Early Diff carriers

[Dan Hatch]

Found a rear end carrier with bronze bushings where the axle gears ride. Other than being able to replace these bushings when they wear out. What other advantages are there to the early ones. I know Ford probably stopped using them for cost.
Any input? Thanks Dan

[speedytinc]

Note the gear race OD is smaller than later gears. I wonder if there is/was a greater tendency to crack/split @ the key way of the earlier gear.
I agree with the cost saving nature of the change. As we know from the longevity of later carriers. the bushings were not necessary.
I also wonder the ID of the carrier in the bushing hole. 1.812 is later standard. If you remove the bushings, do you have basically a NEW carrier axle wise??

[RGould1910]

The earliest diff carries also had bushings inside the spider gears and the 3 spider posts were thinner. If you remove the bushings, they fit a later spider with the wider posts.

[Daisy Mae]

My '14 carrier was so wallered out that my machine shop suggested this very thing as a fix, to machine the carrier and press in brass, then machine/size the axle gears to fit.
While I kept all my parts for future potential rebuild, I just bought a good carrier from Dan for my rebuild, and replaced my brass bearing spiders with a good later unit.

[Dan Hatch]

John: As far as removing the bushing, I don’t think the finish on the bore for the bushing would work as is.
By the time you clean up the bore, it may be too big.
Only way to tell is do it, but I have too many new ones to do that.
Anyone know when they changed the carrier, removed the bushing? Dan

[Daisy Mae]

Mine is a March '14, presuming the axle was original given the DB axle shafts, babbitt thrusts, and it had bronze bushed spiders...but it didn't have a bronze bushed carrier...so had to be prior to early 14 anyway...