Pumpkin picking

[Johnnyb]

I’d but new axles if the existing axles that need bearings, are original. It’s only a couple $ more. You never know when those 45 year old axles are gonna snap.

Mark.

I never realized how cheap axles had actually gotten. I'm inclined to agree: get new axles! I really like the idea of upgrading to tapered bearings as well.

Quick story: one time cruising about 65 miles an hour outside of Ely Nevada, I watched my driver's side rear wheel pass me on the highway. A split second later, the EB settled down on the backing plate and was very hard to control for about 200 yards, then it ground to a stop in the middle of US highway 50 between Ely and great basin national Park. Not that there was much traffic, but it turns out you can throw it in four-wheel drive and pull it off the road. This is a big bearing 31 spline axle as well. Four days in a seedy hotel later, a new axle and backing plate arrived and I was on my way with nothing more than a bent rear fender. I seem to recall that in the '90s, a single 31 spline axle was 300 plus dollars. To this day, I have wondered about the other axle, through many bearing replacements.

Now I think I'll just order two new ones with tapered bearings!



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[Seventee]

You never know what you're going to find. I lost a bearing the weekend before I had a 3-day ride scheduled. This is what I found when I pulled the axles and chiseled off the bearing remnants:





At some point a PO musta had a bearing fail which damaged the shaft. So it was knurled and a speedy-type sleeve installed with the bearing. %)

By the time I tried to round up a stock or used shaft, and pay a local shop to press on new bearings, I wasn't too far short of buying new w/bearings already installed. Jim @ WH hooked me up on a heavy duty set, got them shipped out, and I was able to slide everything back together the night before leaving town. Easy peasy.

So, if you need to remove the third member, it's worth the extra step to pull the shafts and inspect everything.

 

[chrlsful]

Quick story: one time cruising about 65 miles an hour outside of Ely Nevada, I watched my driver's side rear wheel pass me on the highway. A split second later, the EB settled down on the backing plate and was very hard to control for about 200 yards, then it ground to a stop in the middle of US highway 50 between Ely and great basin national Park. Not that there was much traffic, but it turns out you can throw it in four-wheel drive and pull it off the road.

1976 (Bicentennial) same happened to me on the hill south as entering Tonapah (rt95) ona late July day. As a kid from the Nor'east I expected to die in the desert. Very long story but...
1 wk, 5 d later bering in ona Greyhound. Never so happy to get back on the road as then. Went directly to lone mt or pilot peak - some mile hi sand dune outside of twn & smoked the Thai weed ( buds tied ona bamboo) my gracious host the last wks gave me for the rd out. 50 yrs ago but I still remember my feeling of relief as that bearing slid further’n further onto the axel...