Any experts on axles?
I just got my passenger side axle and the center bearing (carrier bearing? whatever it's called) bracket removed... the bearing is still stuck hard to the bracket. I think I'm going to have the machinist try to crack those apart tomorrow when I'm getting the flywheel resurfaced.

Anyway, here's my question--I can grab the bearing support bracket, grab the long shaft and wiggle the two, and there is free play. Is this OK?

 

word is that it takes (at minimum) a 6-ton press to press out the old bearing from the spindle.

Not sure what you mean by free play, but usually that is a bad sign when bearings are involved.

 

Nah, I'm not talking about the wheel bearings. I am not replacing the axle or anything.

I'm talking about this:

Grabbed the long shaft on the left (with the yellow arrow) and grabbed the carrier bearing bracket (black metal thing in the center) and wiggled the carrier bearing bracket side to side.

I am not certain if that is exactly 1mm but it seems close. I was measuring that between the black bracket and the round ring just to the left of it (you can see that ring--it's where the long shaft meets the black bracket, practically touching the bracket actually)

 

That amount of play is really pretty normal even with a brand new carrier bearing. I had a bicth of a time getting a rusty looking set, similar to what you have there, apart on my old 98 I30t. I must say I had better luck with it still bolted to the block. After 30 mins of alternating PBblaster and heating up the metal with a torch, I finally just got one of my expensive wood chisels and got the sharp end started in the small gap. Once the gap opened up I got a large flathead screwdriver a worked both sides until it came totally apart. Needless to say when I reinstalled it I lathered that baby real good with axle grease.
Good Luck.

 

Ah k, gotcha. That's all I really needed to know. I'm going to let someone else help me pry this apart

 

i have exactly the same problem. but i believe i have more play than 1 mm. it's probably the source of a clunk that i cannot figure out. is that play normal or not? between the bracket and carrier bearing.