Adjusting front wheel bearings

[@s1mp13m4n]

Thank you. My 2011 Ranger just rolled 65k miles. I am about to put rotors, pads, and front bearings in it. Thank you for showing the adjustment.

[@tommywatterson5276]

That's the way I was shown back in the later 1960's on a 64 Oldsmobile 88. Back then all the front wheels had these tapered roller bearings on spindles with the raceways pressed in the drum front and back. You packed bearing grease all over the bearing and spindle. Adjusted bearing spindle nut just like you showed.

[@johnwalker914]

Interesting. Have just seen a video made by Timkin bearings. They suggest first tightening the nut up to 50ft Lb while gently rotating the hub, then back off the nut one whole turn. Next tighten the nut again up to 10ft Lb then back off by 1/6 or 1/4 turn. This should give end play of between one thou and 5 thou of an inch. I'm going to do bearings on my tandem axle trailer (if weather is fine) tomorrow so will try this.

[@marty4933]

Thanks; you answered my question regarding castle nuts that don't align to holes.

[@spelunkerd]

One of the interesting things about video camera lenses is the way the nearest focus depends on what the zoom is at. If you zoom in, your closest focus range increases, which is exactly what you don't want when you want to get close. So, resist the temptation to zoom in when you want to see something small. zoom all the way out and bring the camera as close as you can. Incidentally I discovered that my phone can focus way closer than can my video camera, so usually I switch to that if I have something small to show. Another good video!

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

Thank you !! I am learning as I go !!

[@thomask4836]

I can see why you've had great luck with it. I used to do it the same way. If I installed a rotor from scratch and packed the bearings, I'd replace the tire and give it one final rock back and forth after I re-mounted it. With the leverage of the tire, i could tell whether or not I seated the bearing as close to metal as I could get it without over tightening things.

[@Ty-tie_FTW]

I appreciate the video, on my 98 pathfinder with all mode 4x4, I didn't see any hub damage and I replaced bearings and races. It all went smoothly until I noticed the slightest amount of play in the right front wheel. I'm at a loss

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

You may have to readjust the bearings. If it's a complete piece youre going to have to replace it...again. That stinks! Keep wrenching 🔧

[@michaelszczys8316]

When i started messing with cars it was mostly 50s cars, particularly 55, 56, and 57 chevies. They came with BALL bearings. I believe they needed to be pre- loaded a bit or they would screw all up if they got loose. Tapered flat roller wheel bearings dont like being too tight. The way i always looked at it they need to have a tiny bit of clearance if they were completely dry rollers, so with grease that would be about hand tight. They need room for when they heat up a bit. My general procedure has been to tighten them up about 10 lbs. and spin the hub a bunch to make sure everything is well seated, then back it up and tighten by hand or with very little torque. Kinda like Kenny did. Just remember tapered roller bearings like being loose, but not TOO loose.

[@300blkaac]

Thank you sir, this works great

[@valerierichard7550]

Other vidéos mention to put a sight preload. I did that and the bearing failed shortly after. Thank you very much for the info.

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

Glad it helped! Thanks for your comment & watching the channel. Keep wrenching 🔧

[@frankmcdonald5878]

I learned to put a dial gauge on it and 1 or 2 thousandths of play when you grab the top and bottom and shake it.

[@paulthompson1654]

w/ bearings are technically suppose to have upto .0005 thou end float . To acheive 30,000 mile trouble free Grease with either clay or lithium base high temp grease . Man many tapered roller are installed in differential /gear box . fresh greased bearings / use Cresent wrench while turning hub tighten /then back off adjuster nut . Adjust nut with light or use weight of heavy wrench Repeat 6x times . Light bearing preload is now set .

[@clbe26]

After putting cotter pin, can i put many grease

[@christianp381]

On my 2011 ford ranger 4.0 2wd i did all this and i have a slight bit of play when i put my hand a 12 and 6 o clock and rock back and forth it moves like a finger nail worth of play can do anything to stop it from doing that any suggestion thanks.

[@shanegray8606]

You are my hero. I will marry you.

[@PABLODEEEP]

Guys wheel bearing preload adjustments differ from the type of bearing you are adjusting,the example on the video only applies to tapered roller bearings and doesn't apply to thrust bearings,thrust bearings can be torqued to 150 - 250 nm

[@southfloridatechnicaltrain2589]

0.001"-0.005" is most specifications even on big rigs.

[@soxplayer3907]

Does this hold true for a 1996 Chevy suburban 2 wheel drive I think the nut torque spec on that is 12 foot pounds..what say you..I trust your knowledge just had mine done by a shop and think the right front is possibly over torqued or under torqued..

[@platinumtitan1979]

Is it hard to remove the cap?

[@Hitman-ds1ei]

Not anymore going by Timken but i guess whst would they know compared to some guy in his shed

[@hatsuboy7393]

Thank you. 👊

[@ThunderbirdRocket]

Thanks

[@WrenchingWithKenny]

I hope it helped. Thanks for watching & keep wrenching 🔧

[@ThunderbirdRocket]

@@WrenchingWithKenny I’m hoping that you can tell me whether or not the ANOTHER pre-load (tension the nut up to 18-20 ft. lbs) if I merely wanted to go back to the nut (after completing the job / procedure) and loosen it a bit so it might be corrected to the proper very light 18 -20 inch lbs ? Or can I just go directly to the finished very low last torque spec ?

[@modeljetjuggernaut4864]

Greaaat info sir

[@liveandletsdive]

Yup. Exactly.

[@pauljanssen7594]

The correct way to actually just a wheel bearing is this I learned it from working on German cars you just the wheel bearing so you can barely move the washer that's behind the nut the washers between the nut and wheel bearing the washer should be slightly snug look at an old German car manual you'll find the correct way to just any wheel bearing there is.

[@jeffalvich9434]

Exactly...... My dad was a mechanical engineer in the early days of the aerospace and was a salt flats racer! That is the way he taught me as well

[@thesorcerer62]

I have an old 1972 Ford Cortina and the front wheel bearing overheated and was done by a reputable garage. Well pissed off

[@davidmclain7756]

Thanks for the video. I have replaced the bearings in a 2001 Ford sport Trac. The alignment shop said there was play. My question is this: with the tire off the ground and pulling at the 12 and 6 position, should the bearing move at all, ie, should there be any movement when you rock the tire? Thanks

[@nerm8310]

Nope. There shouldn't be any play. If you get even a couple of millimeters of play, your bearings are toast. Get new ones and start over.

[@davidmclain7756]

thank you. That's how I decided to leave them. Without any movement. I learned a lot from you.@@nerm8310

[@deborahcuster8142]

where is the replacement ? all that and not showing how snug or tighten the axel nut . ??? where is the rest of the video.

[@chrisschlichting9145]

Have you done the same thing to e250 front bearings

[@tcr6v1]

If you're talking ford yes it's the same idea.

[@CM-sy6ud]

Way too loose

[@calvinpochinko4277]

It's not actually.. just reading out of the GM factory service manual " to tighten the nut 12 foot pounds on a new installation to seat the new bearings and back the nut off to just loose position by hand until a hole in the spindle aligns with a slot in the nut.. and do not back off the nut more than 1/4 turn... the correct end play is .001-.008... the bearings must be a slip fit on the spindle and the inside diameter of the wheel bearing must be lubricated to ensure the bearings will creep. The spindle nut must have a free running fit on the spindle threads"... the reason it is done this way is so that the inner part of each bearing is allowed to creep as you drive and hit bumps in the road so that the inner part of the bearing does not get wear only on the bottom... it makes sense if you think about it... and as well don't forget everything will expand from heat and end play will decrease... if you don't do it that way the bearing will fail and then it will spin on the axel... I have visually seen the results and it wasn't pretty