A method to determine the optimum value of the initial axial compression or preload between two tapered roller bearings has been described in Part 1 of this paper. The optimization consists in maximizing the fatigue life of the bearing arrangement. The method is applied here to the transfer shaft of an automobile automatic transaxle, and the results are analysed. Numerical results show the importance of an adequate axial compression to ensure a maximum bearing arrangement reliability for a complex cycle of operating conditions in terms of load and speed.