MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Rear Axle Bearings-Source?

With the new 4.1 rear coming from Dave Clark and his new stronger axles, I need new bearings, preferably sealed bearings if possible. Who sells good bearings, no cheap junk please? PJ
Paul161

Why do you want sealed bearings ?? The existing bearings are designed to be lubed with diff lube,,

Steve
Steve Wincze

It was mentioned by another source.
Paul161

For axle bearings, I see no reason to do sealed. The gear oil in the diff is there to supply lubrication to your outer axle bearings. Having a seal there will not be in your favor.

Alex
Alex Waugh

I just asked Dave Clark what bearings and seals he recommends. His rear, his axles and builds them every day, what better source for info. PJ
Paul161

You can fit bearings with a seal on one side only.Make sure you put grease between the sealed side of the bearing and the axle seal.If not it may heat up and destroy the bearing seal.
As Alex says there is no real need for a sealed bearing just the orig axle seal.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

As a follow on to this thread I used to have a PreWar MG and owners fitted sealed bearings to replace felt oil seals. I always thought sealed bearings prevented grease escaping out and dirt getting in. Oil being thinner would escape and oil seals were still required. Any comments?

Jan T
J Targosz

Paul,
Can't Dave tell you what sealed bearing he recommends??


Steve
Steve Wincze

I just did a Dave Clark deal.... I had to warm them up a bit to get them onto the axle so a sealed bearing might not make it.

Lube it before finishing so it doesn't roll dry out the the garage, Moss has them.

Dave sent the seal in the end plate - ready to go.

....
MAndrus

I guess he'll send me new seals also, if not, no biggie. I asked Dave and he recommends Timken bearings and yes I agree that the regular bearings and seals will be fine. Even though my bearings are in excellent shape, only a couple years old, I'm not pressing them off to put them in a new rear on new axles, that would make no sense to me.
Paul161

OK,, so the bearings are NOT sealed??

Steve
Steve Wincze

Not sealed Steve. Checked with SKF and they want $129.00 ea! Little over the top for a car that might get driven 500 miles a year. Timken numbers are hard to find in a MJ 1.1/4 or RM 10 ball bearing. Japan makes them at $69.00 ea. Funny thing though, By doing all of this checking, I've found that it depends on the bearing size in a lot of cases where the bearing is made, regardless of who's name is on it. 3 SKF bearings I saw were made in 3 different places, US, Japan and another foreign country, which alludes me. So it's pretty much a crap shoot. Seems like odd size, less called for bearings are manufactured else ware, regardless of who sells them not in the US or UK. Still looking. PJ
Paul161

I got mine from Moss. A few minutes in a 250 degree oven and they slipped right on, grabbed tight. Remember to lube them before buttoning up.
MAndrus

Paul, the bearing market is one of high markups. Push for a discount, ideally as a service shop. Bud
Bud Krueger

Question, Are all RM-10 bearings the same size? I found a couple NOS SKF RM-10 bearings at a reasonable price and want to order them, but need to know it they are a perfect fit for our rear axles? Don't want to spend 83 bucks if there's a chance they won't fit! PJ
Paul161

Paul,

The correct SKF reference for the half shaft bearing is RMS-10.
RM-10 is a double row self aligning bearing this is not what you want.

John
J Scragg

Thanks John, I had the wrong bearing number! Reason I asked, not wanting to make a mistake. Thank you. PJ
Paul161

Just found something interesting, the rear axle bearings in a TD/TF series is the same exact bearing used in the MGBs. Not sure if that means the early banjo rear or not, but I see no reason they would change for a short run, as the banjo rears weren't used for a long period. MGAs, I don't know, but it would make sense they would be the same. PJ
Paul161

Well, I found out that SKF bearings, that I was told were made here in the States seem to be made anywhere there's a bearing factory! I just got two SKF bearings and their stamped, "MADE IN KOREA". I'm looking no more, their going in the rear. As the old saying goes, you can't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see. PJ
Paul161

Paul. If marked SKF and the genuine item, I'm sure they will be excellent. Good and bad can come out of the same country, but if a reputable manufacturer puts their name to it, then generally its OK.
Dave H
Dave Hill

VXB.com is a good source, in general, for Japanese bearings. Interesting to look through their online catalog. Helps to know the actual sizes.

I think the confusion on sealed bearings is the wheel bearings can be sealed, but the bearings inside the diff should be free to flow with the gear lube.
N Tesla

Nicki, these bearings are the same as original, open. PJ

My rear should be done this week.
Paul161

Nicky, sorry for the spelling, my bad. PJ
Paul161

Just found myself in need of these wheel bearings. 30 plus years ago I was the engineer where I worked that was the bearing guy. Fortunately I saved the best engineering manuals printed in 1976 that cross referenced several bearing companies for each bearing type. Found the bearings on Amazon for abt. $50 each including shipping. NAPA has them also at $116 each. Seals are about $11 each. I found them for $7 each. Surprising to me is the bearing size is not all that common in the industry. So they are specialized for the companies that make them. FAG, Federal, Norma Fag list them as MS12. Where as SKF and the British bearing company list them as RM10. The seals are National #473234.
RERosa

The correct size is RMS10 or MJ 1.1/4. Several of the premium manufacturers supply them but more affordable new old stock seems to regularly appear on web auction sites.
Dave H
Dave Hill

I believe the sealed bearing was recommended due to over filling of the differential, which resulted in gear oil
Getting past the seal, especially on the drivers side,USA, or distributor side rear axle. Can any one confirm that the gear oil level should be about one inch below bottom of the filler plug?
Len Fanelli

RERosa is correct. Amazon has the SKF RMS10 bearings. I get almost all my older bearings for my MGs (1934, 1936, and 1950) through Amazon.
Lew3

Google reveals there are bulk bearing suppliers in the States with extremely large inventories, whats the issue?
G Evans

This thread was discussed between 22/09/2015 and 13/11/2015

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG TD TF 1500 BBS now