# Contact angle on wheel bearings



## 140mower (Feb 21, 2022)

I'm making some wheel adapters for my old truck and I need to turn registers on my hubs. Was thinking about using aluminum and turning cones to match the bearing races, and too lazy to go looking when you guys probably already know. 
Anybody know off hand what the contact angle of a wheel bearing might be? It's a 1978 f350 if it makes much difference.


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## 140mower (Feb 21, 2022)

Or, alternatively, would I be better off turning bushes to fit the inner bearing diameter and dogging the hub back to the drive plate, effectively turning them on their own bearings..... ( Might have just solved my problem)...


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## Darren (Feb 21, 2022)

I'd guess that the angle may vary depending upon the bearing manufacturer.

Take the entire spindle off and use that. Its 6 bolts...

Or buy a set of cheap bearing/seal drivers


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## 140mower (Feb 21, 2022)

It's a kingpin, so no bolts. Was thinking that they would be similar as I don't remember the cones on a brake lathe being different angles, but it has been a few years, ok, decades.


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## Chicken lights (Feb 21, 2022)

dfloen said:


> I'd guess that the angle may vary depending upon the bearing manufacturer.
> 
> Take the entire spindle off and use that. Its 6 bolts...
> 
> Or buy a set of cheap bearing/seal drivers


On a Ford front axle spindle pretty sure it’s 5 nuts 
So even faster!


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## 140mower (Feb 21, 2022)

dfloen said:


> I'd guess that the angle may vary depending upon the bearing manufacturer.
> 
> Take the entire spindle off and use that. Its 6 bolts...
> 
> Or buy a set of cheap bearing/seal drivers


Trying not to go to town..... Apparently I am not fiscally responsible when I go to town or some such.....
 I have lots of aluminum plate pieces and plenty of time..... I consider shop time to be couples therapy, and I need lots of that I am told.


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## Darren (Feb 21, 2022)

a kingpin d60 still has a removeable spindle that unbolts from the knuckle


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## 140mower (Feb 21, 2022)

It's a 2 wheel drive dually, making adapters to convert from stud centric to hub centric rims...... It's more the challenge than what makes sense.


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## 140mower (Feb 21, 2022)

dfloen said:


> a kingpin d60 still has a removeable spindle that unbolts from the knuckle


I have one of those in my 79..... That is a future plan for this truck as f350 weren't available in 4x4 dually from the factory.


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## Everett (Feb 21, 2022)

Instead of matching the angles, how about 2 aluminum discs with large radii on them?  If the discs are the same OD's as the bearing cups then the radius will have full diameter contact inside the cups on the roller contact surface.  Then as long as the center line of the discs is kept center of the spindle axis, you're laughing.


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## 140mower (Feb 21, 2022)

Everett said:


> Instead of matching the angles, how about 2 aluminum discs with large radii on them?  If the discs are the same OD's as the bearing cups then the radius will have full diameter contact inside the cups on the roller contact surface.  Then as long as the center line of the discs is kept center of the spindle axis, you're laughing.


That doesn't sound complicated enough..... I was a foreman at one time. 
Thanks that sounds like the best plan yet......


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## Darren (Feb 21, 2022)

Ok. Sorry, thought it was 4x4. Yeah, make a pair of cones, or make a bull or pipe center and hold the other end in the chuck if you can


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## 140mower (Feb 21, 2022)

My reason for wanting to turn between centers is that there are very few machined surfaces to grip and index off of properly, and I need to turn a small register on the inside of the front hub and on the outside of the rear. The rears are easy as they just need spacer rings, but the front needs to register inside the old hub and inside the newer style rims.


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