how tight do you guys run your front bearings? I've heard different answers from people around here, some say " til there is no slop up and down" others say" a little slop is desirable, so the bearings arent too tight and burn up" . my manual doesnt say how tight they should feel when you check them, just that the bearing is free. kinda vague.
CK5
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bearing adjustment?
- Thread starter Jonny-K5
- Start date
Confedneck
3/4 ton status
the inside nut should be tight enough so that when you spin the front rotor, it should turn maybe 3 times or so after you let go before it slows down... its really a feel thing.. maybe before you take it apart, see how it turns and try and make it close if right now it doesnt have any problems.. that help any?
i think ive got the feel when adjusting, but im wondering about when your checking them, without pulling the hubs. just jacking up the tire with everything still bolted together. i've been taught to wiggle the tire to check for adjustment and slop in the bearing, not so much how it spins causs you have drag on the disk brake. do you wiggle the tire up and down for periodic checks?
Confedneck
3/4 ton status
oh, i dont check stuff like that on mine...as right now its just sitting in the driveway....but wiggling the tire sounds like a good way to check for excessive play..
This is what haynes manual says for inner nut. Torque to 50lbft to seat bearing..back off 90 degrees...torque to 35lbft..then back off 3/8th of a turn..install lock nut. Thats how I always do mine and it "feels" right to me.
rampage
3/4 ton status
If you're wiggling the tire up and down make sure that if you feel movement it's not from a result of bad ball joints. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
yes, i agree with making sure its not the ball joints, but should there be any play in bearings>? i guess i'll go retorque them to MTBLAZER89's specs and see how it feels after. thanks for the input guys /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
The correct way to check 'em is with a dial indicator. There is supposed to me .005-.0012 inches of end play when the bearing is properly adjusted and the outer lock nut has been tightened to spec. But the old "back it off 3/8's of a turn" will usually get you in the right neighborhood. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif And yes, you need a little bit of play in there because the metal expands when hot. If you start with no play, then the bearing will get too tight when it's hot and self destruct. /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif
Pookster
1/2 ton status
the way I always did it was to crank until the bearings feel tight, then loosen a quarter turn. It's always held up, no fried up bearings or anything. Just make sure you pack the bearings in with high quality bearing grease, and you should be all set.
