Green bearing slipping off of 8 3/4 axle

[idahogrumpy]

       I need a little input here guys, gals. We have a Mopar 8 3/4 rear end equipped with 4:56 gears, Clutch type sure grip, and Dutchman after market axles with green bearings. This is installed into a 12.10 second automatic trans Mopar with Hoosier street tires. The car is street driven and drag raced at the strip regularly.
     
      The right rear axle has moved 7/8 of a inch outward which in turn disengaged the axle from the spline of the differential. The axles were installed new 18 month's ago. Further inspection has not given us the answer as to why this happened. The car is not used for fast cornering what so ever as it is set up for drag racing.

      We made a call to Dutchman about this and they said that either the housing was bent or the axle was bent and that was what caused the bearing to slip on the axle shaft. Does that sound correct? What do you think?
The car ran fine with the stock axle & bearing configuration for three years prior to axle change. The stock axles were starting to show some twist, that was the reason for the upgrade... ?      Thanks   Kyle

[resq302]

your axle was only into the center chunk 7/8"?  I would think it has to have more contact than that?  also, wouldnt the bearing retainer plate hold the axle in place?  Something doesnt sound right, either the axles are too small of a diameter in thickness or someone sold you the wrong bearings.

[John_Kunkel]

Does the bearing have a retaining collar installed inboard of the bearing? If the fit of both the collar and the bearing is loose enough to allow axle movement the axle was made too small, Dutchman is trying to weasel out.

Full spline engagement is about 1 3/8" but the side gears in each side of the Sure-Grip are two separate pieces so the axle only needs to disengage the inner part to lose drive function.

[BrianShaughnessy]

Greenies are held in by a collar.   They also suck.   There's 2 different versions.   Either the snap ring types or the nonadjustables...  see the summit listing. http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?N=700+400256+4294848677+115+4294902583  .  Do not pay extra for the MP version which are just repackaged non snap ring types.   Dr. Diff recommends the snap ring type.     

Anyway, I'm on my 3rd on the driver side in about 5 years.   2nd on pass. side.

They're fine for a drag car... saves a lot of hassle.  But they don't last all that long on the street if you're actually going around curves.     

Back to the original problem...   I'd order up a new set of bearings and replace that side.   And keep the other handy for the next time.

If I could go back in time I'd get Torino bearings /  Ford ends on my housing.

[idahogrumpy]

       John, no bearing retainer on either side, just the pressed on bearing. Some one has suggested that we install a retainer along with the bearing, I will have to see if there is room for a retaining collar when assembled.
     
        No opinion on the bent housing or axle? I would really like to know why this happened.
       
         Thanks for the response. Kyle

[RD]

funny.. i have had them on my car for 6 years without any issues.

[John_Kunkel]

If there are no retaining collars installed with the bearings somebody screwed up, as you can see in the link below the collars are supplied with both versions of the Green bearing.

http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/rearaxbearki.html

The notion that a bent axle or housing would make a properly installed bearing come loose in nonsense IMHO.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

funny.. i have had them on my car for 6 years without any issues.

Mine have been in there for 10 years...maybe 10k miles

[bill440rt]

funny.. i have had them on my car for 6 years without any issues.

Mine have been in there for 10 years...maybe 10k miles

Me too!! Well, I can't say 10K miles, but probably almost that long. They are the MP ones, as well.

[Rob R]

I've always put a tack of weld on the brg collar...When the housing is bent it usually pushes the whole brg out of the alxe housing  it sounds like the axle shaft it's self is under sized and allowing the axle to walk out of the brg.A slight bend in the housing might be culpable in this instance but a quick tack of weld might go a long way here

[idahogrumpy]

UPDATE---- Upon further conversations with Dutchman due directly from the input from this sight we were asked to email them a picture of the axle. With in ten minutes they called and apologized to us for not putting on the lock collars.    They told my friend that some would be sent out right away and to just press the bearing back in place and install the collars.
     I bought axles from Dutchman and now I'm worried about mine. I will pull my axles this weekend and have a looksy. I can not remember if they had the collars or not. Any way thanks again,,, Kyle