Technical Advice on rear hubs

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Technical Advice on rear hubs

ClamChowder

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Aug 10, 2003
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Evening all. I'm a regular lurker but infrequent poster (I just don't know enough about alloys and ICE to be useful most of the time!)

I have a grumbly rear wheel bearing which I want to fix. I have approached Fiat about the cost of a new hub and they want over £50 for one. My local motor factor has an after market item for a shade under £30. The catch is that the aftermarket one doesn't have the cutouts to assist with replacing the rear brake shoes. Having had the brake shoes off a number of times due to sticking rear brakes I know how much of a ball-ache it is to get them off even when the hubs do have cut-outs so I can only imagine how much fun it'll be without them.

My question to you all is: do all after market hubs come without cut-outs? If so is it possible to change the shoes with the hubs in situ or do you have to remove them every time? Is the guy in the motor factors right when he says that the ones that come from Fiat now also have no cut outs?

On a related note how have those who have replaced hubs approached the very high torque specified for the hub nut? My torque wrench won't go up that high and the only ones in the Draper catalogue that do are £350 a pop! I can only assume you just do it up as tight as you can get it with the longest bar you've got!

Thanks in advance guys (and indeed girls)
 
I've never bought Fiat bearings, and have changed a few. None of the ones I've bought have cut out's but you can still get the brake shoes in, it's just slightly more fiddly.

Torque setting for the rear hub nuts is 159 lbf ft, my £25 Draper jobby does the trick.
 
fixitagaintomorrow said:
I've never bought Fiat bearings, and have changed a few. None of the ones I've bought have cut out's but you can still get the brake shoes in, it's just slightly more fiddly.

Torque setting for the rear hub nuts is 159 lbf ft, my £25 Draper jobby does the trick.

Dunno where you got yours fixit but the £35 one on their website and paper catalogue tops out at 154 Ib ft. Which is probably close enough I guess. Thanks for the info re cutouts and fitting brake shoes though.

Bushboy, I appreciate the offer but since you are in London it'll probably cost the same as a brand new pattern one once you add the postage!
 
I can back up all previous comments.
I used to find bearings wore out exceptionally quickly.
I think its beacause there is no cover at the outer part and it relies on the wheel to protect it.
I fitted covers from a Fiat 126 that are a perfect fit over the hub nut. I can`t see why theses were not fitted from new. Bearings now last much longer.
 
fiat500 said:
I can back up all previous comments.
I used to find bearings wore out exceptionally quickly.
I think its beacause there is no cover at the outer part and it relies on the wheel to protect it.
I fitted covers from a Fiat 126 that are a perfect fit over the hub nut. I can`t see why theses were not fitted from new. Bearings now last much longer.
I second all of that too. I put Punto alloys on my '97 cinq, but I didn't fit centre caps which let water in and and within 3,000 miles BOTH rear bearings were shot and the car sounded like a jet taking off. I paid €95 (=£60) for the set and fitted them without difficulty, using a 3' power bar to torque them up. The replacements were QH branded and are high quality, but when I looked at the brake cylinders and shoes I needed those too. The replacement bearings had small cutouts so no hassles.
 
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