Question about front axle end bushings. |
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srlbotanical
Member Joined: 03 July 2017 Location: Saranac MI Status: Offline Points: 395 |
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Posted: 03 Jan. 2018 at 1:22am |
I posted this in my build thread, but thought I'd get a quicker answer here.
I have the steering knuckles off and I have a question about the axle end bushings.Once I had everything cleaned up, I noticed a pretty significant difference between the two side.
The drivers side looks great. This side had the original bendix axle shaft and the axle tube bushing looks great. I have a new spicer style axle shaft to replace the well worn bendix and I think I'm good to run it as is on this side. The passenger side doesn't look as good. This side had a spicer style shaft in it already. This is my theory: At some point in the past, the original bendix joint broke apart and spun around inside the knuckle for a while. That's why there is an updated spicer shaft and that's why this axle tube bushing is almost totally gone. You can also see some marks around the inside of the housing where metal shards must have spun a bit... Thoughts? Do I need to get a new axle tube bushing for this side if I'm running a spicer shaft? I'd appreciate some input. Thanks! Steve |
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Steve
1948 CJ2A - The Good Dog 1997 TJ - The Trail Rig 2001 XJ - The kids ride |
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wadoyado
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 29 Sep. 2016 Location: Mi. Status: Offline Points: 728 |
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Steve, there's a lot of people on this site that are better able to answer your questions than me but I have an extra set if needed(bought in a parts lot on e-bay) yours for the asking. Joe
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"It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the jeep you've been driving all your life" (Mickey Mantle paraphrase)
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srlbotanical
Member Joined: 03 July 2017 Location: Saranac MI Status: Offline Points: 395 |
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Thanks Joe, but I am going with spicer shafts on both sides, so my bendix shaft will be retired to the parts shelf. I also think I figured out my question. I don't think the axle bushing matters with a spicer shaft. I added a new spicer style bushing to the spindle. Looking at the two shafts side by side (Bendix on the bottom of the picture, spicer on top) I realized that only the outer (left side in pic) part of the shaft is machined for a bushing. That's what rides in the flange. The inner side (right) is only machined on the bendix shaft, hence the need for the axle bushing. The spicer shaft eliminated the machining on the inner side, so I shouldn't need to worry about the inner bushing. I'm I processing this correctly? Anyone?
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Steve
1948 CJ2A - The Good Dog 1997 TJ - The Trail Rig 2001 XJ - The kids ride |
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SE Kansas 46 CJ-2A
Member Sponsor Member x 3 Joined: 22 Jan. 2016 Location: S.E. Kansas Status: Offline Points: 3190 |
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The Spicer style shaft requires the flanged Spicer-style bushing in the spindle. The flange style bushing limits the end float of the Spicer style shaft. The Bendix style doesn't use the flange because the end float is controlled by the outer axle shaft butting up against the back side of the drive flange, or in the case of a locking hub, the back side of the inner gear. The Bendix style axle shaft is held tight against the back side of the drive flange or inner gear of a hub lock by the axle nut. Since the Spicer style axle is held in place by a snap ring, it needs a flanged bushing to limit outward float of the axle.
If the Spicer style axle is used without a flanged bushing, the axle shaft can contact the backside of the spindle and cause premature wear to the spindle and/or the outer axle yoke. The flanged bushing gives the Spicer style axle shaft something to bear against. The original Spicer part number for the flanged bushing is 18174 and the same bushing was used on all Model 25, 27, 30, and 44F closed knuckle axles through 1975. The 44HDF axle used a larger version of the flanged bushing. Hope this helps and is clear enough to understand. |
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46 CJ-2A #64462 "Ol' Red" (bought April 1969)(second owner)(12 V, 11" brakes, M-38 frame, MD Juan tub)
U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer(ret.) U.S. Army Vietnam veteran and damned proud of it. |
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srlbotanical
Member Joined: 03 July 2017 Location: Saranac MI Status: Offline Points: 395 |
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Yep, I am all set on the spindle side of things, both spindles now have the flanged bushing installed as in the picture above. I was questioning the Inner bushing, the one that's pressed into the axle tube inside the knuckle. I don't believe the spicer shaft needs that bushing. Does that make sense? I hope I'm explaining that clearly.
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Steve
1948 CJ2A - The Good Dog 1997 TJ - The Trail Rig 2001 XJ - The kids ride |
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smfulle
Member Sponsor Member Joined: 16 Sep. 2010 Location: Ogden, Utah Status: Offline Points: 6141 |
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Read through this posting by Sean on the different types of shafts and their required bushings. According to Sean the Spicer shafts do not require that bushing in the end of the tube.
I can’t see what it would hurt though. |
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SE Kansas 46 CJ-2A
Member Sponsor Member x 3 Joined: 22 Jan. 2016 Location: S.E. Kansas Status: Offline Points: 3190 |
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The Spicer style shaft does not require an inner bushing because the end float of the axle is controlled by a snap ring at the outer end of the shaft. Leaving the inner bushing in won't hurt anything as Stan suggests.
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46 CJ-2A #64462 "Ol' Red" (bought April 1969)(second owner)(12 V, 11" brakes, M-38 frame, MD Juan tub)
U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer(ret.) U.S. Army Vietnam veteran and damned proud of it. |
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srlbotanical
Member Joined: 03 July 2017 Location: Saranac MI Status: Offline Points: 395 |
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Thanks Guys.
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Steve
1948 CJ2A - The Good Dog 1997 TJ - The Trail Rig 2001 XJ - The kids ride |
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