Wheel bearings

My 86 needs a 7 mm allen key.

Mike

Hrd wrote:

If it's what I think you're referring to, run down to NAPA and they'll have it on the rack for fairly cheap. Needed one for my '76 CJ resto. The idiot that had previously "serviced" the front wheel bearings not only put the hub seals in backwards, he used a chisel both ways to get the nuts off!

It is a standard spindle nut socket. I think it is about a 2 3/16ths.

It doesn't really matter what size spindle nuts you have because you can easily cut them off, what matters is what size spindle nuts you are going to get for new ones. Open the box and buy a socket that fits them.

That helps get the calipers off, but he asked about the rotors.

Rotors or the hub?

I guess I read or took that wrong.

As others have mentioned, a screwdriver works quite well for the big nut, especially if one has been used before. They are not on tight.

Mike

Jeff Strickland wrote:

On the tightness issue, I have been having trouble with extremely short life of the wheel bearings on the front. I thought the torque spec was something like 80 pounds on the inner spindle nut, which (as I sit here and give advise) hits me as a bit aggressive, and perhaps part of why I keep replacing the wheel bearings. Do you know the exact spec for each of the spindle nuts on the CJ?

You tighten the inner nut while rotating the wheel until the bearings bind or around 50 ft lb. You then back it off 1/16 turn, add the washer and the outside lock nut and torque that to 50 ft lb then bend the washer tabs over.

Mike

Jeff Strickland wrote:

My FSM says the same thing, but the torque spec they use is 80 pounds instead of 50. Tighten to spec, then back off 1/8th turn. My FSM says the outer nut gets tightened to 50 lbs, then the lock washer gets folded over.

I don't understand what you are saying Bill.

The below was right out of my Haynes manual except for the 'around' on

Works for me, my 33's haven't wrecked a set since I put new ones in during my rebuild in 00.

Mike

"L.W.(ßill) Hughes III" wrote:

I will only believe the torque settings on wheel bearings that are new with new hubs and spindles.

On a repack, I don't use a torque wrench, I go by the bearing 'feel'. When I can feel the bearings grab or rumble, I back it off, spin the tire again and tighten some more. I keep doing this until the nut won't suck in any more and the same backing off and tire spin stops the nut at the same place.

Then I back it off and add the washer and lock nut. I usually get at least an extra half turn after the first grab of the bearings.

Maybe my Haynes figures 50 lb will seat them and yours figures 80 and the different backing off makes sense, but either way one seating never works for me on a repack, I usually need 4 or more to get them nice and snug.

I tried using a torque wrench and doing it 'by the book' once on my CJ7 and the wheel was flopping around after 2 weeks.

Mike

Jeff Strickland wrote:

That's my problem then. I used my torque wrench with new bearings on old spindles. I can crank them down and back them off until I get them seated, then crank them down one more time and back off until they sound good, even if this isn't the 80 lb spec. I actually put the tire on with a couple of lug nuts so I can turn the hub and load the bearing at the same time. I am certain that I am mashing them in to the 80 lb click on my wrench.

On second thought, do we care that the spindles and or hubs are new or old? The inside of the bearing race is not supposed to spin on the spindle, the bearings roll around on the races, and these are new everytime. All we are torquing is the preload on the bearings themselves, the condition of the hubs and spindles is not all that critical, is it? Of course the condition is important, but not from the perspective of the spindle nut pre load on the bearings.