Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

WELL, Thank You Bill!.
Good to have a real mechanic/machinist contribute.
Your explanation makes so much sense it probably is correct!!
Apparently the shims come only in one .003" thickness and in my too frequent
experience repacking rear axle bearings there are usually 2 shims.
SO, if you leave out the shims the axle is pressing on the outer bearing race which could lead to premature wear.
Not something you would notice when driving but not a good situation after many miles.
311s "TECH GURU Gold Star" award for Bill.!

Ted.

Linda wrote:Sorry Ted, too busy to take on the shim project. But you are retired so I nominate you. Make a tracing and post.
And yes I hope to drive Solvang but if not I'll drive one of your " somebody else did the work" Roadsters.....
Linda

OUCH, LOW BLOW!
Linda, have consideration for my advancing years.!
Not as easy or fun getting under the roadsters these days.
BUT I still do all my own work. It is the "COWBOY WAY"!
(But somethings do not get done as quick as they should.)
Always more fun and easier to buy another roadster!

Ted, SENIOR (older than Stan!) 311s member.

Finished both rear axles, including the shims. The shim center bore has to be bigger than the bearing, so 64 mm or so should work. This pic shows that the shim needed some trimming but gives an idea. It was traced from the housing not an intact shim since I didn't have one. It's ugly but works You can cut the material with small scissors. Linda

Datrock wrote:I still have tools from my Lathe operating days so I used my Depth mic and measured the bearing pocket that was machined in the axle's hub, the one I happened to measure was .005-.006" less than the 16MM bearing thickness, which make perfect sense to me, that way during production of the axle hub, the bearing pocket could be machined with a tolerance that was less than but not greater than the 16mm depth, so the .003" shims x 2 between the hub and backing plate just made up the difference. If the bearing pockets were deeper than 16mm then a spacer behind the bearing would have been needed for the backing plate to secure it...Bill

Brilliant! That, by far, is the best explanation I've heard. So, where do we go from here?

From my post: http://www.311s.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.ph ... 22#p186920

Clymer tells you to add shims and gives you the part number (still available from Nissan) but, never tells you what the measurement should be. Chilton gives you all kinds of specs for the differential specific to each model (including SPL311 and SRL 311) but… when it comes to axle end play it shows: 0.012”-0.020” for the WBL510; 0.004” for the LB110; 1st axle 0.033-0.043” / 2nd axle 0.004” for the L320/L520. Nothing for the roadster. The only manual that shows a measurement for the roadster is the paper re-print manual I got from Dean years ago, 0.012”-0.020”.

With your measurements, it sounds like you need to measure the pocket and then add shims until you have enough shims to keep the bearing from binding. Maybe that's why none of the manuals have measurements. Simplest answer may be to put the same amount of shims back in and forget about measuring.

Linda wrote:Sorry Ted, too busy to take on the shim project. But you are retired so I nominate you. Make a tracing and post.
And yes I hope to drive Solvang but if not I'll drive one of your " somebody else did the work" Roadsters.....
Linda

Did you check to see if they are NLA.

when I check the internet sources for 43036-04100.....I see a price of <$2 each.

Out of production.
Linda

Will try to listen for scraping with a load on the wheels.

Sounds like a wheel bearing.