Drive shaft carrier bearing

Doug-Iowa

Member
I have a 96 GMC 4 door dually with a block-long driveshaft. It has a carrier bearing in the middle, mounted in a U bracket to the frame. The bearing itself is fine, but the rubber bushing it rides in is rotten. Looks like the entire assembly has to come out, then split the drive shaft to remove the bearing. Which means new u-joints. And the bearing is probably frozen onto the shaft, good opportunity to mess that up getting it off. It would seem to me an easier fix would be some sort of two-piece rubber bushing; take the U bracket off, peal out the old rubber, place the new halves around the bearing, and replace the bracket. Anyone done one of these? Does such a part exist? Thanks!
 
no, the bearing and rubber is easily replaced using a hydraulic press, with the proper plates, u joints can be checked for slop and roughness at this time, replaced if any is found, be sure to mark the drive shaft pieces so you can assemble them exactly like they are before you removed them otherwise severe vibration will result
 
Fix it right, if the rubber's shot the bearing probably isn't too far behind, and they fail at the worst times and if ignored for long drop the driveshaft on the pavement.

Should be a slipyoke there, mark the driveshafts, slide the slipyoke off, strip any remaining rubber away, and pull or press the bearing off of the shaft.

When going back together, clean the bearing mounting area, I use a drop of Loctite retaining compound since there's nothing but the press fit to keep the bearing in place, you need a pipe or sleeve that will just slip over the splines, and catch the ID of the new bearing, but small enough not to destroy the metal dust shield next to the bearing. Tap it in place, or better yet press it (but it takes a tall press because of the driveshaft length).

Match your marks and slide the slipyoke back in place. Likely, there's one odd spline so it will only go back together one exact way, but that doesn't stop some guys. My son works parts at a dealership and had to order new yoke just the other day, after the "factory trained" hacks in the shop tried to pound one together without matching the odd splines up!
 
If the bearing has not spun on the shaft you should be able to remove it without damaging the shaft at all, I have done many. Take a grinder with a cutting wheel and cut off the outer race of the bearing, remove the ball/roller cage, then cut almost through the inner race. Then drive a thin cold chisel or a big screwdriver into the cut, axially, not into the shaft. The race should pop, and if you keep the chisel/screwdriver in the split you can slide it right off. The tighter they are the easier they split. You should clean the shaft first and again before putting on the new bearing. You could gently heat the new bearing up to 150F and it should slide right on.
 
Many years ago I had a '64 Chevy Suburban with a drive shaft like that. Used to blow those middle drive shaft bearings every 15k miles like clockwork. Always carried a spare and the tools to change it. Changed one in the supermarket parking lot once. Had a 292 straight 6 in it that used to blow the water pump bearings at about the same rate.
 

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