Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2007 16:24:30 -0500
Reply-To: Matt Roberds <mattroberds@COX.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Matt Roberds <mattroberds@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: wheel bearings questions
In-Reply-To: <20070614170540.GIUF2131.eastrmmtai105.cox.net@eastrmimpi03.cox.net>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
> From: Matthias Kuster <matthiaskuster@VERIZON.NET>
> Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2007 09:38:58 -0700
>
> Is there a secret to innstalling front wheel bearings.
From doing wheel bearings on various cars and trailers, I have noticed
that the outer wheel bearing usually goes in a lot further than it looks
like it does when you first install it. You're both centering the
bearing in the race, and pushing a lot of grease around to get it to
seat down. What I usually do is get the drum/hub/disc/whatever on the
spindle, put in the outer bearing, put in the washer, and then press as
hard as I can on the washer with the fingertips on one hand while
wiggling and rotating the drum/hub/disc with the other hand. (This is
more of a drum-brake thing, but having the drum still bolted to the
wheel and tire makes this easier - you can get more leverage by pushing
at the edge of the tire.) Then, the nut goes on hand tight, and the
drum/hub/disc gets spun by hand a few more times - usually the nut will
loosen a little when I do this. The nut goes hand tight again and I spin
the thing again until I can't hand tighten it any further. If not
already installed, the tire and wheel go on at this point. Then I get
out the wrench and do the final tightening - for vehicles where the spec
is something like "tighten to no movement and back off X amount", I've
never needed anything more than a 12" (30 cm) long adjustable wrench for
this.
> What's the secret people? I won't tell NASA!!! Even though somebody
> should...
I recall a few years back reading about some design work that NASA was
doing for the ISS. They were working on design-for-maintenance issues
on things that would have to be fixed by a space walk - the space suits
have a finite amount of air, so they wanted to make the procedures as
simple and fast as possible. One of the things that the rocket
scientists figured out was that it's better when all the nuts and bolts
on a particular assembly are the same size, because then you don't have
to carry a bunch of wrenches or remember which bolt goes in which hole.
The reaction from many professional mechanics, hot-rodders, and owners
of old cars was along the lines of "No sh-t, really?" Sometimes I think
that all mechanical engineering students should be forced to have an
old Bug or Bus as a daily driver for at least one year before they are
allowed to graduate. :)
Matt Roberds
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