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#446682 - 09/04/07 10:47 PM
Do it Yourself Wheel Bearings?
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Brian_Heil
Member
Registered: 12/30/05
Posts: 84
Loc: Fenton, Michigan
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OK, a number of us have tried to find the front ball bearing type wheel bearings for 1920's Buicks with little or no success, me included. If someone is sitting on a pile of them, they aren't giving in. These same people have bought up all the good cheap cigars and bourbon too.
In my case, the inner and outer cups are in good shape, it's just my balls that have a few chips and cracks (Mark Shaw will have a Field Day with that comment)but the retainer or sometimes called 'race' that holds the balls is fine too.
The engineer in me says I should be able to purchase new, loose, ball bearings of the correct diameter (after measuring several of my good ones) and carefully remove the old worn balls from the race and install the new ones. The assumption is I don't mangle the race in the process.
What say yee fellow Buick-ites?
A brief comment on the rear wheel bearings for at least a 1923 while I'm at it. They are a standard double row ball bearing off-the-shelf at the local machine/bearing supply house. Early ball bearings where all German and hence metric and still that way today and these early bearing sizes are still the main family / size of bearings in use. I got mine at wholesale cost by giving the counter clerks at the bearing supply house a ride in the Buick, noisy bearings and all. They thought they had gone to old car heaven. Don't pay triple the cost for these bearings from 'an old car bearing source'. He just buys them from the corner just like you can for 1/3rd his price.
Reminder, that big honkin' nut that holds the rear bearing on is left-hand thread on the left side of the car. And no need to pull the wheel hub off the axle shaft inside the hub cap on a '23 (that;s a lefty too on the left side), just remove the six acorn nuts on the outside of the hub and pull the whole hub and shaft out as an assembly. Ah, the joy of free floating axles and no retainer clips inside the differential.
_________________________
Brian Heil BCA#26034 Buicktown Chapter BCA PWD Regional Director 2008 PWD After Tour Chairman 1923 Model 45 Fenton, Michigan BTHLodger@aol.com
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#446717 - 09/05/07 06:13 AM
Re: Do it Yourself Wheel Bearings?
[Re: Brian_Heil]
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Restorer32
Member
Registered: 07/25/02
Posts: 1902
Loc: South Central Pa.
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You can purchase high precision bearing balls from McMaster Carr Supply in sizes from 1/16" to 1".
_________________________
1932 Packard 900 Conv Cpe
1933 Packard Coupe Sedan
1955 Jaguar XK-140 Drophead
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#446978 - 09/06/07 12:10 PM
Re: Do it Yourself Wheel Bearings?
[Re: Brian_Heil]
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Mark Shaw
Member
Registered: 06/08/05
Posts: 930
Loc: Vancouver, WA
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Brian,
Years ago, my dad had new bearings machined to fit my 1913 Buick. The races were very hard to machine, so I think they were "re-ground" to fit. I have a coffee can of bearing balls from old bearings that I have pulled from several cars. Tell me what size you need & I will try to match.
Obviously, my balls may be bigger than yours.....
_________________________
Mark Shaw
BCA PWD Director
HCCA Member (Skagit & Portland)
1913 Model 31 Touring
1915 Model C-25 "Speedster"
1924 Model 45 "Roadster Truck"
1929 Model 29-27 Sedan (Now my son's car)
1931 Model 57 Sedan
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#447035 - 09/06/07 03:55 PM
Re: Do it Yourself Wheel Bearings?
[Re: Restorer32]
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Bhigdog
Member
Registered: 10/23/01
Posts: 1466
Loc: Eastern PA
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Most any bearing distributor has loose balls hanging around.......Bob
_________________________
Bob Beck
39 Chev PU
69 big block Corvette
55 Buick 66C
57 Buick 46C
55 Olds S-88
56 Chrysler St. Regis
AACA, BCA, WPC, USHGA
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#447132 - 09/07/07 03:20 AM
Re: Do it Yourself Wheel Bearings?
[Re: Bhigdog]
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29 tourer
Member
Registered: 06/24/05
Posts: 193
Loc: Western Australia
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Does your ball race have a manufacturer and a number stamped on it.
Ken. ( aka Rooster )
1929
(1954 I)
_________________________
Ken
1929 Tourer model 25
1954 Roadmaster Riviera model 76R ( Irene)
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#447631 - 09/09/07 10:51 AM
Re: Do it Yourself Wheel Bearings?
[Re: 29 tourer]
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Brian_Heil
Member
Registered: 12/30/05
Posts: 84
Loc: Fenton, Michigan
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The inner cones and outer races are perfect and must be hard as heck. I'll opt for new balls (thanks any way Mark)and see if I can keep from messing up the retainers/keepers that hold them. Will keep you all posted.
_________________________
Brian Heil BCA#26034 Buicktown Chapter BCA PWD Regional Director 2008 PWD After Tour Chairman 1923 Model 45 Fenton, Michigan BTHLodger@aol.com
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#448167 - 09/11/07 02:41 PM
Re: Do it Yourself Wheel Bearings?
[Re: Brian_Heil]
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rlbleeker
Member
Registered: 06/13/02
Posts: 200
Loc: Spokane, WA
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My 1916 has standard tapered roller bearings in the front. Should be a fairly simple conversion I'd think. Is that frowned upon?
_________________________
BCA#43402
ROA#11563
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#449376 - 09/17/07 11:24 AM
Re: Do it Yourself Wheel Bearings?
[Re: Taco]
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mlander
Member
Registered: 08/05/06
Posts: 208
Loc: California
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Quote from Taco;
I think you can't just put new balls in an old bearing. Everything in the bearing has become bad I think.
Can we replace the old ball bearings for roller bearings?
Gr.
Taco.
I spent several hours yesterday trying to do the very thing you seem to propose, that is replacing ball bearing with tapered roller bearing but have failed to come to a good or even a bad decision. Since Hyatt of the old GM is now in the hand of the Chinese it leaves a quandary of decisions. Of just how to find the proper bearing number transposing using SWENSKA KUGELLAGER FABRIK numbers to old American numbers or possibly have a catalog and some good help from the Swedish factory engineers. Let us hope that SKF is not in the hands of the Chinese!!!
One must have either or both of the following;
# 1, The numbers off the old bearings.
# 2, The sizes of, Width of the race, the Inside Diameter, the Outside Diameter. A picture of the bearing might help.
A least that might be a very good start. I didn’t go Fifnir, Timken or any other, why I don’t know! Probably the best choice is Timken.
http://www.skf.com/portal/skf/home/products
M. L. Anderson
Edited by mlander (09/19/07 10:50 AM)
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#503780 - 04/20/08 06:45 PM
Re: Do it Yourself Wheel Bearings?
[Re: mlander]
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Brian_Heil
Member
Registered: 12/30/05
Posts: 84
Loc: Fenton, Michigan
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Well, here it is Spring of '08 and time replace the bad ball bearings in my front wheel bearings.
The smaller diameter outboard balls and races were/are perfect so they got re-packed.
The larger diameter (0.750 in) inner balls were/are the problem with a number of them spalled with sub-surface fatigue areas.
Ordering the 0.750 dia. balls from McMaster was easy and not bad for a bag of 25, only a few dollars.
Pushing the old balls out of the race/cage was not too bad but be careful, the cages are razor sharp after a few million revolutions of the balls rubbing on them.
The hardest part was pulling out the felt grease seal retainer without damaging it so it could be re-used.
$12 and an hour labor and I'm back on the road. This should work well since I've been running on these bad balls since I bought the car and have been 'watching' them and 'packing' them each year because of my concern. (there was no change in their condition as in getting worse in 12 years and 20,000 mile, but now I feel better.) As easy as it was, I should have done it sooner.
The inner and outer races must be really hard because they are still perfect. I also cleaned everything really well since the spalled ball material had to be in there.
_________________________
Brian Heil BCA#26034 Buicktown Chapter BCA PWD Regional Director 2008 PWD After Tour Chairman 1923 Model 45 Fenton, Michigan BTHLodger@aol.com
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#503895 - 04/21/08 08:34 AM
Re: Do it Yourself Wheel Bearings?
[Re: Brian_Heil]
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Roger Walling
Member
Registered: 11/17/04
Posts: 345
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Brian, Is the .750 a typo? 3/4" balls are realy big!
Did you try and purchace something at a bearing specialty store? I have found that you can almost always get something to fit most anything there.
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#503915 - 04/21/08 09:43 AM
Re: Do it Yourself Wheel Bearings?
[Re: Roger Walling]
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jbbuick22
Member
Registered: 12/27/00
Posts: 112
Loc: Sherborn MA USA
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A note on the rear wheel brgs. there are two different sizes used ont early 6cyl models. the long wheelbase ones
(48,49,50,54,and 55 use a larger bearing than the short wheelbase, also the brake drums are larger as well.
I have heard of many cars using modern roller brgs on the
front, I don't know if machining is necessary.
If just replacing the balls works great,but check them often
for any signs of wear.
JB
22-6-55 Sport Touring
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#504321 - 04/22/08 02:08 PM
Re: Do it Yourself Wheel Bearings?
[Re: 1DandyDaves]
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Brian_Heil
Member
Registered: 12/30/05
Posts: 84
Loc: Fenton, Michigan
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3/4 in. balls is not a typo.
(Outer race has 5/8 in.)
Tapered is the way to go Dave, I've seen this done often and if my races/cones were messed up, I would have done the same.
They way I see it, if the spalled balls didn't tear up the races in 20,000 miles of being bad, these new balls won't. I'll still keep an eye on them.
_________________________
Brian Heil BCA#26034 Buicktown Chapter BCA PWD Regional Director 2008 PWD After Tour Chairman 1923 Model 45 Fenton, Michigan BTHLodger@aol.com
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Dandy Dave!
