1950s 40s and 50's Cadillacs, roller bearings for your Cadillac

[Cadman-iac]

  I don't believe in secrets, I think it's hard enough to figure out how to repair and modify or upgrade your car, and these companies that won't divulge any information on their upgrade parts and kits are just feeding on your lack of knowledge.
So that being said,  here is how to convert your ball-bearing hubs over to a roller-bearing hub on any 54 thru 56 Cadillac, and probably earlier years as well. I believe Cadillac began this style of spindle and hub design starting with the 1941 models, but I don't have any hands-on with anything earlier than the 55 myself.
So, to do this, you're going to need a pair of hubs from any 1961 to 1968 Cadillac with drum brakes.
To make this work, you will have to remove the drums from the hubs if the offset is not the same as your original drums.  I discovered with my 63 brake drums that they were a half an inch shallower than the 56 drums, and the 69 and up drums. You will be able to tell by setting them side by side and compare the height of the center of the drum where it mates with the hub. If they are the same, then you won't need to remove the drums and swap them, unless they are bad, then you will want to use your original drums.
To remove the drums on my set, I used a cut-off wheel to cut the wheel studs off flush with the drum and then supported the hub from below while I drove the remaining pieces of studs out.
My drums from the 63 parts car were worn out, so I didn't care if they were damaged coming off, but I didn't want to damage the hubs, thus the support from below. I used a deep socket under the head of the studs, but a piece of pipe or something else that will keep the flange of your hub from being bent is a really good idea.

The next thing to remove is the grease catcher ring, or slinger, on the back of the hubs. This will interfere with the one already on your backing plate, so it's not needed anyway.

Now this part is critical, nothing will work without it. It's the spacer that takes the place of the original ball bearing inner race on the inner bearing. The original race acts as a spacer and the sealing surface for the wheel seals.
I still have to find a machinist willing to cut me out a pair of spacers either from the original races, or from new stock.
Here are the dimensions it has to have. This will also determine where your brake drum sits in relation to the backing plate and the shoes.

The height, or thickness of the spacer is .4575 inches. This is the most critical dimension.
The outer diameter of the spacer is 2.00 inches, this is. 008" bigger than the original race is, but if you're going to use new rubber seals, this will help to prevent any leakage.

The inner diameter of the spacer is 1.378 inches. Your spindle is 1.375 inches, so this gives you just enough clearance for it to slide on and not get stuck.

I'll post pictures of what I'm referring to.

Since I don't have the spacers cut out yet, to mock this up I used an outer roller bearing outer race as my spacer to get my measurements. It was just slightly taller than the ideal and just slightly smaller in diameter than ideal, but it allowed me to check everything out and make sure that it's going to work.

If you notice, my brakes are not stock.  I've got self adjusters, and newer shoes from a 69 and up, along with all the related hardware.
I've also upgraded to the 69 and up brake drums as these have a lot more cooling fins and a lot more meat to the drum.
I did have to modify the backing plate in order to fit the drums. I had to trim the outer lip off the backing plate so it matched the ones on the rear plates on the 69 I took the drums from.

So now I have bigger drums, self-adjusting brakes, with roller bearings up front, and matching brakes on the rear. I'm using the rear axle assembly from the 69 as well.
Now I can stop Norma Jean safely and not have to worry about finding parts if necessary.

Here are the dimensions again in one place to make it easier to copy if you want.

Thickness: .4575"
        ID: 1.378"
        OD: 2.000"


Oh, and you have to have a small taper in the back on the inside diameter just like the original race has so it will seat against the back of the spindle. If you don't have this, it will get stuck on the spindle where it tapers.

  I hope this helps anyone interested in converting your hubs to roller bearings. I believe it's well worth the effort, but it's your choice.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I'll do my best to answer them for you.

Also, once I have the spacers made ill post pictures of them for you so you can see exactly what I'm referring to here.

Rick

  Edit:  I wanted to also mention that the spindles on the ball-bearing cars are the same size as the roller-bearing cars. The ONLY difference is on the roller-bearing cars the "spacer" is built into the spindles, on the ball-bearing cars you have to add this to the spindle.

Also, you will need to use your original brake drums if the offset or depth of your new drums and hubs is different than your original ones, so you will have to remove the hubs from them too. Here's where you have to be really careful. You don't want to bend or damage your drums, so you must support the hubs from the back when you are removing the wheel studs.
You will need to buy new studs for the new hubs. Since the original studs are swedged into place, they probably won't be reusable.
If you're not comfortable doing this, you can have a machine shop do it for you. Just let
them know that these are rare parts so please be careful.

[Lexi]

As a newly minted "Cadillac God", you are really shaking up the Cadillac world. When complete I assume that you will be able to use OEM Cadillac wheels? Or will you have to sacrifice vintage Sabre rims and/or deep dish hubcaps and go for an alternate wheel? Clay/Lexi

[Cadman-iac]

As a newly minted "Cadillac God", you are really shaking up the Cadillac world. When complete I assume that you will be able to use OEM Cadillac wheels? Or will you have to sacrifice vintage Sabre rims and/or deep dish hubcaps and go for an alternate wheel? Clay/Lexi

  That's the great thing about this conversion. The later hubs, (at least the 63 hubs I'm using anyway, and I have no reason to suspect any year within the 61 to 68 range will be any different), have the exact same offset that the 56 hubs have, so if I had wanted, I could have used my original drums instead of the ones I am going with now. I went with the newer drums because I think they will cool better, and I upgraded the brakes with the self adjusters to hopefully eliminate manually adjusting the brakes every 6 months or whatever interval you are using.
So your stock drums and wheels or your Sabre wheels will all fit and no one will ever know that the hubs and bearings were ever changed.

I appreciate the "status" designation, but I'm just trying to help out anyone who is tired of fighting with ball bearing adjustments and the cost of replacement bearings. This will give us all a better option as far as price, maintenance and longevity.

Read, use, spread the word so to speak, and enjoy your car without having to constantly worry about whether or not you got the adjustment correct ever again.

I give this information free to anyone who may want it. It shouldn't be a "trade secret" to be used for profit.

Rick

[Cadman-iac]

Here are some pictures of what I meant by the "offset" on the brake drums.



  This first picture is of a 56 drum on top, and a 63 drum on the bottom. You can see the difference in how much the center expands past the cast outer portion.
This center part determines where the outer part sits in relation to the shoes and the backing plate. If it's incorrect, then the shoes won't make full contact across their width, and there will be a gap between the drum and the backing plate, allowing dirt and water to get into the brakes.



This is a 63 hub and drum still attached together. Neither of the two from this car have the slot cut into the outer edge. It does have an opening to adjust the shoes through.



  This one is a 55 I think. At least it came with the car when I got it.
You can see the taller center around the hub.
I do have a question for owners of 55's and older years. Is this drum the correct on for a 55, or is it typical of a replacement drum? The wheel studs are swedged like any original one would be, so I'm curious about it.
The other thing about this one and the matching one from the other side is that neither one has the typical slot cut into the outer edge for checking the shoe clearance.

[Cadman-iac]

  Well, I guess I caught myself lying here. I clicked on the "my posts" option when I was looking for some information, and just out of curiosity, I went to the last, or first page of posts, not sure how they're numbered exactly.
Anyway, I found a thread I started on my brake upgrades and read through everything again. That's when I realized I had made a mistake when I said I'm using 69 drums on this thread.  Technically it's not a lie, as the drums are the same from 69 to 76 and maybe earlier than that as well.
But it just proves that as we age our memories are fuzzy and a little less reliable, and it's a good idea to write things like this down for future reference.
I did write down all the information on which parts I used to get the self-adjusters on this system. Now I just have to remember where I put the list. I know it's here somewhere.

Rick

[Cadman-iac]

  Success!!!

I paid a visit to the machine shop that I've done a little business with in the past, and he's become a friend over the years.
Anyway, I asked him about doing the modifications on the original ball bearing inner races to turn them into spacers. He said that he didn't want to do it, but to follow him into the shop and then he would show me how to use this particular machine.
So after a minute of instruction, he turned me loose to do what I wanted.
An hour and a half later I had 3 perfect spacers for my Cadillac.





This is the machine I used to grind down the races to turn them into spacers. It's got a magnetic work bed that moves left and right manually or automatically, and the head moves in and out also manually or automatically.
So I had the pieces on the bed and set it to rock back and forth, while I moved the grinder head in and out manually, taking off about .0025 to .003 thousands at a time.
So now I'm the proud owner of 3 hens teeth. A pair of spacers to use and 1 as a spare.
  Here's what it looks like on the spindle.




  Here's the hub mounted with the new spacer behind it. Note the hole for the cotter key is perfectly positioned.


These are the 3 hens teeth.



I told my friend that he could make these and sell them for a decent price, but he doesn't want to be involved, so if you're wanting a set, find yourself a good machine shop that will do the job for you.

The critical dimension is the thickness of the spacer, which is .4575 inches. When cut down, that's just a little past where the actual running surface for the ball bearings used to be, so when it's done there is no evidence of that surface left. If you use your existing inner race, it's already the correct inner and outer diameters, it just needs shortened.

Good luck to all who want to try converting over to the roller bearing hubs. I've figured out the hard part, so take that information and go take a shot at it.

Rick

[Lexi]

Rick that is incredible. You have provided a viable alternative to keeping an important operational component alive on these cars. Well done! Clay/Lexi

[Cadman-iac]

  Thank you Clay.

  Very true, as the roller bearing is far superior to the ball bearing.
The really nice thing about this conversion is that unless you physically remove the hub, you can't tell it's not the original one. The slightly smaller outer diameter would give it away, but unless you have the hubcap off and use a caliper to measure the hub, you'd never know.
Only by removing it and exposing the bearings would anyone be able to tell. And if you use your original drums with this roller bearing hub, even looking at it from underneath wouldn't reveal the conversion.
So like the electronic ignition conversion Pertronics, the "con" is never exposed, so to speak.
A win win for all owners of this era Cadillac.

It's also something that you don't need expensive parts to convert your car with. A pair of hubs is all that's required that you don't already have. The spacer is made from your original ball-bearing race, and you can have that done by a local machine shop.
The only thing is that the ball-bearing hubs are useless afterward if you use the inner races to make the spacers.
If you have any old races that are in good condition, you can have them made into your spacers instead, leaving your original hubs and bearings to be used if you ever want to convert your car back to original.

  Rick

[Cadman-iac]

  If I marketed this as a "kit" to convert your hubs to roller bearings, or someone else did it, how many of you would buy it?
I'm not trying to profit from this in any way. I'm giving this information free to anyone who wants it. I don't think this kind of thing should be kept as a "trade secret" so if you want to convert your car to a better bearing, you have to go through the "supplier" for all the necessary parts.
I've been working off and on with this project for about 3 or 4 years now, and I've asked others if they knew of any way to do this. I even contacted the suppliers of the disc brake conversions if their kits required a spacer for the wheel seals to ride on and to act as a stop point for the inner bearing, but they refused to divulge any information.
So to hell with them and their strangle hold on a limited market base.
Here's how you can do it yourself for just what you can find the used parts for, and what the necessary new bearings and seals may cost you if you need them, and whatever your machinist is willing to charge for his services.
This spacer is a non-wear item that should never need to be replaced again, and the rest of the parts, except the hubs, are easily obtained from a parts store.
Unlike the custom made rotors, caliper brackets, and whatever else they say you need to install disc brakes on your classic Cadillac with ball bearings currently.
When one of their custom made parts goes bad, where are you going to get a replacement? You are stuck dealing with them and paying their ridiculous prices. (And honestly, where do you think that they have these "custom made parts" manufactured? I'll guarantee that it's not in the good old US of A! One manufacturer even admitted to me when I asked, that they have their stuff made in China). And that's if they're still in business by then.
Enough said, it's yours for the using, try it if you want, ignore it if you will. I've done my part. My car now has roller bearings and I'm happy!
Enjoy your cars!!

Rick

[Lexi]

Makes sense to me. As the latest member to hold "Cadillac God" status, you are certainly providing valuable information to those with Cadillacs from that era. Clay/Lexi

[Cadman-iac]

  So just to illustrate what the difference is between the stock 56 drums and the 69 to 76 drums as far as how much they extend into the airflow to dissipate the heat they generate, here's a picture of the newer drum with a stock 56 wheel bolted in place. As you can see, there's a good bit of the drum that sticks out past the inner edge of the wheel. The cooling fins are exposed to more airflow than what the stock drums would be, thus keeping the brakes cooler and more effective.



 As you can see in this picture, the tie rod end is in place and easily clears the drum, as does the steering arm.



 I'll post a picture of how the stock 56 drums fit behind the stock 56 wheels tomorrow. I thought I had a picture of this already, but when I went to post it, I couldn't find it. So I'll get that posted tomorrow for comparison with the newer drum.

  Rick

[64\/54Cadillacking]

I second Clay on everything he said, simply amazing! The time, information, and dedication you made to making the transition to the roller bearing setup is incredible Rick.

I have yet to touch and inspect the brakes on my '54, but is there some kind of flaw with the ball bearing setup on our Cads? I'm not too well informed between the 2 different kinds of bearings. The times I've driven the car up and down the street, the car seems to brake fine considering how long it has been sitting. But at the same time, I don't drive the car on regular busy streets, just in the neighborhood of my fathers house.

[Cadman-iac]

  The ball bearings are a decent bearing design, they worked for years on everything GM made through 1959, but they were sensitive to adjustment. Just a little variance from the specifications and you're replacing them long before they should be.
The roller-bearing is a much better design and is more forgiving as far as the adjustment goes.
When a ball-bearing is not adjusted properly, it can cause the balls to wear prematurely. Because of how the races are designed, a loose adjustment will allow the balls to "chatter" within their track, and because they only have a small contact patch with each race, they tend to gall easily which begins a vicious pattern and once started, will only end badly.
A roller-bearing has a much greater contact area with each race, and therefore it takes a lot more "abuse" before any damage occurs, and they don't tend to chatter like the ball bearings will. But it is much easier to adjust a roller-bearing hub too. Even when adjusted loosely they perform well. I wouldn't recommend misadjusting a roller-bearing, but if it happens without your realization, you have a much better chance of catching it before there is any damage.
There are a lot of stories about ball bearings getting destroyed in a very short time frame, unlike the roller-bearing.
My first experience with a bad ball bearing was back in 1980, about 150 miles after a thorough cleaning and repacking on my 56 Chevrolet I had at the time. It left me stuck at the top of the continental divide in New Mexico 30 miles from any towns in either direction.
So I'm not a fan of the ball bearing design at all. And you can find several other people here on the forums that would echo that sentiment as well.
 There are several threads on this very subject just recently too, that will explain the problem with this design. One member had I think he said 5 bearings go bad on his car in a very short time frame, I don't remember what his name was, but another member, Clay Foley/Lexi is going through a similar experience right now.
  I hope I've answered some of your questions about why these bearings are not the greatest style to have, but also now you have a choice and a chance to switch to a better design without compromise, and without exposure of the change to a judge if you place your car in a competition.

 Rick

[Cadman-iac]

 

 Here is the picture I promised to post on how the stock 56 brake drum fits behind the stock 56 wheels.
 As you can see, no part of the stock drum sticks out beyond the stock wheel, so very little airflow can reach the drums to cool them down, which will contribute to a brake fade situation if you need to apply the brakes in a panic stop or while descending a steep grade.

  Unlike wheels used today that allow some airflow through them to aid in cooling the drums, the stock wheels for 1956 have no openings to let air pass over the drums.
 Even if there were holes in the wheels, the stock wheel covers would not allow any airflow.
  So you can see the advantages of using the newer design drums on these older cars.

 Rick

[Roger Zimmermann]

With the newer drum, the tie rod end is too near from the drum. With the expected flexion, there will be some noise!

[Cadman-iac]

With the newer drum, the tie rod end is too near from the drum. With the expected flexion, there will be some noise!

 Hi Roger,

 I'll take a better picture of the tie-rod clearance. I don't believe that the "flexion" would be great enough to cause any contact between the tie-rod and drum, or the steering arm and drum. Most any flexing would likely occur in the wheel itself.

 Rick

[Cadman-iac]

  Here is another view of the tie-rod clearance and the newer drum. It has an 1/8 inch between the two parts.
And if more room is needed, I can always increase the height of the spacer or lightly trim the edge of the steering arm. But I doubt either method will be necessary. I'll cross that bridge when I get to that point.
Good eye on the details Roger. Thanks for pointing that out.





Rick

[Lockhouse]

Hi Rick,

Great work, apologies for being slow on the uptake but I seem to have missed which actual roller bearings you used?

Both the sets of front bearings on my '55 are newish and I've had the hubs off both wheels and they look fine but they squeak like anything even though they've been checked and repacked so any alternative is very welcome.

Best regards,

Andy

[Cadman-iac]

Hi Rick,

Great work, apologies for being slow on the uptake but I seem to have missed which actual roller bearings you used?

Both the sets of front bearings on my '55 are newish and I've had the hubs off both wheels and they look fine but they squeak like anything even though they've been checked and repacked so any alternative is very welcome.

Best regards,

Andy

Hi Andy,

This squeaking you have, it wouldn't be the shoes scrapping the drum by chance?  The bearings should not be squeaking at all if they are greased.

In order to switch the bearings from ball to roller, you will have to switch the hubs as well. I used a set of hubs from a 1963 Cadillac, but any from 1961 to 1968 will work.
I tried to find a roller-bearing that would fit in place of the ball bearings just so I didn't have to change the hubs, but those bearings apparently don't exist.
So to do this it is necessary to swap your hubs.
All the information you need is in this thread, and so I don't repeat myself I'll just refer you to the beginning here.
Just be aware of everything that is involved before you try this. There are several things that you need to check, like the drums that will come with the new hubs. If the offset is not the same, you will have to swap drums and use your original ones. Removing the drums is an operation that is best left to a machine shop if you have never done it before. Damage will occur if the process is not done  correctly.
You will also need a machine shop to cut down the inner races to be used as spacers for the new hubs and roller bearings.
So I recommend that you read through this several times and understand everything you need to do before making your decision.
That being said, if you decide to go for the conversion, I think you will be very happy with the results.

Rick