Technical rear wheel bearings

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Technical rear wheel bearings

JakeF

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Hi.
Replaced the rear wheel bearings during winter. The right wheel still have some "clonking". The 32mm is tight but still clonking? Tried to tighten it more but no differnce. Any ideas? I did not replaced the hub shaft. Any difference?

Many thanks.
 
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Haynes says something about a resilient bearing spacer
" If it is too stiff fit a new resilient bearing spacer, as this must have crushed too much under the tightening load of the nut on the end of the shaft"
What is it?

The left side is fine, I did it exactly same way.
 
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Try raising the rear of the car (make sure to use jack stands), put the transmission in neutral and see if you can feel where the "clonk" is coming from. If you cannot feel it, put the transmission in gear and try the test again.
John
 
John.
I spotted the clonkin and it is coming from the rear bearings/hub. I dismantled the driveshaft from the flexible couplin and when I spin the wheel I can hear it, not loud but anyway. So it is not the transmission.
And when I grab the wheel with two hands I can feel I play there and clonking.

But the problem is that the 32mm nut is already quite stiff and I cant torque it anymore and still clonking in the bearings? I have fitted every correctly, I belive so :).
There is some problem with the tightening maybe?
 
I found something in the web about the crushable spacer.

"bit tricky setting preload ,the problem is that once tightened you cant go back as you will have allready crushed the spacer, a small fishing type spring balance is usefull to get a feel for the resistance needed."

"I am having trouble in pre-loading the bearings in the rear hub and would welcome any advise, particularly as to how much effort is required to achieve the specified bearing rotational torque of 0.36 lb ft.
I removed the rear hub bearings for inspection, found they were good, and reinstalled them with a new spacer and new oil seals. Using the Haynes 1lb weight on a stick method (here we go - more Blue Peter!) whilst tightening the nut behind the flexible joint, and with everything in the correct order, I find I cannot apply sufficient effort to the nut to even pull the axle stub fully into the housing - I have 1 to 2 mm end float. And this all started because I had a seized wheel cylinder....."
"Ian I had a similar problem, I had to use a long lever on the nut with someone else holding the stub axle with another lever between the wheel bolt threaded in the hub. It took a lot of force to crush the spacer, I had to do this in a campsite in northern Italy, thankfully not had any problems since."

Is this the spacer, I just dont get how it can be crushed or? Missing something? :eek:
And does it need to be crushed and what does it mean, just dont get it :D. At this stage I think I havent tightened the castellated nut enough?
If someone have experience I would be glad to hear :)
 

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I'm getting to it, hope so :). I think it requires quite much force to get the bearing spacer work how it should.
Hope this helps other people. Ill report how it goes, take I try today!


pinpreload.gif
 
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Jake,

your photo shows the 'resilient spacer'. When the nut on the end of the drive shaft is tightend, the spacer gets squeezed between the bearing on each side and the centre section bows out slightly (like a wine barrel).

This in effect shortens it fractionally and allows the bearings to seat themselves. If you try and use one a second time, it may already be too short and I guess then you could start to crush the bearings instead. Your animated graphic shows something similar.

Use a steel ruler as a straight edge on an old one and you may see the centre section is bowed.

This is what I have thought through all by myself. It could be a load of cobblers....

Joe R
 
Jake,

If you feel the clonking while pulling the wheel in or out, or by pushing on the wheel at the 3:00 and 9:00 position, then I would think bearings. If the clonking is felt when you turn the wheel, then I would think either splines are worn, or that a housing is not bolted down tight enough. You should note that in the video the play is in and out.

See the attached picture and make sure there is no play in the splines for the parts with arrows. Also make sure they are bolted down tight.

John
 

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By the way, the video posted is very good, however...you should never use a ratchet to apply that much force. They are not designed for that. The ratchet could easily have broken and you could be injured. He should have used a quality breaker bar (not some cheap Chinese tool). Same goes for the socket. At that high of a torque you had better be using an impact socket, or at least a high quality socket.
John
 
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