Hello Mactec,
That's what I was pretty much suspecting. That it was a distributor thing limiting the stock needed on hand then it was anything else. You still see all the "set" information in the books including the part numbers, but over the last two decades the ability of me to call for and find matched sets of DB/DF or whatever, has grown more and more difficult. If my memory serves me and sometimes it doesn't, I don't think I've had any luck in the last decade. I'm not doing hundreds either, nor am I interested in grinding super precision bearings in house. I pretty much hold my breath from the minute they're out of the package until they're installed and covered again. Also I never dreamed of cracking one apart. Must be a trick that only you insiders know. :-)
I've used the same guy all these years. He's still in business, and doesn't even have or need a website to stay that way. I think a lot of people and re-builders in this area have also gone to him for as long or longer. I may have to try and call around. Although I swear I have at some point or another and always seem to get the same "we can get you universal ground" spiel out of all of them. Ha... maybe it's a Midwest thing. Or maybe they say they'd have to order in and I say I don't have the time to wait. They are so few and far between it's hard to keep track of this stuff.
Honestly I'm hoping my rebuilding days are over. After the last monster machine I did I believe I've about had it. I didn't think of it at the time of purchase, but a pallet system adds a mountain of parts, systems and complexity to a machine tool. This machine has a Fanuc built-in 10k spindle that if anything around here is going to need work it will be that. It's already making noises I'm not particularly fond of. (The spindle is the one and only thing I didn't touch in the rebuild.) I thought for once in my life I might send something out to the real pros and let them have at it. Although I can't believe how simple the design is. Just a broadly set (8"?) angular contact pair at the bottom and another loner at the top. No triples or quads or rollers or nothing. This is a thru the flange coolant 25/30 hp 40 taper on about a 16,000lb machine. The bearings are also air/oil supplied which is something I've never dealt with. So I don't know... best to let the pros do it?
I'm feeling bad here for Jevs and his dilemma. All that work and not happy with it. Not sure it was the right machine and ball screw setup to go after, but I bet there's been some learning getting done. Sadly it's the painful hard way. Seems none of us get to escape that completely.
Dave