wheel bearing preload

[Dirtman]

You sure the play isn't coming from a bad ball joint?

 

[yellowoctupus]

Welll..... I guess I preloaded them too much. They're hot after a 5mi drive. I'll give it another shot before the weekend. I wonder since the inner races only roughly pilot on the spindle if that was the slight movement I could feel; not between the bearings and the races, but rather the inner race and the spindle.

 

[Curious Hound]

The inner races should have no play on the spindle. It should be a very exact fit so you can just barely slide them on. If that's not the case, then something is wrong - wrong bearings, worn spindle, etc. There really isn't much that can be wrong there. But it has to be a precise fit.

 

[Dirtman]

Kinda hard to have play in the bearing AND too much preload. So something else is definitely not right. The bearings do get hot though, lots of pressure on them plus brake heat transfer so depends what you mean by "hot".

 

[Shran]

This is almost one of those things that you just have to do and experiment with to get it right. Used bearings and new bearings will act differently as well. New bearings take a bit more torque to seat, used ones I just go "very snug" with a ratchet by hand and then back it off 1/8 to 1/4 turn. 4x4 TTB trucks have an outer lock nut that always tightens the bearings up some so I usually let those run a little on the loose side. Should be a bit of resistance when spinning the rotor by hand but not a lot, you just kinda get the feel for it.

Many years and many miles and have yet to have had a bearing failure that I can attribute to my setup procedure.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

I wouldn't sweat the heat so much as binding or free play or noises. Shran's procedure is pretty spot on, learning a feel for it....like a pickpocket or safe cracker.

 

[Curious Hound]

I wouldn't sweat the heat so much as binding or free play or noises. Shran's procedure is pretty spot on, learning a feel for it....like a pickpocket or safe cracker.

That's an interesting comparison. So, what do you know about those professions?

 

[Dirtman]

That's an interesting comparison. So, what do you know about those professions?

I don't even understand the comparison, both of those proffesions are best done with a blow torch and a sledge hammer.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

That's an interesting comparison. So, what do you know about those professions?

Not as much as I wish I did...