Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2013 09:34:43 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: 1988 GL - FW Bearings: How tight is tight - How loose is
loose - How Hot is hot?
In-Reply-To: <51619910.6060409@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
At least you are following up...If something seems 'wrong'...it is not very
wise to just let it go. Whenever I 'think' something might be not quite
right...I always ask myself..."How stupid would I feel if I were to die
because I just 'let this slide"?...and then I dive in and double
check...often I find I was OK the first time...but one time ... No more Van
content.......
we were just getting set to make a ~100 mile run in our old Porsche 928
in one of those Nevada Open Road rallys...we were running the Super Sport
class with our target speed at 165mph...meaning we were to average 165mph
for that 90+ miles of state highway between Battle Mountain and Austin,
Nv.. As we were waiting to take off, I began to wonder if indeed I had all
the lugnuts tight on the back wheel that I had changed a valve stem
in.....With all the prep and working out our timing to various course
points, we were a bit busy, pre-race, but I jumped out anyhow, and
borrowed a lug wrench from one of the spectators, just to double
check.....Yes, they were not fully tight!
That is when I began the practice of tying a ribbon around my steering
wheel whenever I worked on the wheels....and not taking that ribbon off
until after I torqued down the lug nuts....
Don Hanson
On Sun, Apr 7, 2013 at 9:04 AM, JRodgers <jrodgers113@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks, Volks, for your input.
>
> I've done a bit more testing with this and get the same results. Come
> Monday I'm looking for a new bearing set. There is something wrong with
> these. I hate having to re-do a job like this - but in my illustrious
> mechanical career - I've been down this road before. Just part of the
> game. Glad it doesn't come often. That would not speak well of the
> mechanic. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to mechanical work,
> and believe in getting it right the first time. So things like this
> really frustrate me.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> John
>
> On 4/6/2013 6:38 PM, Jim Felder wrote:
>
>> What Don said. Back off, drive, replace if still hot. If they are hot, you
>> are going to have to replace them at some time in the near future anyway,
>> so you might as well start looking for bearings.
>>
>> Don't be afraid of a little, like a sixteenth inch, of wobble in the wheel
>> when it is jacked up though.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Apr 6, 2013 at 6:06 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> They should not be too hot to touch. I'd try backing the nut off one
>>> "flat" see if that make them run cooler. If they are quiet and feel
>>> smooth
>>> when you put your fingers inside and turn them by hand...I bet they are
>>> too
>>> tight...
>>>
>>> When I adjust wheel bearings I like to 'just' feel the slightest
>>> movement
>>> when I grab the wheel, top and bottom and try to rock it.... If I feel
>>> no
>>> movement at all, and the wheel feels slightly draggy as you turn it in
>>> the
>>> air.....I consider that too tight and I back it off slightly.....
>>>
>>> I used to run those Open Highway rallys at very very high speeds, and
>>> wheel bearings were something I tried to learn about....it takes a bit of
>>> 'feel' that you learn....the way all the books describe to adjust the
>>> tension is pretty vague.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Apr 6, 2013 at 3:31 PM, JRodgers <jrodgers113@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> My question: How tight is tight - How loose is loose - How hot is hot?
>>>>
>>>> Just installed new FW bearings on my rig. All seems proper - BUT -
>>>> after a run I cannot put my hand on the hub or around it is so hot -
>>>> both sides.
>>>>
>>>> I have done many wheel bearing changes on many vehicles including
>>>> airplanes - races, bearings, lube, the works. Per Bentley I seated the
>>>> bearings then backed off the spindle nut so there was play in the keyed
>>>> washer. Then I peened the nut. But the wheels don't turn well, and as
>>>> said - they get hot as ol' Rip. No growl, no smoke. I did have a bearing
>>>> three years ago that was bad right out of the box. First time for that.
>>>> But that particular new bearing growled from the get-go. Not these.
>>>>
>>>> I'm thinking serious about replacing these new ones with more new ones
>>>> but from a different source.
>>>>
>>>> Sure would appreciate the collective wisdom of The List on this problem.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>>
>>>> John R
>>>>
>>>>
>>> .
>>
>>
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