Wheel bearing play
Discussion
From the manual:
Torque up while turning the axle/wheel to 37 Nm (it is from a Dutch manual so don't have the pounds foot at hand. Turn the nut 1/4 of a turn back. This should give the play of 0,03-0,13 mm.
Understood from others that you have to be careful as when to play is not enough and the axle heats up, that it can cause binding. It seems that on our wedges more heat can be produced than on the cortina, so not enough play is asking for trouble.
Alternative (and already applied at a roadside when I felt the wheel play was to exessive).
My procedure is to tighten manual (no torque wrench), while turning the wheel until it feels just to thight. Then loosen the nut a bit and check for play (for me I need to be able to just 'feel' the play). Knows that this sounds a bit iffy, but after working on a lot of bearings over the years it has been the procedure that works for me.
Rob
Torque up while turning the axle/wheel to 37 Nm (it is from a Dutch manual so don't have the pounds foot at hand. Turn the nut 1/4 of a turn back. This should give the play of 0,03-0,13 mm.
Understood from others that you have to be careful as when to play is not enough and the axle heats up, that it can cause binding. It seems that on our wedges more heat can be produced than on the cortina, so not enough play is asking for trouble.
Alternative (and already applied at a roadside when I felt the wheel play was to exessive).
My procedure is to tighten manual (no torque wrench), while turning the wheel until it feels just to thight. Then loosen the nut a bit and check for play (for me I need to be able to just 'feel' the play). Knows that this sounds a bit iffy, but after working on a lot of bearings over the years it has been the procedure that works for me.
Rob
Just to elaborate slightly (and convert to good old imperial) to paraphrase from the TVR manual - which is cribbed from Ford: tighten the nut to 27 ft. lbs. whilst rotating the hub anticlockwise. Then slacken the nut to give an end float of between 1 and 3 thou. of an inch. And good luck measuring that! In reality, as 350Z says, definitely avoid any binding at all.
7.
7.
I agree wholeheartedly about not overtightening the front wheel bearings. I overtightened mine and the bearings locked up and spun the outers requiring two new stub axles and one new hub. Stupid boy.
The easiest way to measure the end-float is to invest in a dial gauge and a magnetic base. Should cost about £30 new, s/h should be cheaper.
Stick the base on the disk surface and line it all up with the gauge positioned on the centre of the stub axle. After tightening up the nut enough to seat the bearing 27 ft/lb or 36 Nm then slacken off until the correct end-float is achieved (0 to 5 thou or .03 to .13 mm). Then refit the locknut pin.
It is worth taking a photocopy of the Granada manual or the Wedge bible to the MOT shop because they have complained that mine are too loose in the past (just after adjusting).
Russ
The easiest way to measure the end-float is to invest in a dial gauge and a magnetic base. Should cost about £30 new, s/h should be cheaper.
Stick the base on the disk surface and line it all up with the gauge positioned on the centre of the stub axle. After tightening up the nut enough to seat the bearing 27 ft/lb or 36 Nm then slacken off until the correct end-float is achieved (0 to 5 thou or .03 to .13 mm). Then refit the locknut pin.
It is worth taking a photocopy of the Granada manual or the Wedge bible to the MOT shop because they have complained that mine are too loose in the past (just after adjusting).
Russ
Good advice! Thank you all.
I have a dial gauge to measure the end float. Do you place the tip on the end of the stub axle and then apply pressure to the hub in and out? It would be easier to measure on the disk surface but I imagine this would include the angular movement as well as the axial resulting in a larger reading. In this case setting to the proscribed end float value would mean over tightening the bearing. Does that sound correct or have I got it all wrong?
Leo
I have a dial gauge to measure the end float. Do you place the tip on the end of the stub axle and then apply pressure to the hub in and out? It would be easier to measure on the disk surface but I imagine this would include the angular movement as well as the axial resulting in a larger reading. In this case setting to the proscribed end float value would mean over tightening the bearing. Does that sound correct or have I got it all wrong?
Leo
I agree wholeheartedly about not overtightening the front wheel bearings. I overtightened mine and the bearings locked up and spun the outers requiring two new stub axles and one new hub. Stupid boy.
The easiest way to measure the end-float is to invest in a dial gauge and a magnetic base. Should cost about £30 new, s/h should be cheaper.
Stick the base on the disk surface and line it all up with the gauge positioned on the centre of the stub axle. After tightening up the nut enough to seat the bearing 27 ft/lb or 36 Nm then slacken off until the correct end-float is achieved (0 to 5 thou or .03 to .13 mm). Then refit the locknut pin.
It is worth taking a photocopy of the Granada manual or the Wedge bible to the MOT shop because they have complained that mine are too loose in the past (just after adjusting).
Russ
The easiest way to measure the end-float is to invest in a dial gauge and a magnetic base. Should cost about £30 new, s/h should be cheaper.
Stick the base on the disk surface and line it all up with the gauge positioned on the centre of the stub axle. After tightening up the nut enough to seat the bearing 27 ft/lb or 36 Nm then slacken off until the correct end-float is achieved (0 to 5 thou or .03 to .13 mm). Then refit the locknut pin.
It is worth taking a photocopy of the Granada manual or the Wedge bible to the MOT shop because they have complained that mine are too loose in the past (just after adjusting).
Russ
Whenever I'm in there, I replenish the grease as well, cleaning out much of the old stuff.
Don't overpack with grease though!
A bit o/t but on the Jeep Cherokee we have to be very careful with the MOT station as they love to fail the car on the rear axle end float - it can look a bit scary at 5mm but it's perfectly safe...
Don't overpack with grease though!
A bit o/t but on the Jeep Cherokee we have to be very careful with the MOT station as they love to fail the car on the rear axle end float - it can look a bit scary at 5mm but it's perfectly safe...
Gassing Station | Wedges | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff