Front Wheel Bearing Play

Andrew Ish · Post by **Andrew Ish** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:15 pm

Here's a question for you all:

I've got play in my nearside front wheel bearing. I can adjust the play out by tightening up the hub nut and the bearing feels smooth enough - ie no grinding or roughness. It passed the MOT after just such a tighten.

The bearing keeps getting slack after use though and I'm puzzled as to what's happening. I'm pretty sure the nut isnt coming loose. Is there a central spacer ring between the outer races thats wearing down or what. I'm somewhat surprised that I'm not detecting any increasing roughness if things are starting to wear so much.

Any thoughts/experience welcome

thanks
Andrew

BTW its a '69 2.2T

Gary71 · Post by **Gary71** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 7:58 am

Hi Andrew,

Mine also exhibited the same problem, I also suspected the nut so marked the position to double check it wasn't moving over 1000 miles or so. It didn't move but the play came back.

I've just changed both front wheel bearings, although haven't done any miles yet

, so I'll report back if the problem has gone away. I suspect there is only so many times you can nip these up before they cry enough and you have accept that they are worn out.

Very simple to change, heat the hubs in your oven then knock the races out, heat them up again (with the new bearings in the freezer!) then the new races literally drop in.

912uk · Post by **912uk** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:16 am

my 12 every year at mot we have the chat about if there is too much play in there. So I changed them both to new ones a leaving present from my last job

well I was spending on av £1100 a month on bearings and on av a year with a couple of £5000 bearing Jobs ( yes that was £5k for one

should have seen my manager ( lady ) used to crap her self when we fitted them incase they got stuck half way down, a fitters worste nightmear... ) about £32,000 so a few free Porsche ones where neither here nor there...

anyway I changed mine and I have cured the prob thus far.. I also from VW days remeber the castle washer can be abit slack too slack some times.. so I did buy new ones..and the right size pins as well all makes a difference..I used to and still do, do up by socket fairly hard to make sure the bearings are in place then back right off. Then do up by hand ... then with an adjustable just put the smallest of nips ( like 2mm movement ) just to take any slack out then pin it all up. New bearings will bed in nicely and then you should get the right amount of play in a few hundred miles.. )

Front ones are cheap so change them easy to do..

Oh and the castle washer keep changing the postion until you find the best for the hole and the split pin this way you will not end up putting slack in before you start ..

Andrew Ish · Post by **Andrew Ish** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 5:50 pm

thanks both, I feel strangely comforted that it's a pretty usual problem. I'll try one more nip up and then add the new bearing fitment to my list of jobs. I've used the dishwasher for car jobs before but never the oven and fridge sounds quite fun.

If the new bearings just drop in, is there any cleverness required in holding them in place while the temperatures normalise and clamp things securely?

BTW the 912 must be different from 911. The 911, mine at least has a split nut with hex headed clamping bolt in place of the castle nut and split pin so at least have infinitely variable clamping positions.

Andrew

912uk · Post by **912uk** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 8:51 pm

ops Yep your right still thinking in VW mode..

Yep the 912 and 11 both have the split nut and the bolt the same

Gary71 · Post by **Gary71** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:00 pm

Hi,

You don't have to hold them very long, the outer race heats up and locks in position in about 5 seconds! Tap them home just after this with an appropriate size of socket and you are done