclosed spool) and from Chaffins (open spool) and both are well made.

Have removed an 'adjustable' version, and didn't reuse it, as the adjusting shims (shown hanging ) really just push the pinion gear off the the taper of the drive shaft to obtain some mesh. IMO the shims meet no real need.


Gear worn shaft from being loose, note shims over the modern bearing.


Prefer to use without shims, can assemble easy and fit ring and pinion regular way.





Another option is the cartridge type, glued into the pinion housing, haven't used that type below:

http://www.texastparts.com/mm5/manuals/T2587-M.pdf

Never even considered installing the adjustable type. There is enough fussing getting the rear end setup without the additional work. I have installed two of the non adjustable type, worked fine.

The shims don't push the pinion further out on the taper. That is fixed. The shims move the position of the spool in relation to the pinion for setting depth of engagement. Once engagement is set, the spool position is locked with a collar. We (Bill Robinson and I) found this system very easy to set up to get a good ring and pinion setup. We use the gear lube RTV (gray) and no gasket between the spool and differential on assembly. That keeps the adjustment exactly as established.

After speaking with John Regan several years ago, I recently bought the adjustable kit 'just in case'. I started with a shim pack identified as "original set-up" and followed the instructions in the Rear Axle Restoration guide book. With new ring and pinion gears everything met book specs.

This was my first rebuild, but if I do another, I'll go with preset stock bearing kit. With the adjustable kit, because it is 'adjustable' there's a real temptation to adjust it, and that can misalign the bevel gears. With the pinion secured in the stock position, you bring the ring gear into correct mesh with the axle thrust washers, at least that is how it worked in my experience, YMMV, Respectfully, jb