Shop has installed a '71 Wagon rear end in the Silver Bullet ('68 FlatTop), along with rear disc brake conversion. Problem: having great difficulity in matching up bearings/seals. The bearing replacement (CarQuest) ia an A-10, which seems to be correct. Last seal we tried was a 2689S - too loose, and too large for the axle itself. The correct dimension of th seal needs to be: 1.55 ID & 2.90 OD. can any of you Gurus help me/us out. You know what kind of a "hands on" car guy I am - NOT - so go easy! LOL! Aron

 

Aron,

Is the 71 axle out of a flattop or a Vista? The axles are different and I believe the bearings and seals are larger on the VC.

 

Google BDI Inc.…(Bearing Distributors Inc.) You may have one locally they are a national franchise? They can usually match what you have over the phone. Have your parts and dial calipers handy when talking with them. Numbers off the old parts are especially handy. They’ll usually offer a couple of choices of manufactures and different style seals, IE: single or double lip, spring loaded or standard grease seal etc...Remember always ask for USA made hardware. They will offer the offshore junk first for some reason, usually dollars.

 

The Vista Cruiser rear has the larger A-10 or SET-10 axle bearings.The correct axle seal for the Vista axle,with the A-10/SET-10 bearing,is # 2689-S. The regular wagon & Cutlass/442 rears have the A-9 or SET-9 axle bearings,with the 712146 axle seals.

 

Those are the numbers you need to give BDI. Thank 507! Almost garantee the Big Box house of china parts chains wont have them. A good NAPA or Federated might. Again watch out for offshore stuff.

 

THANKS TO ALL THE GURU'S FOR THE RESPONSES! The '71 rear is out of a FlatTop. AM off work today, so off to my place of work (CarQuest Auto Parts) and have the counter guys get the the bottom of this problem, hopefully. Worte all the numbers down, as memory isn't quite what it used to be................ha-ha!

 

Make sure you get the 712146 seal. there is a 2146 seal,but it is not as thick or wide,and might not allow the bearing race to seat against the cone,giving some unwanted play in there.