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Post by cobber on Jul 31, 2008 16:48:48 GMT 10
At last I have discovered a bit about the wheel bearings on Ol' 36....it's only taken two years  . During those two years I have sent photos of the bearing to various bearing suppliers both in Australia and in the UK. Those who did respond had no suggestions as to what the bearing came off.  I recently put the photos on the “Classic and Vintage Vehicle” forum in the UK...a “Morgan” enthusiast almost immediately recognised them as having been used on the early “Morgan three wheeler” cars of the 1930's  .  So, do I want a Morgan Three wheeler as tow car................ I think not. I have added a bit more of the story on Ol' 36's thread for those who may be interested in this long running saga @ (in reply #7) vintagecaravans.proboards30.com/index.cgi?board=photo&action=display&thread=1300Cobber |
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Post by humpty2 on Jul 31, 2008 20:01:47 GMT 10
I'm still backing them to be about a "39 Hillman.
Did you see the Hillman advertised on Ebay about a month ago?
The wheels looked the real deal.
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Post by sportsman1 on Aug 1, 2008 13:12:54 GMT 10
Hi Cobber,
first of all I would suggest taking the bearings to your local bearing specialist and see if they can supply tapered roller bearings to the same dimensions as the originals.
If not let me know a number and dimensions and I will chase a bearing wizard I know here in Melbourne.
Cheers, Leigh.
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Post by cobber on Aug 1, 2008 15:00:35 GMT 10
G'day Humpty, A few learned folk, including yourself and KB, have suggested the wheels are early Hillman minx and I'm happy at long last to concede you are right   ...... but this post is about the bearings and they aint Hillman......... I don't think  Leigh, Thanks for your offer of assistance mate. I have been to every bearing supplier within cooee over the last two years, the closest they can get is 1mm too big on the OD and about 1mm too small on the ID. I have had to fit those bearings to the offside wheel but the nearside still has the originals, and I want to keep them if I can get a spare set of “Morgan” bearings, and there is a good chance that will happen. If you are thinking of Denis and Adrian @ AA Bearings I sent the bearing down to them a year ago.... they had them for two weeks trying to work out what they came off or find a match, no luck but they certainly did try to help. Cobber. |
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Post by cobber on Aug 21, 2008 17:55:18 GMT 10
TODAY .... I received TWO sets of 1931 “Morgan Three Wheeler” inner and outer bearings for Ol' 36............ I'm excited !!!!!! With a bit of shimming I will now be able to replace the bodgie bearings on the off side with the original type, and have a spare set if needed......... yippee ! Cobber. |
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Post by Geoff & Jude on Aug 21, 2008 18:58:56 GMT 10
hi cobber
if you need any engineering work done to fit the bearings, give me a call.
i have all the machines available to make any adaptors etc.
geoff 'n jude
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2008 21:57:49 GMT 10
Hi Cobber Have you given any consideration to the load bearing capabilitys of your bearings that fit a three wheeled Morgan . Those little Morgans didnt weigh much more than a motorcycle. Front end only had to support the weight of V twin motorbike motor set up at a low centre of gravity in the car. Just sort of wandering why the bearing that you have that is cracked and fractured ended up the way it did?? I mean... sure , someone could have been heavy handed adjusting it and managed to over tighten it. Or maybe the bearing give up due to lack of grease/ lubrication. Possibly ... just maybe .. the bearings arent capable of carrying the extra weight of what is a fairly heavy old caravan . If they are a small cup with only 5 or 6 balls in them, then the loading weight of a van might be a bit much and cause stress/ metal fatigue. Not trying to scare ya... just thought it might be worth considering before you proceed any further with installing the bearings.  Reddo |
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Post by cobber on Aug 22, 2008 9:31:30 GMT 10
G'day Geoff, Thanks for your offer mate, I may have to take you up on it down the track.... we'll see how we go with it Cobber. |
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Post by cobber on Aug 22, 2008 9:40:39 GMT 10
Reddo mate,
Yes...... I am aware of, and have considered the points you make.... and what I am doing may be the ultimate “keep it original” foolishness, but that's the path I'm going down... all things considered.
To modify it is easy, in fact when I got her the outer bearing on the off side had been replaced with a “Hoffmann” brand bearing, the inner bearing was not “cracked and fractured” just rough and noisy, the case hardening was RS so, because I had not been able to identify the bearings, I had to replace the inner with the nearest KSM brand bearing..... sadly this meant the hub had to be milled out to fit the KSM.
Now that I know the romantic history of the original bearings I am going to undo the modification.
Nobody will know what I have done except you... and me... and everybody who reads this thread...................... AND ME !
Cobber.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2008 10:17:39 GMT 10
Hi Cobber At no point did i mention "modifying" just suggesting that you should look closely at the reason why the bearings did what the did. If it could be proven that the bearings failed due to overload then it would be foolhardy to replace with the same bearings for the sake of originality. Lets face it the old girl behaved itself to Mt Gambier and back on patched up bearings. With new ones installed and adjusted properly in there, bearing failure probably wont be an issue in our lifetime. Whilever you/me/ or anyone else cant point out exactly why they failed then you can only surmise that they will be Ok for the next 80 years.. by that stage .. you, me and the rest of us here wont be too concerned  ;D. Reddo |
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Post by cobber on Sept 4, 2008 10:01:03 GMT 10
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Post by humpty2 on Sept 4, 2008 16:04:26 GMT 10
I could be wrong here Cobber but, I thought Morgan used a lot of Ford parts?
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Post by cobber on Sept 4, 2008 17:28:34 GMT 10
You're right Humpty, from 1932 onwards they used ford motors and maybe other bits, but these wheel bearings were made by “The British Hub Company” and used on three wheelers up to 1931 only, at that time Morgan used various motor bike engines to make 'em go. What has had me intrigued is.. who made up a three stud, one piece hub and brake drum, and put 1931 bearings in it. This latest theory of mine , after discovering the 1936 “Practical Mechanics” article that says the hubs for the £20 three wheeler can be obtained from “The British Hub Company”, indicates that BHC decided (after 1931) to use these bearings in hubs available to the DIY market.... including suppliers of kits for building caravans..... like Ol' 36. I might be barking up the wrong tree but it sounds good to me at the moment . Cobber. |
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