53 solid axle question

[exwestracer]

I'm new to these trucks, so please bear with me...

Anyone know of a later model tapered bearing hub that will easily adapt to the stock 53 pickup spindle? I'm using the axle in a student "rat rod" project, so big brakes and that sort of thing aren't an issue. The stock ball bearings and drum brakes on this truck were junk, so I figured I'd just go ahead and try to update everything.

Thanks in advance.
Ray Kaufman
Chassis Fab instructor
Wyotech, Blairsville PA

[solidaxel]

Try LMC Trudks or maybe Brother's pick-up parts, or some of the vendors on the board should have them.
I have had luck in the past with trying to find grease seals for front hubs with different OD and ID I used a local bearing house and they were able to match these items up.
I am sure you will find them in the vendors catalogs.

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by exwestracer

I'm new to these trucks, so please bear with me...

Anyone know of a later model tapered bearing hub that will easily adapt to the stock 53 pickup spindle? I'm using the axle in a student "rat rod" project, so big brakes and that sort of thing aren't an issue. The stock ball bearings and drum brakes on this truck were junk, so I figured I'd just go ahead and try to update everything.

Thanks in advance.
Ray Kaufman
Chassis Fab instructor
Wyotech, Blairsville PA

Are you aware that passenger car hubs will fit these axles and they have 5 lugs !!

[mr48chev]

The passenger car hubs also use ball bearings. You have to swap backing plates and shoes when you do the swap. I have 54 Car hubs on the front axle on the 48.

There have been some tech articles run on using the tapered bearings. People are using a die grinder to put a taper on the inside of the bearing cone (inner) to match the spindle. The outer bearing should be a pretty easy swap.

[exwestracer]

I'm guessing from the replies that there isn't a later roller bearing type hub that uses the same spindle dimensions (bolt on). Is that fair to say? Thanks for the replies.

[solidaxel]

I would wait a few days until all have had a chance to reply.

[exwestracer]

Btt...still hoping there's an easy answer out there. Seems like SOMETHING else should go on that spindle... Thanks.

[robin58]

Maybe I am misunderstanding you, but you just want some type of tapered roller bearing and different brakes? If so, Classic Performance sells the tapered bearings and the bracket to adapt early style Camaro discs and rotors. In reality if you halfway decent with cutting metal you wouldn't even need their brackets and could design your own.

[exwestracer]

Originally Posted by robin58

Maybe I am misunderstanding you, but you just want some type of tapered roller bearing and different brakes? If so, Classic Performance sells the tapered bearings and the bracket to adapt early style Camaro discs and rotors. In reality if you halfway decent with cutting metal you wouldn't even need their brackets and could design your own.

So just to make sure I've got this straight... They sell a bearing set that will go in the early Camaro hubs and fit onto the stock 53 spindles? That may be the answer I'm looking for. Please verify. Thanks.

[solidaxel]

I think robin58 is saying that they make a bearing set to fit YOUR hubs and a bracket to bolt onto the backing plate to accept the Camaro calibers, but if that is the case you would have to change the hubs to rotors and hubs, Maybe they make a rotor to fit over the stock hubs, Just thinking out loud !!
Look up Classic Performance Products CPPI think they are a sponcer

[lazerus]

speedway motors has a deluxe kit that includes rotors calipers and bearings for 250.00

[robin58]

Originally Posted by exwestracer

So just to make sure I've got this straight... They sell a bearing set that will go in the early Camaro hubs and fit onto the stock 53 spindles? That may be the answer I'm looking for. Please verify. Thanks.

Take a look at:

Bracket: http://www.classicperform.com/Store/...s/4759DBK5.htm

You'll need to buy the bearing kit too.

What you'll end up with is something similar to:

http://www.classicperform.com/Store/...s/4754CBK5.htm which is the whole kit and kaboodle (except for brake booster) for those who don't want to go and piece it together at a FLAPS. Doing this you'll get your tapered roller bearings, use your current axle, current spindles, and have disc brakes.

Or like Lazarus said, Speedway has something similar. Or alternatively if you have a really efficient FLAPS around you, I'd bet they could help put something together.

[mbgmike]

They are available from the vendors stated above and Brothers also. We have used kits from Speedway to. They all work. We sell our kits for $175.00 with the adaptor and disc brake brackets. The bearings you can buy locally. Its really not a hard job

[exwestracer]

Mike
I looked at your site but couldn't find the exact conversion application for the 53 truck. Can you post a link to the specific item? I don't need the master cyl or any of the brake system parts, really just the hubs and adaptors.

Thanks.

[mbgmike]

Originally Posted by exwestracer

Mike
I looked at your site but couldn't find the exact conversion application for the 53 truck. Can you post a link to the specific item? I don't need the master cyl or any of the brake system parts, really just the hubs and adaptors.

Thanks.

You could not find it because they are not on our site yet. Let me see if i can get a pic