Date:         Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:35:27 -0400
Reply-To:     Ed <email99@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ed <email99@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject:      Re: fancy front wheel bearing nut with clamp

I don't like the peen nut either.

As Zoran mention, the late-60s to early-70s VWs used the clamp type of wheel
nut.  The part numbers of the wheel clamp nut for the 66-79 Beetle, 66-76
Ghia and Type 3, and 73-74 Thing are 131-405-669 (left) and 313-405-670
(right). A picture can be seen at
www2.cip1.com/PhotoGallery.asp?ProductCode=VWC-131-405-669. However these
will NOT work on the Vanagon because they are smaller thread diameter.  I
know because I bought a set to use on my Vanagon and they were too small.  I
don't know if another model had a different size nut.

The rotational force caused by load on the bearing should not cause these to
loosen because the washer between the nut and the bearing is keyed to the
slot in the spindle threads and thus will not turn.  However, the viscous
nature of the grease may exert some minor force on the nut as the wheel
turns.  Of course, careful assembly is always critical.  A good practice is
to always torque fasteners properly when they are assembled so they are not
forgotten later.

The advantage of using this type of nut over the peen type Vanagon nut is to
be able to repack wheel bearings and then reassemble without buggering up
the the spindle threads and to also allow for readjusting the bearing
pre-load after initial assembly.

Cheers,
Ed



On Sun, 20 Mar 2011 21:09:41 -0700, Zoran Mladen <zmaninco@YAHOO.COM> wrote:

>This fancy clamp is the same one used on all VW bugs after about 1965.  They
work excellent, are easily re-moved and installed, and are reusable.  They
are a
very nice improvement over the Vanagon nut.

and, in another post on the same day:

>By the way...the clamping nut on the Bugs was the same way.  There was a left
and a right.  They tightened in the opposite direction of the forward turning
wheel.  So if you happened to not tighten them, then could still loosen
based on
load, but they would do so very slowly as opposed to jumping right off if they
tightened in the same direction.