Club 80-90 Forums

I recently changed my front wheel bearings and tightened them as per the Haynes manual , could someone give me a rough idea how much play should be in the wheel please as when I tightened mine so the washer could just move there was a hell of a lot of play in the wheels but if I tighten them just a touch there's no play at all, I'm in Lowestoft at the moment on hols and I've had the wheels on and off twice. Thanks in advance. Jeff

How much are you getting? With the washer just about movable (levered with a screwdriver), we're getting very little noticable play at the rim. BUT... one bearing did seem to "re-seat" itself after a couple of hundred miles, leading to excess play and grinding noises on corners. The washer had come VERY loose, even though the nut was still peened over.

Hi Adrian I'm getting about a cm play which to me seems excessive but if I tighten the nut even a tiny amount I cant move the washer and there's no play at all

Just a thought Jeff, are you sure its bearing play ?
It isn't logical for that amount of play with only a small fraction of a turn on the hub nut.
Are the bearing cups seated fully and squarely?
Are you testing with the wheel on and nuts tightened?
The play when the nut adjusted correctly should be just enough to feel the movement with the wheel on and tight - this amount of play will also come and go with very small nut adjustments.
Personally I don't use the washer movement test, just tighten the nut firmly to seat bearings then back off and tighten, usually by hand until that slight movement when holding the tyre top and bottom.

This might just be waffle but hope it helps!
Good luck. jon

well the new hub nuts I ordered turned up so I thought id better try again ! removed wheel replaced battered hub nut with new one , washer just about moving but the hub seems really loose , I removed the caliper and took the hub off and found that the inner bearing could move up and down inside the hub , is this right ? the rubber seal wash flush with the edge of the hub but I don't know if ive done something wrong when I fitted the bearings ? any help is great as this is doing my head in now !

whose/what brand bearings ?
Your discription a little confusing, you mean you removed the brake disc and the bearing on the spindle is loose ? If so it's the wrong one, they differ early and late and you need to be sure that the upright is the correct one for the van as they do get swapped for used ones say in the event of an accident or when a bearing collapses and damages the spindle

thank you aiden they are brickwerks bearings , mines a 1983 van so maybe I ordered the wrong ones , which may explain the problems im having

ive just checked my chassis no. and it starts 25dh which according to brickwerks is the later bearing which im sure is the one I ordered

I'm on linux at the mo so don't have etos to hand but from memory an 83 van is early and would have the early bearing, the H in your chassis number is Hanover, the D is the year code
the inner bearing obviously needs to be an interference fit on the spindle

It's only the outer bearing that changed. The latter outer bearing has a 3mm bigger diameter centre hole. Check the bearing is a nice sliding fit over the stub axle if it has 3mm of play then as Aiden says it's had early uprights fitted.

3mm should be fairly easy to see, that's 1/8 th of an old thumb width

I thought the old bearings were roller bearings & the new ones were taper bearings.

Jeff J wrote:I thought the old bearings were roller bearings & the new ones were taper bearings.

That's right...Taper Roller bearings.....bearings that are both tapered and have roller bearings

Martin

thanks for all the advice lads ive ordered a set of early bearings from brickwerks, if it's only the outers that are larger can I just fit those or should I fit the whole kit and start from fresh ?