Wire Rope Sheave Bearing

[Blazemaster]

I am restoring an older model Autocrane and have gotten to the wire rope sheaves. There are 8 and all will need new bearings. The bearings have no markings but one was busted so I could see they are needle roller bearings. After doing some searching they look like single row airframe control bearings. Does this seem correct for a sheave bearing?

OD- 1.500"
ID- .625
Width- .750"

So far the only options I am getting are $85 each from an autocrane dealer.

Auto Crane 200100000 Bearing – B&B Truck Crane

Or $25 each for some chinese brand that doesnt get great reviews.

10NBF1224YJ WJB Airframe Bearing 10Nbf1224Yj R31I2 | eBay



I was hoping to find another option but not finding much. Any bearing experts out there?

 

[crossthread]

Have you considered oilite bronze bearings? If I am not mistaken this is a very low speed application. I have replaced a few sheave bearings and I can't really remember seeing needle bearings on any of them.

 

[johnoder]

Hard working little bearing - 6400 Lb capacity

Detail - Manufacturer of Smith Bearing Cam Followers by Accurate Bushing

Be nice to know actual loads it sees

As to Oilite - 4000 - 8000 Lbs per square inch. A .625 X .750 Oilite bearing will have .469 square inches of effective area in the bore

(Reference Machinery's Handbook 21st edition, page 599)

 

[idacal]

im as big of tight ass ass they come when it comes to buying bearings, (machining stuff out to metric because the bearings are cheaper ,buying the bearings then building to size type crap). but unless I could find name brand in the right size on that application would probably buy factory. a crappy needle bearing fracturing and locking up with a load on is a nightmare to get straightened out and usually takes out the cable by the time the load is off at least what i have experienced

 

[Blazemaster]

^This is exactly why I don't want to buy the china bearings, but $680 just for the sheave bearings is kinda out of my budget. I thought about oilite also since this is what most sheaves come with when you buy new, but would prefer a roller bearing. I also thought maybe I could find 2 thinner bearings that would stack and have a similar load rating but striking out on that as well. I very much appreciate the comments.

 

[john.k]

If the shafts are hard ,I would use bronze bushes.....any truck mounted application is going to brinnel needle rollers long before they wear out......All the top brand truck cranes (Palfinger ,Hiab ,etc) use the costly Glacier type of wound string /copper /.graphite /kevlar bearings ...which are kinda dear ,but take massive loads unlubricated.

 

[Blazemaster]

Shafts are just grade 8 bolts

 

[Garwood]

I would use a bushing. Either bronze or make something and have it carburized.

Autocrane is not the best. Bronze bushing and a zerk fitting would be my route.

 

[mc3608]

If they are not broken why replace.
I would clean and grease good and let them run maybe another 50-100 years.

 

[Blazemaster]

At this point I am leaning towards just making some bronze bushings, I can get the material for about $100. The old bearings are seized up and rusty.

 

[Bill D]

Max load on each bearing? maybe use some type of plastic bushing to prevent rust. With 8 bearings I will guess the max load is 1/4 per bearing.
Bil lD

 

[Cole2534]

Could you bore the sheaves to accept a larger bearing? Then either increase shaft size or bush the bearing?

Sent via CNC 88HS

 

[Blazemaster]

Sure I can do that but the problem is I can't seem to find a bearing with a similar load rating, that is the same width in a larger OD. Im just gonna order some bronze tomorrow, I have zerks in stock.

 

[john.k]

Gr 8 bolts are hard enough .....just give the working surface a polish......bronze bushes work OK in old cranes ,seem to outlast the rest of the sheave....My old Coles lifts 10 ton on four falls (two sheaves),and the original hook block didnt have grease fittings,just holes in the bosses for oil....I tapped the holes and fitted pressure greasers...the thing was 40 years old when I got it,and there was no wear in the bushes ,despite sitting unused for long periods ,in the weather.