tightening wheel bearings
 

I read a hundred threads on the correct way to tighten a wheel bearing but I still have a question. I put a rotor I had in my parts bin on my 84 300D. I've always used the "tighten until the rotor stops and back off 1/3 of a turn" method. This hub will not do that. It will not tighten enough to keep the rotor from turning. What would cause this? I'm afraid to tighten it anymore, as I know I'm way past where it was always set. I'm looking for a dial indicator but for now would like to get close on the adjustment. Any ideas? Thanks, Andy

you kept the same races, correct?

Threads clean? Is the hub pushed onto the spindle all the way?

If the races and bearings are installed correctly the adjustment must stop the hub. . If you cannot tighten enough to stop the rotor turning either you have left out a bearing race or bearing.

I do not know if you can pop and reuse the bearing race from one hub to another by the way. I have never attempted this and would not do it. My suspicion is you put either one or two bearings in the right type of hub with no races or perhaps one race missing for the bearings. Bearings and races wear in together.

It again in my opinion would be not a good ideal to use a used bearing and used race from another bearing. If the bearings and races are present you might have the wrong hub is another possibility. You are putting the steel washer on before the adjusting nut?

How exactly do you use the dial indicator to set the wheel bearing preload?

This thread might help. The explaination isn't all the great, but maybe you can get something out of it.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=232785&highlight=dial+indicator

I had the same problem. One side, the passenger side went smooth. The driver side did the same as you are describing. I did have both races and bearings in there. They were new bearings and clean. The problem was that the spindle had some scoreing on the hub, where the race is place on. I took a stone (sharpening stone) and smoothed off the fretting or rough surface scaring. Then took some wet-drt sand paper and polished. I think I polished down to 1500 grit. Then reassembled. It worked as planned. This was on the front.
Tom

ah i see your measuring from the axel. thanks.

Yes, you put the magnetic base on the flat part of the hub (taking great care to make sure the magnetic base does not rock *at all*), and put the stylus of the DTI onto the end of the axle shaft. With the hub fairly loose, begin to tighten the hub nut, while pulling/pushing the hub back and forth, reading the end-float.

You'll find that the hub feels solid long before the end-float comes anywhere near being in range, but, trust the gauge.

When you've got the end-float within range (0.01mm), tighten the lock bolt, and re-check the end-float.

The end float setting and tolerance on these is really tight - there's no way you can do it properly without using a DTI.

I only found my bearing was duff when I was part way through replacing the discs - more here;

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=58077