C-1 Rear axle spacer source

[David B.]

Hello,

Can someone recommend a source for the 0.100" spacers for C-1 rear axle bearings? I have a 57 banjo, adding a 58 posi rear, using the non-posi axles, and new RW307R bearings. Based on my reading of the archives here, it seems I need to use spacers with these bearings?

Thanks,
David

[James F.]

Re: C-1 Rear axle spacer source- David

David,
I know of no source for the .100 retainer (I'll call this ring a bearing retainer when used with the '56-'57 rear axle bearing. For this truly is it's purpose, to prevent the axle from sliding out! A very early "Corvette News" recommends for racing,this ring be tack welded to the axle in three places! Unless you intend to SACC race, etc, etc don't do this. The retaining ring is included with the NAPA bearing RW707 ER for '56-'57 rear axle bearing.

I too added 3.80 '58 positraction and gears into my '56 center section. The length of the '56-57 axles may require shortening. Regards,

[John M.]

Re: C-1 Rear axle spacer source- David

Jim,
I think that he is looking for the spacer that goes behind the bearing in the housing. The original bearings were only .90" thick and the housing was a full 1.00" deep. I believe however, that all the current bearings avaialable are a full 1.00" thick, and should not require them. I had a couple of sets, but gave them to Dale Pearman several years ago so he could use some NOS bearings that he had. You can also just try a bearing house, they can probably get you some, or put a couple of .050 spacers together to get the required distance.

Regards, John McGraw

[David B.]

C-1 Rear axle spacer source (Jim and John McG)

Jim and John,

Thank you both for your replies. I am looking for the spacer that goes behind the bearing in the housing as John said. I have the bearing retainers that you referred to Jim. The replacement bearings I got measure at .905". I offloaded about 3 pages of historical comments on this board regarding the matter and it seems that I should be shimming the bearing to full depth of 1.00. (BTW - I don't know if you guys realize how much your knowledge is appreciated here.) I will take your suggestion John and try to locate some spacers at a parts house.

If I may ask John, are you still of the opinion that the bearing should be modified to open it to the differential oil by removing the inboard seal and putting it in the place of the outboard dust cap? I read something like that in an old post, and saw that there was some debate on the issue.

Also, is it necessary in your opinions to switch to posi axles? I see that they are about 1/4" longer than the non-posi. I assume it was done to give a little more tooth area in the splines for power transfer for the posi version? Although I dont know if the spline length dimension is different between the two versions.

Thanks,
David

[John M.]

Re: C-1 Rear axle spacer source (Jim and John McG)

David,
Yes, I think that that will yeild a longer life on the bearing, but the point is probably moot since most C1 cars will probably not be driven 20,000 miles in the next 20 years, and the sealed configuration will supply that kind of life easily. Dale was a big proponent of doing it this way, and for good reason, the originals were of this configuration. It has allways made sense to me, but many people put them in just like they come out of the box,and given the low miles that they are driven, they never have a problem with them.

Regards, John McGraw