Just did a rebuild on my torque tube, and after having to hammer the center shaft loose with a broom handle and a lot of swearing, I went to stick the shaft back in after the bearings were replaced, and it goes all the way through without touching the sides. It feels like I have about 2-3mm of clearance (can pick up the center shaft and rattle it against the inner bearings.

I'm going to guess that's not correct, right?

 

You are correct!

Sounds like the re-used bearing inserts came out of the bearings.

After removing the drive shaft again look inside to see if the bearing inserts are still in place.

By the way, just want to confirm this is not a Super Bearing rebuild, right?

Good luck,

 

Missing the bearing inner sleeves.

http://www.jageng.com/garage9/produc...products_id=79

 

I used the Jageng inserts last year when I did my TT.

 

Ah crap, I'll bet that's it, that looks like it'd take up just the right diameter. Holy crap, is that $22 EACH? Or for a set of 3?

 

Nope, not a super bearing rebuild, as awesome as the super bearings looked, I couldn't justify the extra expense right now.

 

Normally the sleeves are reused unless they are worn. Whoever did your bearings should have retrieved them or at least told you they were bad.

 

Where did your original sleeves go ?

Still sitting in the old bearings ?

On the bench and you forgot them?

You did put them back in the new bearings but when you drove the shaft back into the bearing carriers the shaft drove the sleeves out of the bearings - shoulda put the sleeves in from the other side.

Worst

You put the carriers iin the TT the wrong way around so that driving the shaft back in drove the bearings and sleeves out of the carriers?

Don't feel bad - done a combination of the last two in one hit. Yep it all to come back out and get done again the right way around.

 

All the inner sleeves are worn at this point.

 

I just did a TT on a 90 S4 with 100K miles and the sleeves were snug. The ones on my 89 are still OK at 219K miles.

 

Snug or tight?

They will go away and those shiny rings you probably saw on the drive shaft will get worse as the drive shaft coating is worn away due to the drive shaft spinning within those old inserts. Those new delrin pieces are no better.

As far as your 928, it must be the magical Unicorn of the 928 world!

Cheers,

 

If someone else did bearing swap there is also possibility that shaft is 25mm and bearing carriers were mixed with later 28mm shaft versions.

 

Real worst is I did them myself and threw away the old bearings at a friend's house (whose vice I borrowed to press them in). I'm calling him today to see if he's still got them in his garage somewhere.

 

Not to nitpick, but with that justification, we should all be replacing our engines instead of changing the oil.

 

Having rebuilt hundreds of torque tubes at this point I can tell you that most are not worn out.