The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1960 Apache 10, Will 62 tapered bearing hubs work?

Hi everyone, I'm hoping you guys have an old Hollander book or can help me on this one. I'll try to keep this short. I'm working on an all original 60,000 mile 1960 Apache 10 for a friend that just had a catistrophic front wheel bearing failure (ball type). It gets very limited use so the guy wants to keep the original drums but is not crazy about those bearings. In looking for a replacement spindle, I found out that the spindle covers 1960-62. The ball type wheel bearings were used 1960-61. The tapered wheel bearings started in 1962. The drums are the same from 1960 to at least 65.

My question is: Why couldn't someone use a 1962 (or later maybe) hub to upgrade to tapered roller wheel bearings and retain the rest of the factory spindle and drum brakes or is there some other way that you might know of to accomplish this? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks Marshall

Hy red7218, according to my parts book the 60 - 61 steering knuckle is p/n 3769544, while the p/n for the 62 knuckle is 3797525, so they are different somehow, hope that helps

Well that makes perfectly good sense, but it's not good news. I just bought a NOS spindle for the truck and the part number I was sold was 3797525. Of coarse, I was told it was for the 1960-62. Oh well.... maybe I'm still OK If I can locate another 62 spindle and the hubs maybe I can still pull it off.

Hy red7218, the hubs for 1960 - 61 are p/n 3761137, 1962 hub p/n is 3796902, hope that helps.

I know I am pushing my luck, but does your parts book say if the 3797525 knuckle or the 3761137 hub is the same as the newer 63-up stuff. I have a feeling they are 62 only. Also does it show a part number for the front brake backing plates and are they the same for the 60 and the 62? I realy really appreciate your information. Considering a set of ball type wheel bearing cost about $275., swapping out both spindles and hubs would still tend to make sense.

According to Napa online the ball joints are the same from 1960-1962 so it would appear the spindle will at least bolt on.

Hy red7218, the backing plate appears to be the same 1960 - 62 p/n 3761004 for the right side, p/n 3761003 for the left side. Unfortunately my newer parts books are for medium duty, so I cannot confirm if the 63 and newer stuff is the same, sorry about that.

3B, you've been great help. This is starting to look entirely possible. Someone on Ebay has another 1962 3797525 spindle (that is selling it to fit 1960 through 1962) so all I need to do is locate some 62 (or maybe later)hubs and I'm in business.

Do you know anyone that would have this stuff?

Maybe someone else will chime in and tell me how far forward the 3761137 wheel hub goes.

Thanks agian!

I'm wondering why you can't go to a bearing supply house in your area, and get a set of good Timken bearings to just swap on. You'll need the ID, the OD of the race, and the depth of the bearing area in the hub and on the spindle. They should be able to look up the dimensions in their catalogs.

I tried to do this with my '54 Buick several years ago, and would have had it except for one problem: the race for the inner wheel bearing was manufactured with a shoulder on it, that kept the bearing from sitting right down against the knuckle. This moved the hub the proper distance from the backing plate. It's a totally unique bearing that doesn't fit ANYTHING else.

The fix, in my case, would have been to have a spacer machined that was the same width as the shoulder on the OE bearing's race. I never got that far, as the car was a daily driver. However, it could be done.

The first step for you is to find a bearing supply house.

-Brad

Well, I finally got around to putting this thing back together and it's confirmed. All you have to do to convert 1960 and 1961 half ton ball wheel bearing chevy truck over to tapered roller bearings is find a pair of newer 1962-1968 half ton drum brake hubs. They slide right on to the original spindles and work perfectly with the original brake parts which happen to be exactly the same parts as the newer (62-68)trucks. This won't get you better brakes, but its cheaper to upgrade it to roller bearings than it is to buy a new set of the original ball bearings(about $250).

BTW, You also need the spindle nut washers and dust caps from the newer truck, They're smaller in diameter.
I want everyone that reads this to know, I contacted alot of people to trying to figure this out. Stove bolt was the only place I could find actual infomation (not smart remarks)about this truck. Many thanks to dakota and 3B for the help on this. You guys are the best!

I thought I was following this. How does the inner race (60 spindle) made for ball work with a outer race (62 hub)made for roller, work? In your "All you have to do..." you don't say what the final spindle is. I thought you switched spindles? but you say "slide right on ORIGINAL spindles"?

I had to replace one spindle the spindle on this truck because it was damaged. I was sold a an NOS 3797525. This spindle fits 1960-1962. GM books show 2 part numbers for these years but they are interchangable (Holander interchange).
Now I have one original spindle and the one replacement again due to damage. If that spindle hadn't been damaged. I would not have needed to replace it.

1960-1962 spindles are the same.
1962-up hubs use tapered roller bearings.

The ball bearings use a removible race located on the spindle. Slide that race off and the tapered wheel bearing slides right back on. Even the newer seal diameter is right.

Restated: Today, I took a ball bearing hub off my stock original 1960 spindle, slid the inner ball race off the spindle and slid on a 62-up C10 roller bearing hub.

One thing I forgot to mention, You will need also need the spindle nut washers and dust caps from the newer truck. they're smaller in diameter

Are the spindle diameters the same on the 3/4 tons? I'm aware the ball joints are different. Just thinking about a future changeover from 3/4 to 1/2 on my '61.

dont know bout that BUT how can i tell what model my 60 chevy stepside is?

Ratskin,

At least for 1962:
I am almost positive the spindle diameter is different between the 1/2 and 3/4 ton. The 3/4 ton is ~1.5" dia and the 1/2 is something like 1.3".

I just bought a set of lower ball joints (again 62). They were sold as "1/2 ton only", but are the same size as the 3/4 ton I removed.