My orignal post was a response to this quote:

"A tapered Timken bearing is a beautiful engineering masterpiece."

I don't agree an adjustable Set 7 bearing is an "engineering masterpiece". I think it is a mediocre design, which is needlessly complicated and it causes several problems which I listed.

I am explaining if the "engineer" would have flipped the set 7 bearings around like the set 20 tapered units available in Ford rearends, several problems would have been avoided.

Whenever I sell an axle package, I always ask the customer if he wants the axles stock length, or if he wants to remove the thrust block so I can make the axles 1/8" longer to acheive maximum spline engagement for his vintage, narrow side gears. If I didn't think this was important, I wouldn't mention it.

I really do have a bucket half full of stripped out side gears with partial spline engagement. If Dennis has a bucket full of broken Green wheel berings, I bet they are the troublesome RP-400 first generation units with the crimped on flange still sold through Mopar Performance. The bind created causes the bearing to wear out quickly or the retainer breaks off when installed in a housing that isn't perfectly straight. I have never endorsed that bearing, and I only recommend tapered bearings for trucks. "Application is everything".

You didn't recommend installing TurboHydros if someone has problems with TF transmissions just like I don't recommend installing Ford 9" rearends if someone has a problem adjusting their Mopar wheel bearings.

You imply I never machine a new axle to work with adjustable wheel bearings. I have probably done more than most other drivetrain guys. In fact, I did a set today.

It is not a matter of "trying math", it is a matter of getting an accurate measurement on a customer's custom housing, which is not in front of me. How do I even know if it is narrowed evenly on both sides? Tolerances don't have to be off very far to create minimal spline engagement on 1 side.

In addition,(once again) "most people don't want to pay me more to put used adjusters on new axles and to blueprint the axle lengths."

I would guess the reason new adjusters are not available, is because most people don't have problems with snap ring style green bearings.