Changing Wheel Bearings

[d-man]

I'm building a kit car, and the rear wheel bearings off the donor Sierra were properly knackered so I decided to replace them.

So after much cursing, attacking with drifts, pullers etc I got the bearings changed. Or so I thought... Everything seemed ok until I tightened up the hub nuts. Now the hubs are really hard to turn ( I can only just turn them by hand, no brake disks or wheels attached at the mo). They turn smoothly and don't grab at any point, they just don't turn freely. This doesn't seem like a good thing, anyone got any idea what I could have screwed up?

[GreenV8S]

Did you follow the instructions for replacing wheel bearings?

[d-man]

I followed the Haynes book of lies (for the Sierra), which were the only instructions I had.

>> Edited by d-man on Wednesday 17th August 00:14

[GreenV8S]

d-man said:

Haynes book of lies

So the hub nut has put too much end load on the bearings? How could that happen?

[steve_D]

Are these conical bearings?

You may need to transcribe the pertinent bits of Haynes so we can help.

Steve

[d-man]

GreenV8S said:

d-man said: Haynes book of lies So the hub nut has put too much end load on the bearings? How could that happen?

Looks like this could happen as I tightened the hub nuts to the setting for 'Hub Nuts' directly under torque wrench settings in said book. I should have tightened them to the setting for 'Hub Nut', under rear suspension. Which was quite a lot less. Everything seems ok now though

[gafferjim]

To change the wheel bearing on thesierra is relatively easy, but if you don't get the outer bearing shells down properly, you'll get the problems that you have.

Go check here on how to do it.

http://nw.rhocar.org/wheel_bearing.htm

[GreenV8S]

d-man said:

I tightened the hub nuts to the setting for 'Hub Nuts' ... I should have tightened them to the setting for 'Hub Nut'

Gosh what a silly mistake to make, bet you feel a right fool ...