Do your front wheels seem loose????

[Martec]

Hi,

Just passed the MOT and yet again comment on how loose the front wheels are, even though there is only a quarter turn of slack in the bearings.

Some years ago I changed the front wheel bearing, and was suprised to find it was still there (only done 100,000 miles). Closer inspection revealed that the axle pins were worn slightly underneath, so that the outer bearing can move up and down and so show wheel wobble. I'm fortunate that I have a classics sympathetic MOT man, but eventually I'll have to fit my other set of uprights.

My question is does anyone have a stock of these axle pins, as with a bit of heat it should (I do hate that word) be possible to remove and replace the pin in the upright?

Brian

[Kilroy]

Noticed this problem on a lot of vehicles.
This is my current fix.
You can clearly see the amount of wear by the ridge at the inner edge of where the bearing sits.
This is the bottom of the stub axle.

[JubileeNut]

Must admit that my new bearings when fitted and the old ones when removed did not give any fight! So I expect I have some wear in them to.
But I do have a spare set of uprights if I have a problem
I will let you know how I get on when I put it in for an MOT!

[Kilroy]

On several occasions, my tester has commented that the front wheel bearings should be adjusted.
I used to adjust them frequently - especially as I thought that having 7" rims was loading them above their specified tolerances.

However - I then found that when I stopped frequently adjusting them, they stopped wearing..??

Some of you may not have the highest opinion of the Haynes manual - but it says..
"It will be observed that the endfloat setting achieved can cause a considerable amount of movement when the tyre is rocked. Do not reduce the endfloat any further provided it has been set correctly as described".

Now - considering the wear observed by several owners on the stub axle - it is my opinion that many owners - and that did include me - are in fact setting their wheel bearings too tight - because the wear of the axle appears to be play in the bearings.
If you follow the instructions in the Haynes manual, which advises setting a few pounds preload, then backing off and using finger tight only - and then backing off slightly more to allow fitting of the split pin - you cannot possibly overtighten the bearings - but you may still have quite a lot of play - especially at the outer edge of the road wheel.

I took the manual and showed the tester - who then agreed that the amount of play was probably fine.

These are taper bearings.
You do not preload them.
If you do so, they will immediately wear to the point where you think you need to adjust them again.

As an example.
I have done 160,000k with 7" wide superlite wheels on my blue estate.
I have not changed the front wheel bearings, and they are still quiet.
I have read reports of folks replacing bearings with a fraction of those miles, and seen warnings about what might happen if wilder wheels were fitted.
Frankly - I think we worry too much.

And you should see the way I push this thing around corners.

Hardly worth worrying about my cholesterol levels...

[Greystoke]

We've had this and our solution has been to run some weld round the worn shaft then take it back to the proper diameter (a lathe is best but a grinder will do).

[Martec]

Thanks for the replys, I like kilroys solution, but greystokes is fine if you can get the stub axles out.

I once was told by an MOT guy that there should be no play at all, we argued and I refused to tighten them. I never went there again.

Thanks again

Brian

[JubileeNut]

Well my wheel bearings passed OK but got wear in the rear axle and front sub axles where bearings fit.

[MarinaCoupe]

I love this wheel bearing string, for its MOT test I take my Coupe to an old boy who worked on Marina vans for the Post Office, he's training an apprentice and uses my car to show him how to look for play in older suspensions, "that play there - that's normal".

[Marinanut]

I showed the Apprentoid where I'm working the play in the front wheels on the estate and he was mortified - but that's normal for taper bearings. If the wheel DOESN'T have play in it cold, then worry......