third member overhaul

1st Official Post

    I have dropped the rear end to overhaul the leaf springs and differential, and do all the attendant detailing. In order to get all of the seals and small parts for the third member I found it was easier to by a kit that contained all the bearings and seals. Questions is, does it make sense to change all of the bearings in the third member while it's out? There are no problems with noise or clunking and it is a an open rear end, not a locker. I suppose it's a question of inspecting what's there and looking at the wear pattern on the ring gear then making a judgement call.

    • Official Post

    Dave,

    If you seldom drive the kar and the rear end is quiet, I would leave it alone with the exception of the seal. It is tough to duplicate the factory setup exactly after changing the bearings to preclude noise issues. The ring and pinion pattern can be more critical than you might think. It is kind of like trying to paint a panel on your kar to match faded paint. The pinion bearings are the typical bearings to fail and they can be replaced without removing the rear end if they should fail at a later time. However, this is just my personal opinion. If you need any guidance, just give me a call.

    -Fred-

    65 Koupe early San Jose Phoenician Yellow 4 speed
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    64 Falcon sedan delivery 289 4 speed
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    66 Corvette roadster 427/425 4 speed

    Fred,


    Thanks for the advice. All of my third member experience has been limited to the installation of new ring & pinion sets during complete overhaul; this is a different ball game. I was worried about the idea of trying to get it right after taking it apart and not having noise afterwards.

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