discovery front wheel bearings

I do mine by thightening the first nut tight, then backing it off and then on again butonly so it's just exerting any force. Then the lockwasher then the locknut. Seems to work well ..;)

Thanks Paul, that's the answer I was hoping for :-) I really don't like them as loose as they are.

Andrew

Aim to achieve definite but minimum end float when all has been tightened. Tightening the locknut usually reduces end float noticeably.

Recommend that you do this with the wheel off (risk of picking up other 'looseness' otherwise) and just pull hub in and out. You'll easily recognise the difference between positive and zero end float. Dial gauge not needed.

Thanks Dougal, good idea, I couldn't do it with the wheel on anyway as with the alloy wheels there's no way I could do up the nuts.

I assume you have eliminated swivel pin wear by "wobbling" the wheel whilst someone else holds the brake pedal down. This locks the wheel to the hub so than any play felt is swivel pin not wheel bearing play.

Mike

good point, and no I've not done that, but will now! Andrew

Also stub-axle wear. Look on the underside where the bearings sit, it's prety obvious if you have a problem. You can adjust thhings to have zero "endfloat", but still have plenty of "wobble" as the bearings are not a snug fit on the stub, if they've worn bad, or the new ones are not made to the same tollerances! Don't ask......

Dave B.

Hmm, I don't like the sound of that, but thanks for the pointer, I'll check it. Andrew

I use a similar method. Tighten the first nut as tight as possible, rotate the hub a bit to settle things in. Back off the nut to loose. Then tighten firts nut up again, so it just nips, (ir a light pressure on the bar) then back off 1/6th of a turn, or one flat of the nut. Add lockwasher, tighten second nut right up.

Alex

Not dificult or expensive to replace, but only if *Very* bad. Like, if there is a very pronounced lip or groove where the bearing sits on the stub, the underside of the stub taking most the load of course. (The bearing inners slowly rotate on the stub, it's normal I'm told (!?!)

If you find you need to replace them... You'll idealy need to find the axle number as well as the vin number to get the right parts, if needed. But even then, if you're not the only owner, sometimes parts from different vehicles get swapped. There is a needle roler bearing and seal (fronts only.) Often forgotten!

I had *Great Fun* NOT! getting them sorted on my hybrid. OK, so it's an ex Disco axle, with vented disks, but no sign of any number anywhere on the casing. Dave Ashcroft at Ashcroft Transmissions correctly identified the parts from (out of desperation) emailed photo's!

Have to say, the new stub's didnt' entirely cure the problem either! Manufacturing tolerances are typicaly Solihull, if you know what I mean.

Cheers-n-beers.

Dave B (at home)

I did the first side last night, having found that I had a few seals and new lock washers in my parts store in the shed, so nice to find bits for a 86 110 are the same for a 96 discovery.... anyway, nuts were loose as a loose thing, tightened up with tiny endfloat and virtually all wobble gone, so much happier. Second side is planned for lunch time today. Thanks for all the help. Andrew

The lockwashers change among the models (anti-rotation "tab" or "flat" on the stub) and some of the seals changed design over the years, but the bearings themselves are I think the same right the way back to the SeriesII (certinaly the SIII.)

The last time I checked a couple of parts books (SIII and 110) the numbers were the same.

Cheers All.

Dave B.

Only back to the very latest Series 3, the ones with the same size inner and outer bearings

Noted, I know S1 bearings are different, wasnt entirely sure about SII/IIA ones. Thanks.

Dave.