VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1958-1960 Drive Shaft Carrier Bearing Grommet

1958 Impala Convertible
Anyone else having trouble keeping a rubber grommet on the carrier bearing for more than a thousand miles? This is the 2nd time I have had to replace the rubber grommet seated inside the carrier bearing bracket. I don't have 2000 miles
since replacing the transmission and drive shaft.
I had a mechanic check my drive line last time I replaced the carrier bearing.
1958 Impala Convertible

The same drive shaft center support with rubber cushion was used from 1958-64.The rubber cushion "coming out" was never a problem.Perhaps you have one of poor quality.I would find another new one from a different sorce.The most common cause of their replacement around here was the bolts breaking off during removal for replacing u joints.We used to stock at least two dozen of them in their day.

Would an incorrect drive shaft angle also cause this problem?

HI south,

The rubber coming out of the steel carrier is usually caused by an improper driveshaft installation.

Please check this first:

Make sure the center yoke is indexed properly on the front driveshaft. Note - ALL U joints must be 90 degrees to each other.

Sometimes the front yoke is not indexed properly - this will be very easy to see - as the U joints will not align properly (can be off 5-10 degrees).

Once this is out of the way, install the driveshaft. Do NOT tighten the two bolts which retain the carrier bearing to the frame until the car is sitting on the ground at curb height.

If these bolts are tightened prior to the car sitting on the ground, the driveshaft will force the rubber out of the carrier.

Hope that helps.....

Thanks Oliver. Since I can not get under the car when it is on the ground at curb height I jack up the car and had the wheels sitting on stacked 2" X 12" when I installed repaired drive shaft. I think I achieved the same horizontal flatness. We will see if this works.

After replacing fuel pump and rubber part of fuel line, we drove '58 Sat. night to a car show.

southtown

One other thing to mention, just because the bearing and the carrier are new does not mean they are of good quality. A few years ago when I replaced the clutch in my 60 I decided to replace the bearing while I had the shaft in my hands. (Keep in mind there was nothing wrong with it) The next week on my way to the Area 11 Meet in Hartford CT I heard a thumping noise under the center of the car when I released the clutch. It turned out that a few of the spot welds broke holding the stamped steel ring together and caused it to bend and distort. I had a NOS one on the shelf and there was a huge difference in quality. I also discovered that there are no longer any American manufactured ones being made. :( There is a guy on the west coast that is making a billet retainer and I have feeling that this will be the answer for all of us "X" frame owners to keep our drive lines under our car
John

Yes John,

The quality of the service replacement parts is deplorable.

Seems all the American companies are farming the parts overseas - yet they continue to charge for the part as IF IT WERE AMERICAN made!

My answer to that issue is "I no longer do business with you."

Pays to save the original bracket and replace the bearing.

There is one other thing that I just remembered. The 58 front half of the drive shaft is shorter (not by much) than the 59 to 64 versions for all transmissions. It might be possible one from a newer year was installed at one time causing pressure on the bearing pushing it either forward or backward
John

I really think this is my problem. Could be when the rear axle goes down that pressure is being forced against the carrier bearing bracket. There is no more room in the slotted X-Frame to adjust carrier bearing bracket. It is all the way back against slot. Maybe rear section of drive shaft ( in front of carrier bearing ) should be longer.

southtown

Meant to say ( in back of carrier bearing & front of rear-in)

All of the rear shafts are the same, regardless of year and transmission. So the problem is with the front half. It should not be all of the way back on the holes in the frame. What transmission is in your car?
John

Smithtown,
Just curious, do you have air shocks or heavy duty coil springs on the rear that have raised the rear ride height? Even if the weight of the vehicle is on the rear axle when you align the center bearing, it will be pulled back because the drive shaft is angled down more in the rear (if the body is raised)

The position of the center support is not determined by the front shaft. The bearing is at the same location relative to the rear yoke of that shaft regardless of which length front shaft you have. If everything is bolted together, the bearing position is determined by the distance between the bearing and the differential pinion yoke. The wrong length front shaft will only show up in how far the front yoke fits into the trans.

Now, I suppose if the front shaft is somehow WAAAAAY too long, the front yoke could butt up against the rear of the trans case. That would force the center bearing back. But OUCH, that would play havoc when driving.... :eek: Then there would be no "give" at all when the suspension bounces and jounces.

Verne

After reading Vernes post, I tend to agree with Verne and rule out the shaft, the only thing other thing that I had seen was a twisted output shaft on a four speed that prevented the shaft from "slipping" in and out of the tranny and positioning itself enough forward. As a mater of fact I had keep the tailshaft just for a conversation piece
John

Verne & John,
When I tightened the u-clamps around the U-joint at the rear-end I noticed that the carrier bearing bolts protruding thru the slots of the frame were pulled all the way back to the end of the slots. So I think I either have an axle that is back to far or a short rear shaft. The front shaft is correct length in that the front yoke is about 13/16" to 15/16" from the rear of the trans.

I believe that when I drive over an area that allows my rear axle to dip away from the car frame
that its is putting pressure on the rubber grommit surrounding the carrier bearing.

Make sure when you tighten the driveshaft bearing carrier - that the car is on the ground at curb height.

It is normal to see the bearing "near the rear of the slots" if the rear axle assembly is in full extention. (when it on a lift)

Smithtown,
Follow Ollie's advice. You can have the car in the air, but it's weight must be supported by the axle. If you support it like that and the bolts are still against the back of the slots in the frame, you will probably tug the rubber in the center support to the rear when driving.
As I stated before though, this condition can be caused by a higher ride height than spec. Stiffer springs or air shocks will produce the problem you are having. If you want to keep the current ride height, your only choice is to grind the frame slots rearward.

Verne