hub nut questions

Thats my sort of working on motors - end float & torque settings, whats them?! Having seen the basic stuff that goes wrong in the Land Rover brand I can't imagine the Land Rover production line having a torque wrench!!

Dave

All I've ever done was tighten the nut such that it was tight but not binding. I found that if I left a little slack on it, by the time the wheel was on, the slack was massive.

Essential of course to remember the various washers and the lock washer.

Mike.

And to actually lock the lock washer - got the wheel back on last week and couldn't remember bending the washer over the lock nut so had to go back in. Bugger.

Difflock do a "deluxe" hub nut box spanner that has a square drive socket as well as tommy bar holes. Hub and locking nut can be successfully loosened/tightened with a hammer and chisel, you do need to use a special torque hammer though. I decided against that approach this time and bought a 5 quid box spanner.

If you are putting in new bearings you need to do the nut up tight first to seat the bearing, then back it off and re-tighten but not much more than finger tight.

Chas

All the above reflects my own experience with a 76 RR and 95 Disco but if the wheel falls off because you didn't use a dial gauge to set the correct end float - don't blame me!

DTI's aren't particularly expensive and I'd try and get hold of one. But failing that, before I got one this is how I used to do it.

Wind the nut up as hard you can to settle the bearings, the hub should feel difficult to turn. Then back it off a bit.

Put the wheel on, grip the edges of the tyre and jerk it in the same way it moves when steering.

Result End float diagnosis

see movement way too much feel movement too much hear a slight click about right no feel or click too little wheel binding way too little

I wouldn't worry. With a new lock-washer between the nuts properly folded against the flats it won't come off.

Nick

What would you use to position/hold the dial gauge? Jon

A cheap and cheerful magnetic stand (around a tenner last time I bought one?).

The magnetic bit clamps on the face of the hub, the dial gauge measures against the end of the stub axle.

Nick

Ah! Thanks. Jon

Dial gauge ? Does that measure how much you use the telephone??

So what would be the problems if you had too much/too little end float?

Well when Martin the mad mechanic torqued the Siii SWB to 80+ ftlbs the new oilseals/slip rings leaked in less than 1000 miles and soon after

1000 miles we had to replace the new bearings for more new bearings. On the other hand, having decided the Sii was a little too prone to settle into the lorry ruts in the road, we reset them and the difference was magical with underware a whole lot cleaner. PS the wheels with too much end float give out the magic MOT-Mans click, which is a fail I believe!

A few years ago when I worked for a bus company as a mechanic we had an apprentice tighten a front wheel bearing on a double decker Unfortunately his idea of tight was to used a 4 foot bar The bus went out and after about 6 hours the bearings seized, sheared the stub axle as it went around a corner and the wheel and drum parted company. Luckily no one was on the bus more luck was the fact no-one was injured Unluckily ( is that a word?) the wheel parked itself into a car More unlucky was that the car was driven by the Vehicle Inspectorates top man (or nearly top man ) for this area? There followed several months of spot checks, garage visits and general unpleasantness.

SO DON'T OVERTIGHTEN too much end float just causes premature wear of the bearings and has adverse effect on steering and handling Unless it's really excessive

Andy

Guessing, since I've always got it right ;-)

Too little would cause overheating amd possibly seisure, it would certainly cause to bearing to fail prematurely.

Too much would probably also cause premature wear, vibration and (if on a front hub) steering and possibly braking problems.

Either (but more likely the second) could fail an MOT.

Nick