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Why do we have a bearing retainer on the rear axles if it's a tapered bearing? The retainer isn't even up against the bearing. Just a PITA when a seal goes bad.
Bearing retainers? Why?
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1,754 Posts
Without the bearing retainer, (the ring that gets pressed on after the bearing), the axle would slide out of the inner race.
The ring is an interference fit on the axle, to such a degree that it distorts a little when pressed on. The bearing inner race is too hard, and cannot be so distorted.
I'm pretty sure the bearing is pressed on up to a shoulder, and the retainer is pressed on against the inner race.
Have you seen it to be different?
The ring is an interference fit on the axle, to such a degree that it distorts a little when pressed on. The bearing inner race is too hard, and cannot be so distorted.
I'm pretty sure the bearing is pressed on up to a shoulder, and the retainer is pressed on against the inner race.
Have you seen it to be different?
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1,671 Posts
My bearing retainer is not pressed on against the bearing. The bearing has play in it. Roughly 1/16-1/8" of play on the axle. 4 bolts hold the axle in.
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1,720 Posts
You DON'T have a retainer on your axle?
Should look like this:
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See that ring next to the bearing, to the right? If you don't have that your bearing will fall off...
Should look like this:
See that ring next to the bearing, to the right? If you don't have that your bearing will fall off...
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1,754 Posts
The 4 bolts and plate hold the bearing in. The retainer ring holds the axle in the bearing.
How much space is there between the bearing and the retainer ring, on your axle?
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1,671 Posts
Seems to be that the 4 bolts seat the bearing on the race inside the axle tube.You DON'T have a retainer on your axle?
Should look like this:
![]()
See that ring next to the bearing, to the right? If you don't have that your bearing will fall off...
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The retainer slides through the bearing race. It can't hold the axle in place.
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How? It slides through the race. If the plate with the 4 bolt fails, your axle is coming out.
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451 Posts
Yes. But providing the retaining plate is not failed that retainer isn't sliding through there. The race could never hold the axle in anyway. The race would pull right out.
If the bearing seizes and you spin the bearing that retaining ring will keep it on the axle so the plate can keep the axle held in.
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1,671 Posts
Gotcha! Thanks! Hiding in plain sight! Lol
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11,420 Posts
Well technically, that's not true because you have rear disc brakes. The caliper and rotor will keep it from coming out unlike a drum brake application...but the bearing retainer keeps the axle from trying to walk out, yes. If it fails..you're going to have to do something about it pretty quickly, however you'd probably have more problems than just that if you managed to destroy that somehow. It provides enough tension on the tapered bearing against race to let it spin freely..but not too much that the race wants to spin in the housing [destroying the housing].
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Yes, I get the brakes and rotor thing. And I also now get if the bearing was to compltely fail and wanted to spin off the axle the retainer is there for a back stop per say.
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1,754 Posts
Yes, the plate is what holds it all together.
The retainer ring slides through the outer race, but it's what holds the inner race in place on the axle. The retainer ring keeps the axle from sliding through the inner race. That's why it's called a retainer ring.
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1,671 Posts
It just seems like a lot of load for that plate with the 4 bolts.
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1,754 Posts
Some axle shafts are held in place with only a little c-clip on the inner end.
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1,671 Posts
I am familiar with this setup. Never really paid attention to the JK setup til this weekend and staired at it thinking, this is corky!
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I guess better than having to take the dif cover off to get the axles out.
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They've been doing it that way for years. My 1972 Plymouth is essentially the same setup..it's nothing new.
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