Wheel bearing ?

[vbrad511]

A few days ago I noticed my Ranger (97, 4wd) tracking a little strange. I pulled the front wheels and found the packing nut on the drivers side about 3/4 of a turn loose. Passenger side not quite as bad. History...back in december I installed new rotors, pads, and bearings. I've always just tightened the packing nut snug, then back it off a touch and pinned it. I didn't know the torque procedure then... 35lbs, then backed off 1/4 turn, then torqued 16 in/lbs. So yesterday I disassembled everything, cleaned it all up, repacked the grease in the bearings, and went and bought the big funky socket for the packing nut. Torqued as instructed, put it all back together. With the wheels on the truck, but off the ground I've got about 3/16 of an inch movement if I grab the wheels at 6 and 12 or 3 and 9. It's the hubs/bearing play, not something in the suspension, you can see how it's moving. Is this 3/16 something to worry about? What do i do to correct it? Really don't have the $$ to replace the rotors and bearings again.
Thanks....

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

You adjust it until the point where there is no slop in the bearings, no tighter.

I'm guessing you have automatic hubs?

 

[vbrad511]

Does that mean I crank the packing nut down until I've got no movement in the bearing? Won't that be hard on the bearing surfaces? I've been spinning wrenches for a few decades now and not seen this problem before. Then again, I'm not versed in this 4wd stuff.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

You don't want end play in the bearings period. I just do them by hand with the socket.

 

[vbrad511]

By hand with the socket just didn't do it. Almost seems like the inner bearing races had an inner diameter a few thousands more than the spindle. Should the bearings slide tightly on the spindle? I'll tear it all back down tomorrow and see what I can see, but please keep the suggestions coming.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Yes, the bearings should slide on and off by hand.

 

[vbrad511]

Yes, the bearings should slide on and off by hand.

And they do, but should they be tight fit on the spindle? They've got a little clearance to them...I can wobble them just a tiny bit when they're on the spindle. I'm certain that's where my wheel play is coming from. Not sure if I just never noticed it with the old rotors, but I sure don't remember it like that.

 

[northrwl]

I've never seen this, but make sure you have the correct bearings. As posted elsewhere, if you haappen to have the "hybrid axle", sometimes the parts guys/catalogs will sell you the wrong parts. Now, I don't even know if the D28 parts will go on a D35 or vice versa. I also don't know whether the 97s even CAME with the hybrid. My 96 has that axle, and my understanding is that the 3.0 may very well have it in many cases. For the D35 or the hybrid, you need Timken "SET37" bearing/race. This has apparently caused beaucoup confusion in the past. Go here for info:

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/4wd_Front_Axles.html

The hybrid apparently is a D35 with the inner axles and "punkin" from a D28. Other parts are D35.

Sorry if I'm just blowin' smoke and you already knew this.

 

[vbrad511]

Ok, I've got a car club friend who works as a bering supplier. He's told me the only time he's seen this happen is when one of the races wasn't pressed fully into the hub from the factory. That would explain the sudden slop, if one of the races moved towards it's seat. I did use the Timken SET37's. The bearings all cleaned up, looked, and moved freely. I worry about the inner races not being a tight fit on the spindles, I can rock them just a bit, might get a couple thousanths movement there. Do I just crank the packing nut down until it's tight and I've got no more movement, or live with them a little loose?

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Tighten till the point of not having any end play. You don't want them loose or tight.

 

[Scrambler82]

All kind of backyard tricks, here is mine… no torque wrench, not saying the torque wrench way is wrong, this is on the "trail fix method'.

Tight the bearing nut while spinning the tire, until the bearing locks up and you can’t spin the tire, back off 1/16 to ¼ of a turn, make sure it turns freely, lock it down.

Always worked for me in all applications.

luck...

 

[RavoHimself]

All kind of backyard tricks, here is mine… no torque wrench, not saying the torque wrench way is wrong, this is on the "trail fix method'.

Tight the bearing nut while spinning the tire, until the bearing locks up and you can’t spin the tire, back off 1/16 to ¼ of a turn, make sure it turns freely, lock it down.

Always worked for me in all applications.

luck...

i somewhat agree with this. to tighten the inner one spin the tire in the direction of forward travel, tighten slowly and you will feel it stop tightening. the hub should still spin fairly easily. if you tighten it to the point where the hub stops spinning you will squeeze all the grease out and now the bearings are useless. put the spacer in and then the outer nut tighten as much as you can. i've done it by hand this way and have never had problems