[Spridgets] [External] Roller bearings...again

[Orkin, Jack L]

Hello David, you are right about the weakness of the stub axle without the spacer.  But, your information is 50 yrs. old.  With the new roller bearing kits you keep the spacer.  I went with the rollers after I replaced the ball bearings and there was too much endplay and no way to adjust.  With the rollers you can shim them for proper end play.  I only have about 5000 miles on them but they seem to be working just fine.  Many people prefer the ball bearings but I think the new roller kits are a reasonable alternative.  (my view is from a street use, not racing.  I have no experience with racing set ups.)

Here is an article that explains exactly what you were mentioning:

https://www.mgexp.com/article/mg-midget-and-sprite-front-wheel-bearings.271

Jack
[https://www.asnstatic.com/article/mgb/mg-midget-wheel-bearings/original-bearings.jpg]<https://www.mgexp.com/article/mg-midget-and-sprite-front-wheel-bearings.271>
MG Midget & Sprite Front Wheel Bearings : How-To Library : The MG Experience<https://www.mgexp.com/article/mg-midget-and-sprite-front-wheel-bearings.271>
Here's an interesting thing: there should be no reason why tapered roller bearings could not be used in the Midget hub. If the inner bearing that is used has the necessary 2mm radius to clear the base of the stub axle, and if the whole assembly is shimmed properly, using the spacer between the two bearings (following the MGB shimming procedure).
www.mgexp.com


________________________________
From: Spridgets <spridgets-bounces at autox.team.net> on behalf of David Doiron via Spridgets <spridgets at autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, October 25, 2021 10:49 PM
To: Spridgets <spridgets at autox.team.net>
Subject: [External] [Spridgets] Roller bearings...again

Dear List,
Every so often the old chestnut of putting roller bearings in the
front hubs of Sprites is resurrected.
Seems like a good idea no?

NO!!!

Just saw it again in an article in the November Healey Marque on
converting a Sprite to disc brakes. Here is my experience.
When I changed my Sprite to front disc brakes back in the mid 60s,
I went right out and got the roller bearings and did that conversion
as well.

And then I broke a swivel axle. "Bad part" I thought, and fitted a
new one. Some months later the other side broke.

Then the old heads at the shop clued me in:
The weak link in the Sprite front suspension is NOT the bearing!
I went back to the ball bearings WITH the correct distance piece,
and have in the following 53 years put a cumulative 450,000 miles on
3 of my Sprites. There have been no further swivel axle failures.

The "why" goes something like this:
Ball bearings with spacer done up tight give the swivel axle an
effective diameter that includes the inner races as well as the spacer.
Roller bearings cannot use the spacer, so the net size of the swivel
axle (read "strength") is effectively less than factory design.

Add to that the age of the parts, the variation in the materials over
the years, and (the biggie) the wider tires used today.

The risk of breaking a swivel axle is greatly increased with roller bearings,
UNLESS you NEVER drive the car in a Spritely manner!

In both of the cases where my swivel axles broke, steering became unpredictable.
If I had been on a mountain road, or crossed over into opposing traffic,
my fate would have also been unpredictable.

The original designers at Austin had it right.

Please call with any questions,
W David Doiron...ex BMC mechanic
602-550-3583
------------------------

spridgets at autox.team.net

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