Wheel bearing too tight?

Clutch, Gearbox, Overdrive, Propshaft, Differential, Drive Shafts, Hubs.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
Llessur
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts:177
Joined:Fri Jul 01, 2016 5:57 am
Contact:
Wheel bearing too tight?

#1 Post by Llessur » Wed Jul 05, 2017 4:56 am

Brace yourselves, it’s another wheel bearing question…

How freely should the front hubs spin when they are free from obstructions (e.g. when the brake pads removed)?

One of mine spins fairly easily, the other (offside) is noticeably less free and will only do a few revolutions before stopping – this is with me spinning the hub fairly firmly directly by the studs, wheel off.

Does that mean this bearing is either knackered or too tight? If so, what’s the best course of action to address?

Can I just back off the hub nut by one increment of the split pin and see what the top-bottom play in the wheel is afterwards? What’s the best way to measure the play to determine if it’s within tolerance?
Adelaide, South Australia (ex-Brighton, UK)
1977 2500S - White

My 2500 blog: https://triumph2500blog.wordpress.com/

Clifford Pope
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts:940
Joined:Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:50 pm
Location:United Kingdom

Re: Wheel bearing too tight?

#2 Post by Clifford Pope » Wed Jul 05, 2017 6:25 am

Undo the nut, pull the hub off, grease, and reassemble.

I always set tapered roller bearings with the wheel on. Slacken the nut, and then gradually retighten, testing the top to bottom rock. I like to set it at the point when there is a tiny, barely detectable amount of play. If you can hear it when you rock the wheel, it's too much. If you can't feel any movement, it's too tight.

I always have an annual good-natured argument with the MOT tester over this. He believes all bearings should have pre-load and no play. I believe taper roller bearings should have a tiny amount of play to allow for the clearance closing when hot. So I do them up before the MOT, then free off a fraction afterwards.

I often find that the adjustment range with the flats and holes is not accurate enough. Sometimes I try a different washer, or even rub it down a bit on an emery stone. It's worked well for me. I've covered hundreds of thousands of miles in my Volvo 240s and I've never replaced front wheel bearings. If greased and adjusted they last indefinitely.

harvey
Groupie
Groupie
Posts:64
Joined:Tue Jul 28, 2009 5:43 pm
Location:Essex, UK.

Re: Wheel bearing too tight?

#3 Post by harvey » Wed Jul 05, 2017 5:51 pm

Clifford Pope wrote: I always have an annual good-natured argument with the MOT tester over this. He believes all bearings should have pre-load and no play. I believe taper roller bearings should have a tiny amount of play to allow for the clearance closing when hot.
Well he's wrong then. He's probably the same bloke (or at least one of his mates) who did my mate "a favour" and adjusted up his front wheel bearings so it would pass the test, and the bearing overheated and failed in the middle of France a couple of days later. Checking the other side revealed no play at all and nice blue rollers.....
Clifford Pope wrote:So I do them up before the MOT, then free off a fraction afterwards.
You should not have to be doing this.
Currently over 35 years worth of fixing 35 boxes.
Hoping to reach 65 years worth of fixing 65 boxes.

Charles H
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts:1645
Joined:Mon Jan 15, 2007 2:38 pm
Location:Folkestone

Re: Wheel bearing too tight?

#4 Post by Charles H » Wed Jul 05, 2017 10:38 pm

MoT testers do not fully understand taper roller bearings. My cars have had advisories of play in front wheel bearings every year for about ten years. :?
Charles Harrison
Register member 3095
Folkestone
Cherry Red Mk1 2000 Rally Car
Mallard Blue 2.5PI
Sapphire Blue GT6 Mk3
Vermillion Red Spitfire 1500
Pimento Red TR6
Inky Blue VW Passat B5.5
Arctic Blue Jaguar XJ40
Silver Range Rover Vogue SE

harvey
Groupie
Groupie
Posts:64
Joined:Tue Jul 28, 2009 5:43 pm
Location:Essex, UK.

Re: Wheel bearing too tight?

#5 Post by harvey » Thu Jul 06, 2017 6:55 pm

Charles H wrote:MoT testers do not fully understand taper roller bearings.
Probably a lot to do with being able to go from roadsweeper to MOT tester in a matter of weeks......
Currently over 35 years worth of fixing 35 boxes.
Hoping to reach 65 years worth of fixing 65 boxes.

johnnydog
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts:1624
Joined:Tue May 14, 2013 12:33 pm
Location:Lancashire

Re: Wheel bearing too tight?

#6 Post by johnnydog » Tue Jul 11, 2017 11:19 pm

Charles H wrote:My cars have had advisories of play in front wheel bearings every year for about ten years. :?
Funny you should say this Charles - my Royal Blue Mk1 went in for its MOT days before this years National, and having had an advisory last year for 'play' in the front wheel bearings, I spoke to the MOT man about this and after a friendly conversation about the said 'play', he accepted my opinion on it and it passed.
He did however put his usual advisory about 'underside front to rear covered in underseal'.......(??!!??) presumably to cover his back if there was any dodgy welding!
Register Member no. 1596

1967 Mk1 2000 in Gunmetal Grey
1969 Mk1 2000 in Royal Blue
1970 Mk2 2000 in Valencia Blue
1972 Mk2 2.5 PI in Triumph White
1973 Mk2 2.5 PI in Sienna Brown
1976 Mk2 2500S in Carmine Red

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests