Tightening of rear hub taper bearings

[Chim_Pete]

I'm having a bit of a stupid moment...

I have just changed a rear wheel bearing after an MOT failure and the hub shaft because the bearing surface was worn. I gave the hub + carrier assembly to a local garage to press out the old bearings and reassemble with my supplied new bearings. So I recieved the hub carrier assembly back and refitted to car (pushed hub onto d/shaft spline, did up 4 bolts mounting carrier to suspension, rebolted driveshaft to CV joint with 6 bolts, screwed hub nut on to pull drive shaft back through, reassembled brakes etc., torqued up hub nut).

However, the wheel seems overly tight to turn. I can turn the wheel with one hand, but only just. What I can't fathom is what determines the pinch on the taper bearings and hence the tightness of the wheel. It has now passed its MOT, but I'm not happy that its so tight and the wheel is warm to the touch after a drive, whereas the nearside wheel is not.

Presumably its not the hub nut, as that's far too tight (200 lb.ft) for the taper bearings?

Thanks in advance!

Pete.

[spend]

Brakes binding, or wrong bearings?

Dave

[Chim_Pete]

spend said:

Brakes binding, or wrong bearings?

Dave

Neither of the above. 99.9% sure anyway.

Because I didn't disassemble the hub carrier and hub myself I am strugelling to picture the cross-section and understand how the bearings are axially compressed... unless theres some shims somewhere?

[That Daddy]

Did you try freewheeling the hub before you connected the driveshaft?it may be a problem with a joint causing the binding.

[Chim_Pete]

I still haven't found out what controls the tightness of the rear wheel taper bearings... it can just be the hub nut can it... its far too tight for clamping a taper bearing?

Does any one know please?

Thanks.

[That Daddy]

The running clearance is built into the bearing design, you just tighten the hub nut to the correct torque if you are having problems with binding then either the bearing inners have been misplaced from one bearing to the other(a common mistake)or the hub/stub is damaged,have you tried freewheeling the assy without no driveshaft connected?

[Pink_Floyd]

I have replaced both of my rear bearings and have the same as you, wheel is very tight to turn, I don't that the brakes or the driveshafts on the car at the moment so it is just the bearings, I am hoping that after it has been driven for a while it will all bed in and run more freely.

[That Daddy]

It will bind slightly the bearings have a set reload when assemled as do most taper roller bearings,if you can turn thre wheel by hand with no rough spots then you are good to go

[tvrbob]

From your write up I can't determine how you torqued the hub nut. Did you torque up through the differential? If so you may have inadvertently damaged the LSD. This would show when trying to rotate the wheel through the hub with the gearbox 'in gear', i.e. LSD operating at full slip.

[Chim_Pete]

tvrbob said:

From your write up I can't determine how you torqued the hub nut. Did you torque up through the differential? If so you may have inadvertently damaged the LSD. This would show when trying to rotate the wheel through the hub with the gearbox 'in gear', i.e. LSD operating at full slip.

Yes, aware of this thanks - I tightened hub nut with wheel on, handbrake firmly on, wheel chocked and out of gear.

Cheers.

Edited by Chim_Pete on Thursday 12th June 13:32

[Chim_Pete]

That Daddy said:

The running clearance is built into the bearing design, you just tighten the hub nut to the correct torque if you are having problems with binding then either the bearing inners have been misplaced from one bearing to the other(a common mistake)or the hub/stub is damaged,have you tried freewheeling the assy without no driveshaft connected?

Thanks for the replies. I replaced the hub shaft component for a new ford one when the wheel bearing was changed at the beginning of the year. The old stub shaft had worn so that the ID of the bearing was spinning on the shaft. The last time I check the wheel was not too stiff to turn (comperable with the other side), but ocassionally when driving (especially after the car has been driven a few miles) it makes a "whooshing" noise, which is sensitive to bearing load (i.e. I can make the noise stop by swerving to load/unload the bearing). I am worried that the noise I am hearing is metal-to-metal sliding, maybe the hub shaft again...

I think I will have to take it all apart again and investigate.

Cheers,
Pete.

[That Daddy]

Chim_Pete said:

That Daddy said:

The running clearance is built into the bearing design, you just tighten the hub nut to the correct torque if you are having problems with binding then either the bearing inners have been misplaced from one bearing to the other(a common mistake)or the hub/stub is damaged,have you tried freewheeling the assy without no driveshaft connected?

Thanks for the replies. I replaced the hub shaft component for a new ford one when the wheel bearing was changed at the beginning of the year. The old stub shaft had worn so that the ID of the bearing was spinning on the shaft. The last time I check the wheel was not too stiff to turn (comperable with the other side), but ocassionally when driving (especially after the car has been driven a few miles) it makes a "whooshing" noise, which is sensitive to bearing load (i.e. I can make the noise stop by swerving to load/unload the bearing). I am worried that the noise I am hearing is metal-to-metal sliding, maybe the hub shaft again...

I think I will have to take it all apart again and investigate.

Cheers,
Pete.

Certainly needs investigating something smells fishy

[Ribol]

As far as spacing goes I think there is a ring cast into the carrier, in other words no adjustment as TD says.

Have you tried taking the caliper off and seeing if there is any play in the bearings themselves. Maybe they are out of grease, running dry and overheating as a result.

[Barkychoc]

Is the rear hub sierra based as on the V8S?
If so let me know - my car is in bits I can take as many pictures as you want.

Chris

[That Daddy]

Barkychoc said:

Is the rear hub sierra based as on the V8S?
If so let me know - my car is in bits I can take as many pictures as you want.

Chris

[AntonyJ]

Have seen it once where ,even before torque setting was applied, the hub was tight to turn.
When it was stripped it was found that the oil seal wasnt quite home.
Hard to believe,but true.
Worth a check probably.