Ford 9n Bearing Preload

Hey all,

I am in the reassembly stage of my 1952 8N with the 9N Axle / Brakes and I have a question about bearing preload....

Is there a way to determine the correct preload on the bearings?

It seems to me when it was taken apart there was no signs of any shims installed, and also the seal looks like it was crushed on the bottom by the weight of the axle.

Is this common?

I am very new to these tractors so any info on getting this right would be great.

I was also thinking of changing the bearing from the stock one to a double wide flat roller bearing that would fill the entire housing that the bearing sits in now. I would eliminate the metal collar all together and machine the housing to fit the new bearing, and add a groove and a snap ring to the shaft to keep it all together. In theory we believe this would eliminate the need for preload altogether, but at the very least it wold make it much easier to shim.

Has anyone else tried this or know of any reason why it wouldn't work?

We are checking on the thrust load specs of those double wide bearings and we believe they should withstand any thrust load the tractor could put on them.

Thanks for your input as always, it has helped me tremendously along the way. Have a great day all!

I have NO idea why you are making this seem so difficult.

First off, the bearings do NOT get "preloaded".

Shop manual calls for ENDPLAY of .002" to .006", which is EASY to measure with a dial indicator.

If those large, slow-turning bearings are in good condition and set up to that spec, likely they will still be doing their job after the ones of us reading this are long dead!