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| | | | Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 31 Apprentice | | Apprentice Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 31 |
I was lucky enough to find a NOS Okie bearing for my '53 half-ton drive shaft on eBay for a song, but it's documentation indicated that it was for the 40-50 chevy trucks and passenger cars, and that the 51-54 truck and passenger cars used a different part number. Classic Parts even lists two bearings, one for 47-50 and the other for 51-54. I've heard mention that the only difference is in the inner diameter of the outer tube (outer diameter of the okie bearing). As far as I know, my torque tube and rear-end are original to this 1953 model, but the Okie bearing looks like it might fit anyway. Does anybody know how different the two diameters really are? (I don't want to get it jammed in there!) Thanks, -Warren
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 31 Apprentice | | Apprentice Joined: Apr 2006 Posts: 31 | OK, after doing some research I think I have answered my own question. After reviewing the master parts catalog ('29-'57) and a great number of eBay auctions, I have discovered:
both years use a drive shaft OD (rear bushing ID) of 1-1/16"
both years use a yoke diameter (front bushing ID) of 1-11/32"
The difference IS the torque tube ID:
40-50 (1st design) has tube ID (front and rear bushing OD) of 1-11/16" = 1.6875"
51-54 (2nd design) has tube ID (front and rear bushing OD) of 1-49/64" = 1.7656"
So, if this is correct, the difference in torque tube internal diameter is a very small but important .078" (about two spark-plug gaps). SO, no wonder my 40-50 okie bushing looked like it might fit in my '53- because it ALMOST will.
Thanks for looking, and if I got anything wrong above please let me know. -Warren | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,270 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,270 |
Warren,
Thanks for educating some of us on this difference.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 9,115 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 9,115 | Was it in 1951 that the retaining pin was dropped? | | |
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