MTFCA Forum

I pulled apart my spare torque tube and was encouraged by what I measured. The front bushing had been replaced and the clearance between it and the driveshaft was less than .001”. The shaft had .001” of wear compared to the adjacent diameter that was not in contact with the bushing so I suspect the bushing was reamed to fit. So far so good. I cleaned and mic’d the bearing rollers. They should be .562” but .002” under is acceptable according to Glen’s book. The rollers measured .560” to .561” near the front but many rollers were down to .558” (.004” under) near the pinion gear where forces are greatest. I have not measured the spool I.D. yet. I still need to check the bearing fit with the cleaned spool over the bearing. If that does not reveal bearing clearance problems, does this bearing still need to be replaced?

I was planning to install a sealed bearing in my car's torque tube until I discovered the condition of my spare. It's better than the worn out junk in my car. I think I'll go ahead with the FP bearing in the spare and not regret a what-if.

I would definitely run that one! However, the FP version is no doubt the best way to go.

I agree that the FP bearing set up is the way to go for a replacement. One of the best upgrades for a T you can do.

I am going to ask a stupid question.
What is the FP version?

Your can't find out how much wear there is, until you mike the rollers. Just looking at it accomplishes nothing.

He did mic the rollers. The info is in the original post. Read it and offer an opinion...

I am going to replace my torque tube and driveshaft with my spare after some refurb and paint. Should I replace my driveshaft bushing? The only “problem” I see with it is that it is babbitt. Based on what I’ve seen in my spare rear axle and torque tube, they were rebuilt not long before they were taken out of service. The bushing-to-driveshaft clearance is like new. I can barely see any needle movement on my dial indicator when I wiggle the driveshaft. I believe there is no more than .0005” clearance. The machined diameter of the driveshaft measures .998” where it is not in contact with the bushing. It measures .997” at the bushing. That means the babbitt bushing is sized to the .997” shaft. Are the replacement brass bushings reamed for 1.000” driveshafts? I am afraid that I will end up with .003” shaft-to-bushing clearance. That is not bad but not as good as what I have now.

If my babbitt bushing is a later replacement, should I replace it or keep it. I have Glen’s rear axle book and it clearly states that a babbitt bushing should be replaced no matter how good it looks.

Thoughts on the subject?

If my babbitt bushing is a later replacement...

These thirty-year-old NOS tires look brand new. These 90-year-old NOS cotton band linings look perfect. This NOS Babbitt thrust washer looks good to go.

Some materials are very stable for decades, or even centuries. Some are not.