How to enlarge ID of bearing?

I've cut my column jacket back to the firewall (originally a PS car. Now have manual box and Flaming River U-joint/extension). I bought an "ER-16" bearing that is supposed to work for the lower shaft support... but it won't go on the shaft!

After cleaning up all the crud and rust, and polishing with emery paper, the shaft is 1.005" in diameter. I couldn't even drive the new bearing onto it! So I spent considerable time trying to enlarge the bearing ID with a brake cylinder hone in my drill press. I also tried wrapping emery paper around the stones and running that in and out for a while. I didn't measure the ID before I started, but it's now 1.0025 and still won't go on

I can't heat the bearing race because it's a sealed assembly with rubber seals.

Sanding down the shaft instead isn't a good option because it's hard to reach the place where the bearing will sit (just inside the jacket). I really don't want to take the column apart again (it was enough trouble when I removed the column shift parts and reworked the collar to remove the pointer and shifter nub).

And it does not have to be an interference fit because there are two set screws on the bearing to secure it to the shaft.

I'm considering taking it to a machine shop. Is there some grinding tool they would have, to enlarge it to 1.006 for a slip fit?
Or should I just bite the bullet and disassemble the column, and make the (non-hardened) shaft smaller instead?

Believe it or not the sanding drums that come with a dremel tool will do it. I make rearend setup bearings and use those.

I better add that I have only used dremel brand in a mototool on high speed. Harbor freight junk in a drill may or may not work. 60 grit flap wheels also work if you can find a small one.

Picture of the bearing?

A brake hone with coarse stones should have made quick work of that !! Best done in a bath of solvent to keep the stones clear to cut. Also, don't run the drill too fast.

I would have thought so too... the stones are probably fine, and it's a cheap one.
That entire piece (collar and inner race) is very hard, too.

My Dremel is the real thing, nearly 40 years old and little used... will look and see if I have any sanding rolls!

I agree with that. Setting that up in a lathe with a tool post grinder and taking off less than 0.002" per side is not super easy. I would recommend a hone to open it up, but being a bearing I would use liberal wd40 and keep the fluid out of the bearing.

I’ve had a couple of sets of setup bearings honed out for a slip fit for 8 3/4 pinion bearings. They are not easy to hone. That is hard stuff and hard to hold the inside of the bearing. They used a rod machine.

You could dick around for days with that bearing. You're probably further ahead to pull the shaft and do a quick grind on it being that its softer material.

I've had some luck heating bearings (increasing the ID) by placing on an open trouble light with an old school 100W bulb. Turn after a couple of minutes per side. Not hot enough to melt rubber in my case. Your results may vary.

Any automotive machine shop has a Sunnen rod hone. He has a .990" mandrel for BBC piston pins. He can hone it out for you in a few minutes.

I used that bearing too. I just sanded the steering shaft so the bearing would slide on.

If you ever have to replace the bearing for any reason, you'll be going through this malarkey again. Decreasing the shaft diameter solves the problem now and in the future.

Google how to make setup bearings. I screwed around for days with a hone and the like, ruined the stones and never got the bearings to slide on the carrier. 5 minutes each with a dremel roll and .002 was out of them. I did not believe it either until I tried it.

Success Thanks for the hot tip, 4406bbl

I wouldn't have believed it either... so I tried it
A couple minutes back and forth, round and round with a 1/2" sanding roll and opened it right up to 1.006

It went on the shaft like butter! Saved me a trip to a machine shop... thanks again.

Good to hear, just passing on a tip someone gave me. I still can't believe it works, and 1 roll will do 4-6 big bearings, while stones are destroyed because the bearing is so hard. It has saved my rear on machinery repair when the new shafts ordered come in .002-.005 to big, no need to wait for a machine shop.

Wow. I have to thank 4406bbl also. Bearing races are harder than the hubs of hell. I would never have guessed that would work.

What’s a Dremel roll?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mA_benkfF4

I use sanding rolls from Menard's with my die grinder. Bag of rolls was like $7 and the arbor was a buck at a swap meet.