Thread: Chopper
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Old 02-17-2003, 12:54 PM
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chopper chopper is offline
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Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Prescott Valley, AZ
Cobra Make, Engine: Previous ERA owner on break
Posts: 600
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Alas, no; the saga continues; but I'm getting closer.

After replacing three of the four bearings in the differential output spindles, replacing the outer oil seals and setting the preload on the thrust bearings, I found that the fourth bearing was also bad, so had to tear the right side spindle apart again. Plus, I decided that some minor corrosion around the shank of the spindle, right around where the oil seal hits, wasn't so minor after all and took the spindle to a machine shop to get it sleeved. Should have the parts back by Tuesday PM and can get started on the reassembly process later this week. Most of the rest of it is just bolting things back together and bleeding the brakes. It sure has been a learning experience.

One of the things I found was that Jaguar uses what's called "crush sleeves" between the two thrust bearing inner races on the differential input and output shafts. I'm still not sure what the function of these sleeves is, unless it's to stabilize the inner races and prevent them from moving once the bearings start to wear. Since the half shafts on the Jag rear suspension also serve as the upper arms, the spindle has to take significant axial loads as well as the torsional load, so stabilization of the bearings is important. I've just never seen it done in this manner but then, I'm not a full time mechanic so I don't really have that big a data base to compare.

On the plus side, in true gearhead fashion, I've managed to use this project to justify getting a couple of new tools. If anyone is interested, Harbor Freight is having a sale through Feb 24th on their 20-ton shop press, marked down from $240 to $160. Sure made the third disassembly of the spindle a lot easier. Of course, right after I got the Harbor Freight unit, I went to the Homier tool sale down at the Fairgrounds on Saturday and they had a similar unit for $99, but what the heck, it's only money. The wife, bless her soul, warned me not to go because she accurately predicted that I would find the shop press for less. She's spooky like that.
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