Escort wheel bearings

Are they not tapered needle roller bearings? If they are that torque seems WAY too high. They just need nicked up till the movement stops. Any more will crush them rather quickly which is probably what's happened. As for how long it will last, how long is a bit of string? I ran an Astra for about 2 to 3 thousand miles then changed it when I was fed up getting a sore head. It will eventually collapse though, and that wouldn't be good.

When I bought the replacement nuts at Fords, I told him what the Haynes said the torque should be. He said "oh that's not right, they should just be nipped up". He went away to check with a mechanic and came back saying I was right and with a piece of paper with 147 lbf (again, IIRC) on it that he'd got from one of their manuals.

As gazzafield says, if they are tapered roller bearings then they should be just tight enough to take out the play. If they are not tapered then I would go with your scientific heave. That's what I'd do, anyway. But you most certainly shouldn't do that on tapered bearings.

Rob Graham

From memory, they're not tapered... Wouldn't put money on it though ;-)

Cheers,

Iain

No, it doesn't sound as though they are, given that a torque setting is being mentioned.

Rob

They are tapered, but the centres are butted up to each other, so you do need to do up the hub nut as tight as you have been told.

Furthermore, the nuts are a use once only item too, so they also need to be replaced.

I'll bet you've had the back brakes checked and the drum was removed by undoing the hub nut. These should always be removed by undoing the four hub mounting bolts from the back plate.

I assume that that's the same for the Festa then ? When I mistakenly mentioned that Haynes described it should be done that way to my brake place.. he went bloody mental ! :-(

Andy

Not that I remember, I think this only applied to the Escort (can't remember ever having to do rear brakes on the Fiesta).

OK, thanks for the info.

Yeah. I knew that one... Last time I destroyed the b*stardin' things getting them off anyway. What's wrong with a big castellated nut and a split-pin anyway???

Didn't have a choice. Trying to undo the rear bolts sheared them off nicely. One trip to the breakers for new stub-axels later.... Grrr!

Cheers,

Iain

More profit for the manufacturer in selling you a new one every time. A big bugbear for caravanners, as they charge about £8 for each replacement nut :-(