Axle play - how much?

[demuire]

Well, I have RA23 bearings on RA23 axles with an RA23 retainer plate. The problem it seems is the original RA23 drum backing plates is probably 4mm thick, where's the Bluebird disc backing plates are 7mm thick. I guess I shouldn't have assumed it was properly set up when I chucked it in the car...

So I guess yes, the options are to either put a 3mm spacer in (not sure if inside or outside at the moment... Inside is easier since I won't need to replace the bearings again, outside will be better load bearing on the bearing, but I guess it depends on when the disc sits central in the caliper - but that has been, and can be changed). If I put the spacer on the inside, then the bearing will have 10mm inside the diff and 7mm out, else it will have 13mm inside and 4mm out.

Or, find a 20mm thick bearing that will sit in the correct spot and go over an RA23 axle...

[demuire]

After speaking to mechanic, I cut the spacers with a hacksaw and spread them to get on the wheel side of the bearing. It sounded like a good idea at the time and I'm sure they still work just as effectively, but I must say, it's made putting the axles in a hello of a lot harder because they aren't quite round anymore (I couldn't seem to bend them back to exactly the same shape as they started out). Trying to get them to line up and slot into the hole was really really hard and time consuming! I hope I never ever have to take the axles out again!

Right axle now appears to have zero play (hmm, is this worrying? Considering the bearing itself has a tiny bit of play), but seems to spin freely, left axle has maybe about 0.5 or 1mm (didn't get a chance to measure properly). Calipers are back on, need to fill the diff back up with oil, put wheels on and see if it all works!

[Belly_up]

Unrelated but you get the same issue fitting commodore discs to a gemini diff, the drum brake backing plate is thicker than the disc one. Or so hotgemini tells me, unless this is just him typing using my login, which is likely too.

[BigMuz]

How'd you go with this mate?

[demuire]

There is a little bit of bearing noise, maybe left wheel bearing is dying. Calipers are dragging *BIG* time, not sure why this is. Maybe they were being pushed back before (with the axles moving in and out) so I never noticed how crappy they were, but now that the disc stays true the pads aren't releasing properly.

But anyway, no more side to side play in the axles, so one less problem

Thanks everyone