Caterham Academy Wheel Bearing Help

[Benjam]

Hi. Relative newby to the PH forum so not really sure what to expect but here goes...

Servicing our Caterham (2011 Academy Roadsport model) this weekend and noticed a fair amount of play in the OSF wheel bearing.

Can anyone suggest whether removing the cotter pin and simply tightening the nut would resolve this and if so, the correct procedure for setting the bearing preload.

Would it also be worth removing the bearing for inspection and regreasing before tightening and if so, how?

Finally, if the bearing is knackered, what's the procedure for replacement please?

Thanks in advance...

Cheers
Ben

[DCL]

New bearings do slacken off a bit so it is likely it just needs adjusting up. Remove the pin and tighten it up to remove the play. There are two schools of thought about preload, some just do it finger tight, I use Caterhams suggested 8nm torque. Once adjusted check for smooth running - If you can feel any roughness then it needs to be stripped down to investigate. That’s a bit more involved and will need brake callipers removed etc.

[Grubbster]

A 2011 car shouldn't have sustained significant wear so hopefully it is just a matter of removing the split pin, tightening the nut very gently and fitting a new pin (ideally). If thats all it is then it's a 5 minute job. Stripping it right down takes a bit longer but still quite easy.

[Benjam]

Many thanks guys... If its not too much trouble, is there a guide to stripping/replacing these bearings anywhere please?

Cheers
Ben

[Grubbster]

It's not specifically what you are after but it shows how it comes to bits http://www.alcester-racing-sevens.com/hi_spec_4-po... loads of useful stuff on this site.

[Risky]

As has been said, you should be able to tighten to get rid of the play. However I've recently worked on a similar academy car and the bearings were almost dry. Suggest it's worth removing the hubs to check and clean/re-grease if necessary.
It's simply a question of removing the brake caliper to allow removal of the hub.

[one eyed mick]

Taper wheel brg adjustment require a fair dose of mech sympathy and skill ,follow mftrs procedure and you will be ok if you are unable to do that get some one with the knowledge skill to do it for you like so many thing the diff between pleasure and pain are very fine

[Benjam]

Thanks guys. What grease is recommended for these bearings please?

Think I'm going to strip and inspect as I didn't build this car so have no idea what condition they will be in!

Cheers
Ben

[DCL]

A lithium based grease - Caterham suggest Comma High Performance Bearing Grease but there are others such as Castrol LM. Don't over pack them as this can be as harmful as too little grease. You're looking to cover the rollers and their cages, but not to fill up all the space in the hub.

Edited by DCL on Monday 4th February 19:55

[Incorrigible]

the hubs can get a hard time when racing, coupled with a lack of mechanical sympathy or knowledge during assembly can exacerbate the situation and accelerate wear.

At the far end of problems you get the outer bearing race (pressed into the hub) pulling through the hub itself. This is only really obvious after removing the race from the hub which is probably unnecessary. However a good indication that this might be happening is the bearing becoming loose frequently. If this is happening check the clearance of the brake caliper to the disc as the (usually the inner race) clearance will be reduced as the bearing race moves. A problem with the outer race won't show up like this (obviously)

[Benjam]

Took a look today at the car today and the inner/outer bearings weren't pressed into the hub at all... I simply slid the outer bearing out then removed the hub and slid the inner bearing off the shaft. The race looked in good shape so I cleaned everything up, regreased and reassembled with the nut requiring an extra 1/6th of a turn to tighten everything up properly. Hey presto... One smooth, play-free wheel!

Any further thoughts regarding the state of this please or should I be good to go?

Thanks
Ben

[DCL]

It is easy to confuse what's called what, but talking about one bearing only, the rollers, cage and central race (that fits on the axle shaft) should slide off. The outer race (that fits in the hub) should be pressed in tightly and not move when you dismantle it. If the outer race is loose, then you've got a problem which will probably need the hub replaced. I also have heard of problems as the comments above which suggest to me that the outer race is moving or rotating and wearing through the hub.

Edited by DCL on Sunday 10th February 20:24

[Benjam]

The outer bearing came out easily when I removed the hub so it sounds like there may be a fault with that or the hub itself. Everything is tight (after the nut moved an extra increment on the castleated nut) and running smoothly at the moment but I'm going to monitor the situation closely during out next outing... If the play returns then it sounds like a new hub is needed.

B

[Incorrigible]

I think, as DCL says, you're confusing inner and outer bearings and inner and outer races

The inner and outer bearings (all inner races) should easily slide off the stub axle

You have a problem if one of the outer races (in the hub) is moving in the hub (problems are usually confined to the inner bearing, although outer bearing wear was more common with the old style bearings (inner and outer bearings of a different size))