Full Answer
Should radial bearings have play or no play?
Some people think that a high precision bearing should have almost no play and that it should rotate very precisely. To them, a loose radial play feels less precise and gives the impression of low quality, even though it may be a high-precision bearing deliberately designed with loose play.
How to tell if pinion bearings are bad?
If you have play where you can take the pinion and wiggle it you may have so really bad clearances in your pinion bearings which will cause a pinion seal failure and will chew up your ring/pinion. I dont know if there is a spec for measuring that kind of play.
What happens when a racquetball bearing is too tight?
An overly tight bearing with insufficient play will generate excess heat and friction, which will cause the balls to skid in the raceway and accelerate wear. Likewise, too much clearance will increase noise and vibration and reduce rotational accuracy.

How do I know if my carrier bearing is bad?
The first sign of a bad carrier bearing is the howling noise it makes. It sounds similar to loud tire noise. It should be apparent to anybody riding in the cab because the drive shaft and carrier bearing run just under the thin floorboards. You may hear the howling only at certain speeds too.
Should the Centre bearing have play?
There really should be no play. It's designed to have some cushion/flex but “play” is not right. Think control arm bushings.. if there's play, the car won't handle correctly.
What does a carrier bearing sound like when it's going out?
Carrier Bearing—A carrier bearing is located on the axles or driveshaft and is integral to how the car operates. Its job is simply to keep the axle or driveshaft tightly in place and reduce vibrations. Worn carrier bearings can cause rumbling or whirling sounds for acceleration above twenty miles per hour.
How often should a carrier bearing be replaced?
Carrier bearings tend to last into the early 100,000 mile range. They are subject to the abuse of the engine and transmission, every bump in the road, and jerking motions of acceleration and braking in stop-and-go traffic. Modern bearings are tough, but will generally fail at some point.
How much play should a bearing have?
End play is the total distance the shaft can move between the two thrust bearings and is sometimes called float, thrust bearing clearance or axial clearance. Example: a 10.5" thrust bearing would require . 015" of end play. The normal tolerance is 0.005", so the EP range would be 0.013" – 0.018".
What causes carrier bearing failure?
Sometimes carrier bearings fail because of the extreme operating conditions, poor handling or poor installation while sometimes it does happen because of lack of lubrication or some other relevant issues.
What does a loose driveshaft sound like?
Abnormal Noises If the bushing or bearing that supports the driveshaft or the driveshaft U-joints wear out or fail, they can interfere with the driveshaft's ability to rotate correctly. This may result in unusual rattling, clunking, scraping, or even squeaking sounds from underneath the vehicle.
How do I know if my drive shaft is out of balance?
Signs of a bad driveshaft/drivetrainVibrations from under the vehicle. A common symptom of a failing driveshaft is an intense shaking coming from underneath the vehicle. ... Difficulty turning. ... Loud clunking noise. ... Car shudders upon acceleration. ... Squeaking noise. ... Clicking or knocking noise.
What does a worn drive shaft sound like?
Another symptom of driveshaft issues is loud clunking noises. These noises are usually produced by worn-out u-joints. The ability of your driveshaft to rotate correctly is altered if your vehicle has a faulty u-joint. Lack of u-joint lubrication can cause squeaking noises when you drive at low speeds.
Do you grease carrier bearings?
Do NOT use bearing grease on your carrier bearings or pinion bearings when setting up your differential. This could cause premature failure from the oil not having the ability to lurbicate the bearings properly. Use clean gear oil only to pre-lubricate your bearings during the install.
How long does it take to change carrier bearing?
However, in general, this type of job can often be completed in one business day; or less than 8 service hours.
How do you pull a carrier bearing?
0:057:55Driveshaft 103 - Replacing carrier bearings - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWith the u-joints out of the way there's easy access to the carrier bearings.MoreWith the u-joints out of the way there's easy access to the carrier bearings.
How much end play should a wheel bearing have?
0.001 to 0.005 inchesFor context, the tolerable end-play for truck wheel bearings is the same: 0.001 to 0.005 inches, also expressed as 1 to 5 mil or 0.025 to 0.127 mm. In other words, it's perfectly acceptable to adjust wheel bearings so that they are just a little bit loose, but not too loose.
What kind of damage could occur if you have too much bearing end play?
Too much preload can cause a lot of friction which leads to heat damage and, eventually, failure. On the other side of the coin, too much endplay can allow excessive vibrations and uneven movement which will also cause breakdowns at some point.
What does it mean to preload a bearing?
Bearing Preload is the process of adding a sustained axial load, independent of external loads, to a bearing. An axial preload ensures constant contact between the ball complement and bearing races reducing or eliminating both modes of play.
What is bench end play?
Each preset bearing is supplied from the manufacturer with a specified (unmounted) internal clearance or bench end play (BEP). This BEP is chosen to provide the desired mounted setting range for the given application requirements.
What sound does a bad U Joint make?
A bad u-joint can cause a clunking sound or jerkiness while driving, particularly when letting off of and pressing the accelerator. A bad u-joint can also cause vibration at certain speeds, emanating from the center or rear of the vehicle.
What causes a carrier bearing to go bad?
Sometimes carrier bearings fail because of the extreme operating conditions, poor handling or poor installation while sometimes it does happen because of lack of lubrication or some other relevant issues. ... Lack of proper lubrication is one cause of lubrication failure while there are many others.
How much play should a carrier bearing have tundra?
The carrier bearing is enclosed in a flexible bushing that has approximately . 375"-. 500" of play in it during normal operation. Flexing the driveshaft around within these tolerances will not tell you if the actual internal bearing is failing.
What happens if a carrier bearing fails?
A failed bearing will not be able to properly support the drive shaft, and as a result the drive shaft will flex incorrectly, which will cause vibration and shuddering. ... A worn center support bearing will not be able to properly support the vehicle and will render it undrivable once it completely fails.
What does a bad pinion bearing sound like?
Whirring Noise: One of the pronounced bad pinion-bearing symptoms is its whirring noise during acceleration or deceleration at various speeds. Worn out pinion bearings create more whirring noise rather than rumbling because it rotates several times faster than the carrier assembly of the vehicle.
How long can a driveshaft be without a carrier bearing?
Well-known member. My local truck shop, Margot Inc., said that DOT will not allow a driveshaft longer than 68 inches without a carrier bearing.
What is a carrier bearing drop kit?
Carrier bearing drop kits eliminate driveshaft vibrations in your lifted truck by correcting rear drive shaft angles. These steel carrier bearing drop kits are powder-coated for durability and include mounting hardware for a complete install.
Is there a side up side down in out play?
Demoh. There should be no side/side up/down in/out play. At least that is able to be seen/felt without measuring instruments. If you have play where you can take the pinion and wiggle it you may have so really bad clearances in your pinion bearings which will cause a pinion seal failure and will chew up your ring/pinion.
Is rotational play acceptable?
But rotational play (twisting the driveshaft with tires locked and trans in neutral) is acceptable but it all depend s on how much. I just wrote about it in another thread here: http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/f24/universals-141259/#post1909773
How much play should you have in a carrier bearing?
A carrier bearing should have give, now as to how easy is it to be moved is the better question. 1/4” in any direction is ok.
How do I know if a carrier bearing is bad?
If the bearing goes bad, it will make a sort of roaring or growling sound while you're cruising down the road, and you may feel a vibration throughout the car as you drive.
How much play should there be in a driveshaft?
3/4" of rotational play, or slack measured at the outside edge of the u-joint flange? I would say that is fairly normal, but if you are having noise from the rear end, I would be pulling the cover off and have a look inside. Remember, it could be coming from a worn wheel bearing too.
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Crock112 Well-Known Member
When my carrier bearing started to go, I began feeling more and more slop in the drivetrain. Coast along for a bit and then blip the throttle a couple times. If you feel a noticeable "clunk" when you get on the gas, then you might have an issue with the carrier bearing or a bad u-joint.
keakar Well-Known Member
When my carrier bearing started to go, I began feeling more and more slop in the drivetrain. Coast along for a bit and then blip the throttle a couple times. If you feel a noticeable "clunk" when you get on the gas, then you might have an issue with the carrier bearing or a bad u-joint.
Why does a carrier bearing have play?
The carrier bearing assembly WILL have play, because essentially it is a "floating" bearing inside of that boot. When you pull that carrier assembly off, put your finger in the bearing and spin it. It should not hang up or feel rough, but you will notice that the bearing can move because of that boot it's sitting in.
Does a bearing have play?
to my knowledge the bearing itself isn't supposed to have any play. if you're including movement of the rubber then yes, it will have some.
Is 1/4" too much for a carrier bearing?
the carrier bearing isn't any different than any other bearing. so no, there should be very very little play if any at all 1/4" is way too much.
What is the tolerance class for ball bearings?
Tolerance classes for ball bearings, known as ISO (metric) or ABEC (inch) ratings, regulate the allowable deviation and cover measurements including inner and outer ring size and the roundness of rings and raceways. The higher the class and the tighter the tolerance, the more precise the bearing will be once it is assembled.
Why is it easier to reduce clearance in a thin section bearing?
Engineers must also consider the fact that it is easier to reduce clearance in a thin-section bearing because the rings are thinner and easier to deform. As a manufacturer of small and miniature bearings, SMB Bearings advises its customers that more care must be taken with shaft-to-housing fits. Shaft and housing roundness is also more important ...
What is radial play?
Radial play is the clearance measured perpendicular to the bearing axis and axial play is the clearance measured in parallel to the bearing axis. This play is designed into the bearing from the outset to allow the bearing to support loads in a variety of conditions, taking into consideration factors such as temperature expansion and how ...
Why is radial play important?
Higher radial play is desirable in situations where the inner ring or shaft is expected to become hotter and expand during use compared to the outer ring or housing. In this situation, the play in the bearing will reduce. Conversely, play will increase if the outer ring expands more than the inner ring. Higher axial play is desirable in systems ...
What is the relationship between play and precision?
Tolerances. The misunderstanding about the role of radial and axial play has led many to confuse the relationship between play and precision, specifically the precision that results from better manufacturing tolerances. Some people think that a high precision bearing should have almost no play and that it should rotate very precisely.
Who developed the concept of true position?
During the Second World War, in a munitions factory in Scotland, a little-known man by the name of Stanley Parker developed the concept of true position, or what we know today as Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T).
Is radial play the same as tolerance?
Why radial play and tolerance are not one and the same . There is some confusion surrounding the relationship between the precision of a bearing, its manufacturing tolerances and the level of internal clearance or ‘play’ between the raceways and balls.
How much play does a center bearing have?
Yes the center bearing will have about a 1/4 inch of play even if new.
Can you still grab a rubber isolator?
with a new unit, a guy can still grab it and move it around a bit. but their is a fair bit of resistance and you can clearly see the rubber isolator flexing in the housing.
