Need help desperatly-different front spindles?

[ubtripn]

Hi All,

Today I went to put new inner and outer bearings on my sons 1993 Ford Explorer 4 wheel drive. Passenger side rotor fought coming off, inner bearing looked bad, removed the old races and seal, installed new but I could not seat the rotor all the way on to the spindle shaft. (There is a raised groove stopping me.) Took the passenger side apart and that shaft is different! It is cylindrical and the driver's side is tapered towards the back with a groove that seems to be preventing me from fully seating the rotor. (Bearing is hitting it.) I cannot figure out what the deal is and the part stores are clueless. Is it possible I have two separate types of spindles on what I thought was a stock rig? If so, the part stores seem to think one bearing part number works for all, what can I do? I can't take it out of the garage now. Is this even possible? Thanks for the help.

 

[RangerX]

Sounds to me like one spindle has the bearing race fused to the spindle. I've had that happen. I took it to an automotive machine shop to see if he could lathe it off or something, and he refused to believe that it was a bearing race on there, and not the natural contour of the spindle! It did look to be all one piece and manufactured that way. I believe it virtually welded itself to the spindle due to heat from driving on a disintegrating bearing. Only after I found a replacement spindle and brought it in to show him did he realize It wasn't supposed to be that way.
The clue in your case is that "the inner bearing looked bad." That's the side with the problem, right? Did you remove two races from that rotor, or two bearings and one race?

 

[ubtripn]

it did, I feel so dumb. Great diagnosis. I realized it when the old race was missing. The old bearing was torn up bad. Once I knew the issue it came off pretty easy. Thx =)

 

[malohnes]

I've seen this too, but mine wasn't fused yet!