Rear axle bearing cap problem

[evlwevl]

I am getting the rear axle assemblies buttoned up on my '59 vw.
I am using a short axle tube and short axle out of a '63 using early style bearing caps. I pressed the bearing on to the axle as far it would go but after placing the backing plate in place, there appears to still be a 1/16th gap between the bearing cap and the backing plate surface.

What method can I use to insure the bearing is seated all the way up against the inner spacer. The inner spacer does the the angled edge toward the tranny.




_________________
Make it three yards, motherf*****, and we'll have us an automobile race
-The Driver(Two Lane Blacktop)

55 Prostreet Bug
59 Daily Driver Bug
63 Baja
00 Turbo New Beetle

[Flavio]

The bearing caps could have not enough recess on them ? If this is the problem, you will need to find different bearing caps.
Something to read about that problem:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=406753&highlight=bearing+caps

[drscope]

It doesn't look like your wheel bearing is in as far as it should be.
_________________
Mother Nature is a Mean Evil Bitch!

[Snort]

Perhaps your inner bearing spacer is in backwards.

[evlwevl]

If I really crank down on the bolts, the cap will eventuallly push that bearing in and tighten closer to the backing plate but I dont know if that should be that tight. It feels like the axle is hard to rotate by hand when I crank down on the cap like that. I don't remember it being this difficult with my 55. The bearing doesn't want to seat any closer to the bevel on the axle.

The inner spacer is in correctly with the bevel towards the trans. Whats strange is the short axles that are currently on the car in those pics came off a 63 along with those same axle tubes.

The bearings and caps came off the 59 that has the 12v trans and long tubes and axles. That mix matched setup appeared to bolt together easily but didnt look year correct with the rear tires at the edge of the fender
_________________
Make it three yards, motherf*****, and we'll have us an automobile race
-The Driver(Two Lane Blacktop)

55 Prostreet Bug
59 Daily Driver Bug
63 Baja
00 Turbo New Beetle

[Flavio]

There is another possibilty witch is if the axle have been moved back and fwd too much, one of the fulcrum plates could have moved/fall to the axle inner end and thus not "allowing" the axle to move all the way in....
One thing you could do, is to compare with the other side and see how much the axle sticks out. (suposing that the other side is ok).
If the measure is different....probably you have a problem with one of the fulcrum plates...

And...don't crank down the bolts. Doing so you will be pulling out the axle tube, warping the gearbox side cover and forcing the inner axle end against the differential gears.

[Snort]

Measure the depth of the bearing seats for both cap and axle tube. Compare total to bearing which should be slightly less.

[evlwevl]

Just measured everything out on the opposite that hasnt had a bearing installed yet and both axles sit outside the tube identically. I measured the spacer and bearing against the axle and recess of the axle tube as well as the cap recess and it shows me that the currently installed bearing is seated properly against the axle but is not seated into the tube completely.

The next questing is, do the bearing caps touch the backingplates without being torqued down? Or is there a small gap before you torque them down and thats when the bearing seats into the tube?

Here is the spacer seated against the axle

_________________
Make it three yards, motherf*****, and we'll have us an automobile race
-The Driver(Two Lane Blacktop)

55 Prostreet Bug
59 Daily Driver Bug
63 Baja
00 Turbo New Beetle

[67dub]

I agree with drscope, and flavio your bearing is not far enough in, one of your inner spacers that go on both sides of your axle inside your transmission may have fallen over causing your axle to stick out too far, in this picture your bearing is sticking out almost exactly as far as the thickness of one of those. I just finished doing a short axle swap on a 68 trans with a pair of 63 axles, you want to be careful not to over tighten the axle plate to side plate, I pulled one of the on the side plate and bowed the axle cover, pretty much had to pull the whole thing out, back apart, replace the side plate, and find another axle cover and plate.

[Flavio]

Evlwevl.
Yes, the bearing caps touch and so, there is no visible gap.
I think you're gonna have to remove the gearbox to fix this problem.
In my opinion, you have one of the fulcrum plates between the axle and the gear, probably in both sides.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=406753&highlight=bearing+caps

Hope this helps and good work.