OK, I have this 9 1/4 rear end out of a mid 70s Dodge truck (4 1/2" bolt pattern). Its been around here for many years, with the right brake drum off because the axle wobbles around, there are no rollers left in the right side bearing.

I have a use for the axle, so I ordered a new wheel bearing from NAPA ($48, cheaper then anyplace I saw on line). It is an "axle saver bearing" with the seal attached. It is suppose to set the bearing out closer to the flange of the axle so a slightly damaged axle can be reused. The instructions say it may sit outside the axle tube as much as 1/4".

I finally got the remains of the old bearing out, and got everything cleaned up. The right axle shaft is toast, so I have recruited another axle shaft (this one is nice). I've compared both axles and they are the same.

I had to drive the new bearing into the housing pretty hard, but its straight and seems to turn like a new bearing, and it is bottomed on the inside step. The bearing does sit 1/4" out of the axle tube.

When I installed the "new" axle shaft, as it started into the spider gear, it stopped moving about 1/8" in, it wouldn't go in or come back out. I had to pound on the axle flange to get it back out. I rechecked the axle dimensions, and did a shallow taper on the end of the axle with a file to be sure there were no burrs causing an issue. This round, I used a 3 lbs hammer and taped the axle end, and it went into the spider gears. Because the bearing sits out 1/4", the axle won't go in far enough to get the "C" clip on the axle, the bearing is bottoming out on the step up at the flange, and I can barley see the groove the "C" clip is suppose to sit in. I had an awful time getting the axle back out far enough to get the center shaft back between the spider gears.

There is currently no gear lube in the axle housing, so adding lube might change things. If I turn the driveshaft yoke, it feels nice and smooth and both axles will turn, but if I turn the axle shafts, the left side is nice and smooth, but the right side is tight, and pretty rough, it feels like its binding up as it rotates the spider gear, one place it takes a lot more effort to turn the spider gears, but it does make a full revolution.

I'm not getting that warm fuzzy feeling here. I've not done one of the "saver" bearings before, is the "press fit" suppose to hold the axle in place?
I'm concerned about not getting the axle "C" clip in, and I'm not feeling well about the rough turning/binding of the right side spider gear. Did I screw it up, or is this sort of normal with the axle saver bearings?

What do you guys think? Gene

I only recall a flea market maxivan, always waaay loaded, with both axles worn deep from rollers digging into shaft and we sold him new shafts and bearings. I have never tried any axle saver bearings so I can't help. Something sure sounds funky though. That shaft should push nice all the way till you can drop "C" clip right in.

Not sure I`m reading this right. If you got another axle why do you need a axle saver bearing and not use the original type bearing?

The axle saver bearing was in hand. The guy at NAPA implied that it was the only premium bearing they could get, the other bearing they could order was the low line bearing priced at $12, and that didn't sound appealing to me. On top of that any other bearing would have been another special order.

In hindsight, I'm wondering if the issue isn't a problem with the spider gear. Could it have gotten damaged if the truck was driven a lot with no rollers left on the wheel bearing?

Maybe I screwed something up with the spider gear alignment while the axle was out. The wheel bearing just rides on the axle shaft, there is nothing that can be a press fit between the axle and the bearing. I believe my problem is with the spider gear, and I don't see how I could have gotten the axle shaft in far enough to put the "C" clip in, but maybe if the axle would have slid in easily, maybe I could have pushed it in far enough to install the "C" clip.

I'll probably screw everything up taking it apart again, but I can't go with it like it is.

If I have somehow gotten the spider gear out of position, how do I get it lined back up? Gene