Superformance hubs, bearings and bushings

[wanab5150]

While everything is fresh in my mind I'm adding important information for anyone having issues or replacing axle, bearings and bushings in the rear.

On a trip recently with our Cobra group going to Atascadero I made a hard right sweeping turn onto Hwy 101 and seemingly out of nowhere the car took a violent hop to the left then back to the right. I assumed it was just heavy foot but once home realized the left rear wheel bearing let go. Unfortunately it went home on a AAA tow...after the lock-up again...oh, and the fire....That's another story.

Anyway when that happened the brake rotor which is (attached to the hub) started flopping around due to the bearing failure while the caliper (attached to to aluminum hub carrier)remained aligned and rigid. As I turned right onto a freeway the bearing let go and the left rear brake locked up causing a violent slide to the left then back as the same wheel was now acting as an anchor.

The damage was actually not that bad and so far I need a new fire extinguisher ( I had to use it), rear brake pads, rotors turned, L/R SS brake line (burned up), CV joint boot and clamps(burned up), all 4 green bushings used in the lower control arm pin that connect the hub carrier to the lower control arm, a new right wheel from curbing it when it slid back to the right and bent the living S#!t out of it beyond repair, and complete disassembly of both cv joints (the grease caught on fire) and I'm sure Ill find more as I go.

It's not been easy finding parts and/or numbers for this series of Superformance #2769. These are some of the things I have determined....

1. The axle nut is 36mm. With the wheel adapters in place and the wheel on the car, the socket won't fit through the adapter. If you remove the wheel and the spinner adapter and have a 5 hole wheel that fits, you can lower the car onto the ground and bust you back trying to get that nut off..... I ended up removing the 6 allens from the axle to the differential and removing the axle along with the hub carrier all in one part. I then took it to my favorite tire shop and had them blast the nut off with 200 lbs. of air and a Mongo air wrench............ Using the bolt pattern on the differential end of the axle, bolt a 4 foot pipe to it so you can hold the axle in a Mongo vice or get a 400 pound dude to stand on the pipe.....I'm putting it on the same way when I'm done.

2. The brake lines don't exist either at Hillbank or Olthoff Racing but Dennis Olthoff is making me one.

3. The large pin mentioned above uses 4 green bushings that don't fit all cars but may fit mine. They are replaced by RED ones which Hillbank says are bigger and will have to be "sanded down". Dennis says they're the same but better material. I gave him the pin size of .825 and he said they are the same...just up graded material.

4. The CV joints are a nasty mess to disassemble but quite simple to service. They too have been changed and anything pertaining to axles, boots, CV joints Olthoff say's to go through "The Driveshaft Shop" near Olthoff in N.C. as the old ones are no longer stocked.

5.The rear wheel bearing is really important as they're two different bearings depending who you talk to. Don't buy a Ford Racing 510010 which is very close to the correct bearing. The #Timken 51010 is .015 larger OD than the correct Timken #513058. Pressing the 510 bearing would surly explode the hub carrier even though is looks exactly the same to the naked eye.

6. The CV boot is almost impossible to find but Olthoff thinks he may have one. If not I'll have to buy a universal fit and cut it down.

7. When removing the pin don't forget to remove the allen under the hub carrier which helps secure the pin in place. Regardless of the allen I had to beat the pin out with a 5lb. sledge. Beat is an understatement. I have some clean up and re-threading to do and may have to turn the pin (demention 8.25 X10) inches to make sure its still round...........Nightmare getting it out!

8. If you have single piston calipers for cars after #2769 the rear pad number is Wilwood #150-9184K. I use BP-20 compound in the rear and the Wilwood Matrix pad in the front. When the cars changed over to the small single caliger near my car number the brakes in the rear (in my opinion) are very inefficient. I use the weaker Matrix pads up front along with a proportional valve so I can turn down the front bias and allow the backs with the small caliper to work harder. Before I added the valve the fronts would lock up uncontrollably. The back still suck but it's better than it was 12 years ago when it was built. They should have stayed with Dynalights in the rear.

I have disassembled everything and cleaned everything in solvent. I have most of the parts but I will add anything required to complete the job to the thread as all this info is a crap load of work to find.

[Mark IV]

You must remove the Knock-off adaptor to remove the axle nut. Be sure to replace the axle retaining nut with a new unit, they are "one time" use. We use an SKF bearing and have had no repeat failures with them. The lower shaft usually will drift out with minor force. If you don't have the upper unfastened it puts torque on the shaft that makes it harder to remove. When you remove the upright to press the bearing out/in be sure to replace the upper outer spacers on the rod end as they came out. We use a marker to I.D. the front spacers before we remove them so it is easy to replace them as they were stacked from the factory.

The CV boots are available, I just shipped four to a customer.

I just did one of these last week. And be sure NOT to use an impact on the drive pin/adaptor retaining nuts, they WILL mushroom and make wheel replacement impossible.

[wanab5150]

Mark 4...... If i said it incorrectly what I thought I said was us an impact on the 36mm nut. My bearing was obliterated so the spacers you speak of, what are they and do you have them or what do you use if they are destroyed........Everything but the bearing being presses off is done until I get parts.

I just went to your site and placed an order....you'll have my email there Thanks Tom

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by wanab5150

Mark 4...... If i said it incorrectly what I thought I said was us an impact on the 36mm nut. My bearing was obliterated so the spacers you speak of, what are they and do you have them or what do you use if they are destroyed........Everything but the bearing being presses off is done until I get parts.

I just went to your site and placed an order....you'll have my email there Thanks Tom

The spacers I refer to are on the top of the upright on either side of the rod end that secures the upright to the upper control arm. There are no spacers on the bearing.

[wanab5150]

OK Mark lV thanks for clarification. Had me spooked for a minute and thought some parts were ground up with the bearing but I know the ones your talking about up top.

[wanab5150]

The nut I took off was 36mm in diameter. Anyone know if that's a ford nut or is one made by Dorman and a part number? Also I have a torque of 175#, 200# 250# and 600# on the axle nut from an array of sources.?????

I think this is it???? FOSZ-4B477-A Dorman - Autograde Prevailing Torque Spindle Nut M24-2.0 Hex Size 36mm (sold by each)

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by wanab5150

The nut I took off was 36mm in diameter. Anyone know if that's a ford nut or is one made by Dorman and a part number? Also I have a torque of 175#, 200# 250# and 600# on the axle nut from an array of sources.?????

I think this is it???? FOSZ-4B477-A Dorman - Autograde Prevailing Torque Spindle Nut M24-2.0 Hex Size 36mm (sold by each)

Yes, that is the nut

[wanab5150]

Mark lV... I sent a parts list to Timemachine at your website on Monday but haven't heard from you. I still need 2 of the lower control arm to hub carrier bushings.

Mine are the green ones . The red bushings for newer cars are to big. The ID of the bushing is .875 I.D. and the O.D.of the bushing is close to .930.

Do you have (2) of them in stock?....... Hillbank, Olthoff, and Cobra Valley don't have them. If they are not available do you have a suggestion what to substitute or what to make them out of?

thanks tom.

[Mark IV]

Sorry,

No stock of them currently. Not a big deal to have them machined from Delrin. Or we can get some from the factory, but it will take a week or so. Look here for material info:
Acetal/Delrin Rod


For whatever reason, the electron Gods did not send me your request.

[wanab5150]

Not being anything beyond a back yard mechanic all these years please tell me if I am correct...

Purchase a .1000 O.D. piece of Delrin and have it turned down to .930 O.D. to fit within the hub carrier and bore the inside to .875 I.D to match the steel pin.
A machine shop can bore that stuff out????? This is way over my head. I had a tough time finding a shop to press the bearing out.

The 2 green bushings would be best for me If you can get them within 3 weeks. Two of the bushings I have are perfect and un-damaged. If it's an issue to get them please let me know because both Dennis Olthof and Hillbank say they don't make them anymore. Sorry but I'm getting so many confusing answers I don't know which way to turn. .......I wish I could just go to NAPA.

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by wanab5150

Not being anything beyond a back yard mechanic all these years please tell me if I am correct...

Purchase a .1000 O.D. piece of Delrin and have it turned down to .930 O.D. to fit within the hub carrier and bore the inside to .875 I.D to match the steel pin.
A machine shop can bore that stuff out????? This is way over my head. I had a tough time finding a shop to press the bearing out.

Yes,

A machine shop will be familiar with Delrin and machining it. It works very much like aluminum. I had Delrin bushings machined for my Pinto "B" sedan back in the early seventies (alright no jokes, it is now a valueable vintage racer!)

[209]

Hi Tom,
Stephen from Full Throttle New Washoe City keeps a close eye on my 2765, after 18k miles everything still good. How many miles have you logged? Hope all parts are found. Cliff

[wanab5150]

For those interested... I could not find the bushings that go into the lower control that are mentioned above. Superformance doesn't make them any more. Along with that the hub carrier or "rear upright" depending who you talk to isn't made anymore and is a discontinued part as are the bushings, lower .825X9". pin connecting the lower control arm to the upright.

If anyone pre #2800 breaks these parts. You will have to fabricate them or completely upgrade everything outside the of the upper and lower control arms. BTW the new uprights are $1000 each

I was able to obtain bushings for the newer upgraded upright, however they are .015 larger OD and will have to be sized. You can fabricate them from Delrin but its cheaper to buy these and turn them down rather than pay a machine shop to cut, and mill the Delrin to the correct dimensions. At least for me anyway.

I still have to press on the bearing etc. but after chasing parts for about a month assembly will start shortly.

One more thing...The bearing number is 513058 for National and other bearing brands or Timken SET49 Bearing Set for Timken. Also the 36mm axle nut is Dorman 615-095. The long number posted earlier is the ford number. For some reason depending where you buy it the price is cheapest at Advanced Auto for $10.50 with tax. If you search the net you will find the exact part going for up to almost $50 ...Makes no sense.

[CWizard]

Tom,
Thanks for posting the details of your saga, and I'm sorry you're having problems. Looks like you're close to having it sorted, though.
Also, just for clarification, the axle nut is a 24mm nut (M24x2) that takes a 36mm wrench.

[wanab5150]

CW Correct
Dorman - Autograde Prevailing Torque Spindle Nut M24-2.0 Hex Size 36mm from Advanced Auto for $10 and the biggest fricken breaker you can find or a mongo air gun

[wanab5150]

For those who can't sleep....

I got the "red" Delrin type bushings made for the upgraded Superfromance rear upright and lower control arm. As specified they are exactly the same .825 I.D. as the older "green" bushings for my era (notERA) car #2769. They are however .015 larger on the O.D. as described by David the parts guy at Hilbank LA. Rather than machine a tube of Delrin this will be easier to fit and I won't need a lathe. I will cut them down on my drill press....015 should be pretty easy to remove................STILL a pain you can't get parts for a 10 year old car anymore.

[FOMOCONUT]

I have some grease on my left rear carrier, what's up. SPF 2773 Jerry

[wanab5150]

Maybe a torn boot on the outside CV joint. If it's just coated with greese film mine are always that way from road grime and any brake fluid or anything else that it might have picked up along the way. If it's veeeeery coated with slick smelly grease....check the boot.

[FOMOCONUT]

Does anyone have part # for the rear C-V joints, I have SPF #2773 . Need to replace them. Jerry

[34fords]

I know the above is an old post, but wouldn't you think Superformance would provide a place or parts book where you could look up part numbers. I know Mark 4 is helpful on parts questions but it would be nice to have a web site to look this stuff up.