Wheel bearing question

KandJinmaine · Post by **KandJinmaine** » Sun Jun 07, 2015 7:02 pm

So I got the Spider down to the alignment shop after new everything and they got it pretty close, we're going back for a tweak on Saturday. However, when I put it back on the lift to check to make sure everything looked good ( o.k. I'm a little protective,ACD, suspicious, whatever you want to call it), the front wheel bearings had some play in them. I did what the manual and those on this site who have more knowledge/experience than I said to do as far as the torquing procedure goes for new bearings and now I have play? Do I need to redo the packing and re-torque them with new hub nuts (I can't imagine re-doing it with "prestaked" nuts)? Is some play -top and bottom- normal?
Also, I want to re-center the steering wheel, any tips/tricks?
Disappointed,
Jeff

So Cal Mark · Post by **So Cal Mark** » Sun Jun 07, 2015 10:04 pm

you shouldn't have play in the front bearings, otherwise you'll have knock-back on the calipers besides play in the steering. If your alignment shop didn't center the wheel I'd ask for a refund and find a real alignment shop

RRoller123 · Post by **RRoller123** » Sun Jun 07, 2015 10:05 pm

If it is wobbly when pulling top and bottom, could be the ball joints too/and/or.

azruss · Post by **azruss** » Mon Jun 08, 2015 1:29 am

I'm not the expert that Mark Allison is but have set the front wheel bearing tolerance several times following the instructions in all the repair books. When the car is cold and you grab the top of the tire and push and pull with some force, you will feel a slight amount of play. It is my understanding that if it is any tighter, you will burn up your bearings when the bearings get up to temperature. This is normal for any tapered bearings in industrial gearboxes as well.

So Cal Mark · Post by **So Cal Mark** » Mon Jun 08, 2015 2:34 am

with disc brakes, looseness in the bearing will cause knock back. Too tight is a very bad thing

KandJinmaine · Post by **KandJinmaine** » Mon Jun 08, 2015 4:34 am

Thanks for the replies. The play is not much, but a little and any makes me a little nervous, and it is for sure in the bearings. Yes it is top and bottom not front and back. The rest of the whole front end is brand new from AR, for that matter the bearings are too. I installed new upper and lower A-arms with new bushings and ball joints, new tie rods, center link, and a new steering idler too. As far as a " real allignment shop" goes, this is the best within at least 50 miles here in the wilds of DownEast Maine. We don't have many choices here, and no In-N-Out Burger either ( I sure would enjoy a double double right now

!!
The steering wheel has always been just a little off of perfect, maybe 1 o'clock instead of 12 (12:45?), but I'd like to center it. Is it a matter of pulling the hub and moving it back a spline or two, I haven't looked into it too close yet.

Thanks again for the help/advice
Jeff

DieselSpider · Post by **DieselSpider** » Mon Jun 08, 2015 5:04 am

It is possible that you may not have gotten the bearing races seated 100% so that they have now settled in after the drive to/from the alignment shop and require re-torquing.

It does happen from time to time even to the Pros.

KandJinmaine · Post by **KandJinmaine** » Mon Jun 08, 2015 5:08 am

DieselSpider wrote:It is possible that you may not have gotten the bearing races seated 100% so that they have now settled in after the drive to/from the alignment shop and require re-torquing.

It does happen from time to time even to the Pros.

Thanks! I guess I won't hang myself from the lift yet. I'll order a new set of hub nuts today.
Jeff

azruss · Post by **azruss** » Mon Jun 08, 2015 11:31 am

with disc brakes, looseness in the bearing will cause knock back.

Mark, i have never heard this term before. can you explain.

KandJinmaine · Post by **KandJinmaine** » Mon Jun 08, 2015 9:35 pm

I was going to order the hub nuts today, and the hi-perf alternator( from AR), but I talked to Ramzi, and I will talk to Csaba before I do. Point being that these guys are the " real deal". Couldn't be happier with the parts, the service, and the attitude. Just sayin'.
Jeff

Laserman · Post by **Laserman** » Sun Jan 07, 2018 3:12 pm

Ok folks - I know this is an old posting so just for your info.

Back in Octobre I purchased a nice restored 76 spider with a 2 litre conversion.
The steering though felt very nervous, so I dicided to have a look at it.

There was quite a lot of play in the front wheel bearings, but tightening the center nut did not produce the expected result.
I noticed that the play was mainly up and down and nearly no play back and forth.
So I pulled the hubs, and measured the stub axels and found that they both were 0.03mm out of round, smallest in the up down direction due to the load in this direction.
The ovality is for sure because some PO had tightened the bearings way too much, causing them to spin and wear on the axel.
My TEMPORARY fix was to tab at lot of tiny punchmarks in the worn area on the stub axel untill the bearing was a snug fit again.
Putting all back together and snugging up the center nut just fingertight, and the wheels has now no play at all.
Just FYI

Lars

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