How are your "Green axle bearings" holding up?

[b5blue]

  Green axle bearings, the ones that replace the factory set-up. I've put about 8 years and thousands of miles on mine with no issues. I jack the rear and check bearing play closely from time to time and even have a set of Mopar outboard axle bearing rebuild kits waiting for any hint of trouble.
  Other friends with Mopar knowledgeable repair shops report the same thing with no issues. So just wondering if any others have had real first hand experience (Not here-say.) with Green's?   

[c00nhunterjoe]

2009 on the set in the 63' lots of passes on them, plenty of street miles. 630 hp in the 426.
The 69 got the dana... 5 years ago now, cant recall exact. 90% street driving. Spool and slicks. Was a 4 speed, new engine is in the 700 horse range, lots of corners and abuse.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Ive had mine in since 1998...well over 25k miles on them...

[71charger_fan]

I had the housing and axles, but not the adjusters, so I used green bearings. That was in the '90s and still fine.

[Kern Dog]

I'm on my second set after about 11,000 miles.

[c00nhunterjoe]

I'm on my second set after about 11,000 miles.

You rebel... lol. What failed? And which style bearing do you have. The snap ring or the molded carrier?

[66FBCharger]

What are the pros and cons of using the Green bearings?

[John_Kunkel]

Most failures were of the original bearing with the attached flange, the newer "snap ring" type are better but I'd never use them.

Ball bearings simply can't handle the side loads (turning corners) like the tapered roller can.

[c00nhunterjoe]

Most failures were of the original bearing with the attached flange, the newer "snap ring" type are better but I'd never use them.

Ball bearings simply can't handle the side loads (turning corners) like the tapered roller can.

With the exception of hd pickups, everything today uses ball bearings. I beleive even hellcats and demons do. Not saying you should change your stock setup if its working fine, there is no reason to change unless you are making modifications that dictate it.

[Kern Dog]

I'm on my second set after about 11,000 miles.

You rebel... lol. What failed? And which style bearing do you have. The snap ring or the molded carrier?

Snap ring. They came with the Moser axles I bought in 2003 or 2004. They weren't making a LOT of noise but I was getting some squeaking and one was wobbly.

[Nacho-RT74]

Most failures were of the original bearing with the attached flange, the newer "snap ring" type are better but I'd never use them.

Ball bearings simply can't handle the side loads (turning corners) like the tapered roller can.

With the exception of hd pickups, everything today uses ball bearings. I beleive even hellcats and demons do. Not saying you should change your stock setup if its working fine, there is no reason to change unless you are making modifications that dictate it.

But I think those aren't press installed and get C clips on inner end, right? Just like any regular axle. Not the banjo pumkin kind.

[John_Kunkel]

With the exception of hd pickups, everything today uses ball bearings. I beleive even hellcats and demons do.

Yeah but they're factory designed, not a retrofit like the Greens.

[c00nhunterjoe]

I'm on my second set after about 11,000 miles.

You rebel... lol. What failed? And which style bearing do you have. The snap ring or the molded carrier?

Snap ring. They came with the Moser axles I bought in 2003 or 2004. They weren't making a LOT of noise but I was getting some squeaking and one was wobbly.

Moser... yuck. Never a good time with them.

[c00nhunterjoe]

Most failures were of the original bearing with the attached flange, the newer "snap ring" type are better but I'd never use them.

Ball bearings simply can't handle the side loads (turning corners) like the tapered roller can.

With the exception of hd pickups, everything today uses ball bearings. I beleive even hellcats and demons do. Not saying you should change your stock setup if its working fine, there is no reason to change unless you are making modifications that dictate it.

But I think those aren't press installed and get C clips on inner end, right? Just like any regular axle. Not the banjo pumkin kind.

Because c clips are the way to go...banned from the track on stickies.  But i hear your arguement.

[c00nhunterjoe]

With the exception of hd pickups, everything today uses ball bearings. I beleive even hellcats and demons do.

Yeah but they're factory designed, not a retrofit like the Greens.

And plenty of people run them without a failure. Again, not disputing the strength of the taped.

[white]

Have no problems with mine, installed in 2011, put 2,000 miles per year on them.

[b5blue]

  Thanks for all the feedback!

[John_Kunkel]

FWIW, in my 25+ years of surfing the Mopar web boards I've never seen a thread concerning failed factory taper bearings but have seen lots of threads on failed Greens.

[b5blue]

Long story short after many hard miles, (Trunk stuffed full of construction tools driving nasty job sights.) I got brindled races and switched to Greens. Hence this topic. 

[Birdflu]

Ball bearings simply can't handle the side loads (turning corners) like the tapered roller can.

Couldn't be any more accurate. One thing to keep in mind, current production vehicles that have inner axle retention (c-clips) are equipped with roller bearings NOT spherical ball bearings on the outer end. The roller only sees the weight of the vehicle and doesn't have to deal with side loads when cornering, the differential deals with that. Putting a spherical ball bearing on the outer end of an axle shaft is inferior to Chryslers original tapered design. The only argument a guy can make about their ultimate lifespan is that the classic cars we own are nowhere driven the amount they used to be. It may take someone 20 years to put enough seasonal miles on a pair of green bearings to see any amount of wear or complete failure. Green type bearings are wonderful on the drag strip and are easy to use as they don't require adjustment when installing. My cars will ALWAYS be running stock type tapered roller bearings. Now you have my .02!  

[John_Kunkel]

Long story short after many hard miles, (Trunk stuffed full of construction tools driving nasty job sights.) I got brindled races and switched to Greens. Hence this topic.  

You need to hone your shopping skills; Doc Diff gets the EXACT same price for the Greens and the stock tapered and the installation labor is the same.

[b5blue]

I've 2 Factory wheel bearing replacement kits (With all the goodies.) in my parts supply.    Like I said I could hear a slight growl on the right.

[tonyskala]

Hello folks... I am so confused on this.
I have a 68 Charger. I am in the process of doing a Pirate Jack 4 wheel disk brake conversion. I hate to say I worked more with GM and Ford Vehicles and this is my first classic Mopar.

So after a ton of cursing, pissing and moaning, 5 pound mallet whacks, I got the front completely done. I put new inner / outer tie rods, new idler arm, new pitman arm, new lower ball joints, new qa1 upper control arms, qa1 dynamic strut bar, new qa1 shocks, new lower control arm shafts and bushings, new adco 1-1/8 sway bar and bushings, strengthened the lower control arms, and got the new disk brakes on the front.

Now I am on to the rears. So one fella told me if you put disks on the back you need to use the green bearings. Then I found this thread. I plan to drive the living piss out of this car. 7-10k miles a year......Depending on gas prices.

I drive like a jerk. I mean like a real jerk. I usually drive my cars into the ground rendering them useless to future owners except for scrap metal value. Hard cornering, rapid acceleration and rapid braking. I am tough on my cars.

So

Am I being fed a line on green bearings being required for rear disks? I need something tough and able to take a pounding. Working on this Mopar has not been easy for me. Everything is so different than a GM or ford.... I was looking at the green bearings and I am not even sure how to pull them off if they fail and it sounds like the do fail. My experience on sealed bearings has not been positive.  If removing these things are anything like removing the lower control arm bushings I would almost rather sell the car than replace those again. I got this harbor freight 12 ton press and the thing burst on me while I was pushing out the bushings in the LCA. Fluid went all over my garage and the wife is pissed. So I really don't want to redo any of this again. I would prefer to do the tapered rear bearings if I can. Unless there is some overwhelming advantage to these green bearings or absolute requirement to use them.

[Mopar Nut]

Most rear disc kits do require green bearings, disc's can't tolerate side to side movement. Stick with drums if you don't want to mess with bearing replacement. You won't notice the difference between rear disks and drum brakes unless you use large rotors. The new green style bearings are much better than the older ones. Talk to Cass at Doctor Diff, he knows MoPar's, brakes and rest ends.

https://www.doctordiff.com/

What size rotors are you using in the front disc's?

[John_Kunkel]

Am I being fed a line on green bearings being required for rear disks?

Conventional wisdom say discs don't work well with the factory specified end play in the tapered bearings, but look at the front wheel tapered  bearings...they can be run with zero endplay and survive, so why not run the rear axle tapered bearings at zero end play?