Spicer xc OEM carrier bearing alternative (4wd ONLY)

Merry Christmas

 

Merry Christmas to you too

 

Any updates? I’m probably gonna order and tackle this soon

 

still works great

 

That’s what I like to hear lol

 

I put mine on last weekend. The notorious take-off vibe I've had for the past two years is gone, which is amazing. But my driveshaft angles are all wonky. I bolted this Spicer cb up in it's original orientation, so the bearing sits too low. We did cut some square tubing spacers to flip the installation of it, but I need to get a hold of some M10 bolts long enough first. But like I said, even with the weird angles the truck is almost entirely vibe free. I think I might have some very slight, consistent vibes at 40 and 60 mph, but not sure if it's just in my head. They're very subtle.

Once I get the bolts I'll try the spacers and see what difference they make.

 

I decided to get the UKF SKFHB238040 bearing off rockauto and swapped it the other weekend to fix the takeoff vibes. Got it swapped, re-installed with my ~3/8" drop spacer and it was BAD. I must have enough wrap that I was binding the U-joint and the ears were hitting the center, which means that bearing was too soft and moved around a lot. I went and picked up enough washers and long enough bolts to do a ~0.8" drop and those vibes and my binding noise/feel is gone.

 

Update: after driving around for a week or so with the Spicer cb and no spacers, it's now obvious that there were some very subtle, consistent vibes around 40mph. After finally getting bolts long enough, last night I inverted the cb and threw on 2.5" spacers. Eyeballing the driveshaft the angles look much more normal now. But.... now the takeoff vibe is back a bit lol. After not having it for a couple weeks now, it sucks feeling it again. The good news is that the ~40mph vibe is gone and it feels a lot smoother now.

So, I don't know..... I'm just getting bored and annoyed trying to solve this. I think the next step would be to try 3+" spacers, but we'd have to order longer bolts from McMaster, as the ones we got are barely long enough for the 2.5" spacers.

 

I feel you on that. I tried everything and still had a little vibe. Ended up just leaving it and when I added the camper shell it went away. Smooth sailing now.

 

What kind of vibe is it at 40? Are you sure it isn't a front needle bearing issue? Is it a vibe or more of a noise? When my needle bearing was giving me trouble it was a slower rythmic thump at about 35

 

No, I have the ECGS already. It was just a low-level vibe around 40mph. It was subtle enough that, when I first put this cb on, I just thought it was normal road/tire vibes. But now that the cb has been rotated after a couple weeks, it's immediately noticeable how much smoother those speeds feel.

I assume it was just stress on one or more of the ujoints. If I had to choose between the vibes, I'd much rather have the take-off vibe. I imagine constant ujoint vibes will lead to issues sooner than later.

 

Yeah I have the takeoff vibes and I hate it

 

Just installed this one after my last purchase went to crap in a matter of weeks. Found a slightly messed up center joint and a roasted and seized rear joint, on the grease zerk cap no less.... Still have vibes on takeoff with 2.25" so I may try a little more spacer...

 

Pump the brakes!
Did your bearing come packed with grease and include a dust cover?
Unlike the IEDLS poly bearing.....this Spicer bearing (Spicer 211590-1X) isn't a sealed bearing. Spicer makes the XC line with sealed bearings....but they haven't made one yet to fit the Tacoma shaft.
Having followed this thread....I ordered the bearing....only to find that it is a greased bearing with no way to keep particulates out. A call to Dana Spicer confirmed my fears. This bearing is not meant as an upgrade to the Spicer 5002007 bearing...and will probably fail prematurely....as it has no seal like the stock bearing does.

 

Odd

mine was 100% a sealed bearing with the same part number. I have thousands of miles on it too.

this part is for a ford truck btw NOT a tacoma

 

I vaguely remember reading in the IELDS that this bearing was sealed as well, I have one sitting in the garage waiting I'll have to check

 

There is grease on the bearing but under the grease it should be fully sealed. Mine is still going strong! Definitely glad I did this bearing. Super cheap.

 

I could be wrong....certainly wouldn't be the first time. Or more accurately....the Spicer "tech" guy could be wrong.
While the Spicer XC bearing is advertised as sealed...I couldn't find literature on the 211590-X to confirm that it is sealed. The Spicer "tech" guy said it isn't.
Just so happens that I own a Ranger as well....so was able to visually inspect. It appears that I have the same carrier bearing, which has the dust cover in front, but is open to the elements on the rear-facing end.
So.....must be a sealed bearing.
I'll be calling the Spicer "tech" guy again Monday to confirm/give him an earful.
Sorry for any confusion.

 

Easy to double check when it’s off the vehicle

 

So.....I took the Spicer 211590-X bearing over to my tranny guy (he hates it when I call him that ) to ask him about it. He took one look at it and said, "nope....not a sealed bearing. If it was a sealed bearing...it wouldn't be packed with grease and have a dust cover."
Of course...that's what gave me pause as well. I told him the whole story about reading all the various Tacoma carrier bearing threads....acquiring the bearing.....and all of the subsequent discussions with my bearing distributor and Spicer "tech" guy. Also....that my lifted Ranger appears to have the same bearing, and has been through a decade of off-road abuse.
After wiping off gobs of grease to show him that the bearing appears to be sealed....he was visably confused. "Why on earth would they pack so much grease on it?" he asked.
After more calls to my PNW bearing distributor....who have been trying to help me deal with this.....it turns out that Spicer can't guarantee the bearing is sealed because they apparently don't make the inner bearing.
What to do now? I've had my truck in the air for over two weeks.
How many miles do you guys have on that bearing?