Damaged new wheel bearing?

Question

I fitted a new wheel bearing to our Multipla (rear) the other day.

As I was tightening the hub nut I noted that resistance was happening earlier than I would have expected and I couldn't turn the hub. On undoing I noted that parts weren't as they should be in that the outermost bunch of balls weren't on the surface they should run against, they needed moving outwards so the appropriate bit could 'drop in'. Hard to explain but it meant that that the ball bearings had a ring of metal tightened against them. Anyway there is a droning noise, could I have knackered the bloody bearing?

Rick

Conor · Accepted Answer

Yup. Or it may have been before you fitted it.

shazzbat · Answer

Oh yes. There shouldn't be any sound from it. It sounds like the balls/and/or cage, (I'm not familiar with the multipla) have been displaced by applying the force to wind the bearing into position to the wrong surface.

If you're fitting a bearing into a housing, the force must be applied to the outer race. If fitting a bearing onto a shaft, the force must go on the inner race. If fitting to a hub and a drive shaft simultaneously, the force must go equally on the inner and the outer. Your puller/pusher/winder-inner must be arranged to achieve this.

Most bearings nowadays are supplied as one piece rather than a pair of races and a cage with balls or rollers, if they come apart they're toast.

Steve

Damaged new wheel bearing?

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