In my quest to install disc brakes on my 54 3/4 ton, I started investigating the whole ball bearing/taper roller bearing conversion. I know Classictruck.com and Chev's of the 40's has the tapered roller bearings, but alas they are EXPENSIVE! I'm not one to cut corners when it comes to safety, but I though I might be able to come up with a less expensive alternative. To make a long story short, what I found was that the new (not old stock) B45 and B46 bearings that are offered by Timken and others, seem to be sealed unit bearings. The replacement bearings are actually insert type ball bearings that you would typically find in shaft drive/industrial application.
Has anyone else ran into this?
Timken, NTN, Federal Mogul numbers: B45, B46
SKF numbers: YET-208-108CW, YET 207-107
Had a quick look in my bearing catalogue for the numbers you put up, leaving aside the seal issue, they appear to be ordinary "deep groove" style ball bearings. Unlike the stock bearings used on Stovebolt trucks, these aren't meant to have the preload between the inner and outer bearing adjusted with the front hub nut. A lot of older cars did have deep groove wheel bearings, but they always had a machined sleeve fitted between the two inside tracks of the inner and outer bearings to ensure that the (manufacter set) preload was always maintained once the hub nut was tightened against the outer bearing-so once fitted, these bearings can't be adjusted at all.
You could do this conversion and make it work, but I think that taper roller wheels bearings would be better, and more durable.
I see that your truck is a 3/4 ton, are you going to keep the original front hubs? it might be easier to adapt a modern 8 lug disc brake hub and get some sleeves machined up to go inside the new hub's taper roller bearings. Or to get your spindles turned down to match the new hub if the new bearings turn out to be smaller ID than your spindle.
