Have looked through the archives but cannot see a clear answer to this question:
Once the front wheel bearings have been adjusted correctly, and then when checking after a 30 mile trip, can I expect to find just a tad of movement when raising the front and rocking the tyre rim at 12 /6 o’ clock?
I followed the recommended procedure of tightening the hub nut progressively whilst spinning the wheel, up to the correct torque. Then backed off to the first hole and inserted the splitpin (cotter). Took it for a short run and then when I checked found movement. So repeated the tightening exercise.
Yesterday completed another 30 mile trip, and the movement is back again.
You’ve done it the way I’ve done it. A tad of movement is ok, there’s probably an amount that’s within specs listed somewhere in a shop manual. I tighten til it binds the spinning wheel a bit, then back it off to the first hole, just as you wrote. Have you installed new bearings or adjusting old?
These tapered bearings should have an end float of about 2 thou and you have set the gap in much the same way that I did. I worry when there isn’t a little movement.
I have struggled with this too. The issue is that the adjustment is very coarse. The nut only has a choice of six places per turn that the cotter/split pin will fit. So unless the bearing is tight, you can have as much as 8 thou (I reckon) which is more than we, or the MOT man, is used to seeing. If you look at the adjustment arrangement on an Esprit for instance, the adjustment is much finer. The nut can be held in 12 places, and there are two drillings for the split pin. You can probably adjust it to 2 thou or so.
I will monitoring the play in my wheel bearings this year, once I get back on the road this week. thanks for reminding me.
Try doing what I did (and probably lots of others also). Insert a thin washer under the castellated nut. You’ll probably have to play around with various thicknesses but eventually you’ll find one thatpermits the correct movement with the split pin lining up ok.
The way we adjust front wheel bearings on my race car is very effective, if a bit over the top. I make a sleeve, which slides over the spindle between the inner and outer bearings and adjust the length of the sleeve to get the proper amount of bearing clearance. This is only practical if you have access to a lathe. Then you just tighten the spindle nut to purple neck torque and be done with it.
Just noticed an interesting thread on front wheel bearings in the Production Car Web site, www.prodcar.com/index. Go to the Techinical section and there is a multiple page discussion.
There should be some detectable movement at the tyre when you try to rock it from North & South. ‘Rattle’ as I call it. There should not be a lot i.e. there should just be a rattle if you knock the tyre with a fist (gently) at the top or bottom. As I said if there isn’t worry. The bearing is too tight and might just heat up too much and seize. It is not the first time I have seen this. Several Anglias, Cortinas and Imps live to tell the tail!
Every one seems to be on the ball here. Pinch the nut up then back off one sixth of a turn (one flat of the nut). Fords used that adjustment on Cortinas in the 60s & 70s. Too tight and your asking for trouble.
I, also, have found that one flat can seem too much and that the adjustment could do with being finer.
One thing that can be useful is that the washer often wears on the bearing side. By flipping it around you can usually get a new range of adjustments.
Tightening them so they are like a modern car will definitely overheat them. Doing so in my car, to satisfy an MOT man, resulted in them turning blue before I had a chance to back them off.
Now days the MOT guys know me and I can talk to them.
They also seem a little more educated for some reason.
( Must be my doing…)
Forget about 4 thousandths, as you probably can’t get there. Make it tight, then back it off. Leave it tight and your bearings are toast.
To pass MOT (on this side of the pond nobody ever checks real safety items as we are obsessed with emissions), drive to within one block of station, tighten one flat too much, pass MOT, drive one block, loosen back to proper setting. That must be why they make it so easy to do!
