Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2015 10:44:14 -0700
Reply-To: Phil Zimmerman <philzimm1@SHAW.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Phil Zimmerman <philzimm1@SHAW.CA>
Subject: Re: Rear axle torque specs?
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Date: Mon, 1 Jun 2015 07:04:01 -0400
From: Dennis Jowell <dennisjowell@GMAIL.COM>
Forgot to add that that the rear passenger side wheel bearings and seal have been just replaced by a new shop I'm trying to use. Wheel axle nut torqued to 360 ft lbs. I then drove the Westy back to my farm 60 miles away. Remove hub caps and felt axle nuts on both side of the Westy. The passenger side was exceptionally hot. I couldn't hold on to it. The drive side was only warm. Hence my be question of torque specs.
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Dennis,
Just read you last update..
Do-not back-off the rear axle nut without first diagnosing your problem further.
The proper torque procedure of the rear axle nut is to first torque the nut to 360 ft lb.
Continue to tighten the nut until the next slot in the 10-slot castle nut aligns with the hole in the stub-axle for the Cotter Pin.
This means that the nut is often torqued to a far higher torque than the initial 360 ft lb. (this assembly can easily withstand this level of torque)
The length of the spacer-sleeve is what keeps the outer bearing from preloaded too-much or not-enough under this level of torque..
If the sleeve is worn short the outer bearing will not be pre-loaded enough and the assemble too loose and will self-destruct as Ken surmised.
If the sleeve was somehow not installed by the shop… you would know it already from your 300 mile drive home from your new repair shop.
The bearing would not be too hot.. it would probably be destroyed and the rear hub assembly really sloppy and make noises.
As Ken and others suggest. When the shop re-assembled the rear brakes. Real easy to get the shoes too tight in the drum and then drag and generate
a great amount of heat… See if after a short drive with little braking… spray a small amount of water on the outer part of the brake drum: does the water
vaporize? Spray that axle nut and see if the water vaporizes more violently or less than the outer rim of the Drum. If the Drum appears hotter than the axle nut.. Its probably the brake shoes need re-setting. If the nut is hotter… probably the bearings need to be removed and checked..
good hunting
Phil z
Off is rock off the West coast