Wheel bearing thrust washers

If they're adjustable bearings, the split pin holes on both shaft and nut are designed to allow the correct clearance within the tollerance. Assuming you've done it correctly, the MOT tester is wrong. Have you checked to see if there are two holes in the axle - one is sometimes blocked with grease and difficult to see. They're usually at 90 degrees to each other.

The usual way to set is to tighten the nut with the fingers firmly and then back off to the first hole.

An ordinary washer is all you need, Chris.

Peter C.

Assuming they are 'Timken' taper roller bearings, they should be tightened until there is no play. (without loading them) then the nut should be backed off until the split pin can be fitted. At this point, as long as the wheel rotates smoothly, with no sign of roughness, a small amount of play at the wheel rim is acceptable, and within the manufacturers specs. If the inspector says otherwise he is wrong.

Most newer cars have 2 ball bearing hubs instead, where any noticeable play at the wheel, usually means the bearings are worn. It seems obvious to me that he thinks the rules that apply to ball bearing hubs, are the same as those for taper roller bearing hubs, and that is what his decision is based on.

Tell him to check specifically the specs for Timken Taper Roller bearings. He should apologise for his mistake after doing so. :-) Mike.

Assuming that he was wrong, I've seen cars were the bearing was worn out and any amount of adjustment meant it was either over tight or had to much free play - I strongly suspect that is the problem here as even a slightly tight bearing with no free play would not show any roughness unless worn and thus would pass examination from someone knowing nothing about taper bearing...

Totally correct post snipped a bit here but I assume you are doing this with brake pads removed and that if youve changed them the felt oil seal at the rear of the hub was correctly marinaded in EP90 or somesuch before fitting?...and IIRC the felt side goes toward the stub axle. Jonners

I'm not familiar with Spitfire hubs in particular. Only with the fitting and setup of Timken taper bearing hubs in general. They used to be very common. My Rover SD1 Vitesse has them. As far as the seal is concerned I would think the felt side should be next to the rotating surface. This is the usual way to fit felt seals. In any case, the seal will have no affect on how the hub bearings feel or run.

There should be no need to remove the pads to feel if the wheel rotation is smooth. Simply by holding and carefully feeling the wheel as you rotate it can usually tell you if the bearing surfaces are damaged. If in any doubt, just easing the pads away from the disc should be enough to allow the wheel to spin freely, so any irregularity can be heard, rather than felt. Mike.

If you tighten the nut finger tight (as tight as you can without using a spanner) and keep it tight while turning the wheel, you'll feel any roughness in the bearings.

Which is what 'Jon' said, the rotating surface is the stub axle (think about it...), or I should say is in effect the rotating surface seeing that the wheel seal is pressed into the hub and rotates with it.

Your point being?. Mike.

That I'm starting to think WTF do you know about all this, you seemed to be questioning Jon's correct remarks in his message (even though you admitting "I'm not familiar with Spitfire hubs in particular"), this together with your remark about worn bearings suggests that you in fact have seen / worked with very few bearings that need replacing due to wear.

If the above is not the case, then you must have been (in a 'around the houses way') agreeing with Jon, so what was the point of *your* message?....

message?....

He used the phrase 'If I Recall Correctly', IIRC. Meaning he was not sure. I couldn't agree with him specifically, neither was I trying to be argumentative. Felt seals like these can be static or rotating, so I gave the general rule for the fitting of felt seals, because as I said, 'I was not familiar with Spitfire hubs in particular'. Does that satisfy you, or do you still think my reply questioned Jons post?

Seeing as you actually agree that my answer was in fact correct, and you knew the right way to fit this particular seal, why did you not simply reply to Jon and confirm that his 'IIRC' was correct? You didn't choose that more appropriate option. You chose instead to criticise my post, in a very patronising manner, by implying that I didn't really know how hubs or felt seals work. You continue your criticism of me in this post, by your remarks about my knowledge of bearings etc. A common ploy for those that run out of logical arguments, but helpful info to me as far as any future posts of yours are concerned. Reply by all means, but AFAIC this discussion has now finished. Mike.

Nor were you being helpful, see below.

Yes, also see below.

One wonders why you bothered to reply to Jon's message, as you admitted that you didn't know what you were talking about were Triumph front bearing are concerned, the only thing you achieved was to muddy the waters, hence my post - to those who are less mechanically knowledgeable your message was not clear as to how the seal should be fitted as a lot people might well think that the stub axle is the non moving part.

Oh that is BIG of you, rant away because your ego has been questioned and then bury your head in the sand!

I've replaced many non adjustable bearings through wear, but never an adjustable type. Wonder why? And the non adjustable type don't just develop play but go rough and noisy.

Because you have never dealt with them on an almost hourly bases ?

Of course not. I'm a talented amateur, not a money grabbing pro.

Surely, if you'd fitted them properly a cursory check every few months would suffice...

Allan Bennett Not a fan of hourly bases

Are you just clueless, or were you trying to be funny?....