D60 wheel bearing preload

[Mastiff]

Can anyone describe how easy it should be to turn the hub when the wheel bearings have the right preload? I torqued it down pretty tight to try and make sure everything was seated, then was trying to back off until the hub rotation felt right. Torque on the nut was sort of all or nothing... I picked a spot that seemed about right, but now I'm second guessing. The hub is slightly hard to turn just by hand using the wheel studs as a handle, certainly quite far from just spinning freely. I'm thinking it might be better to err on the side of too much preload vs. having any significant slop, but I'm not sure. Any advice how to get this right?

 

[sweetk30]

snuf with hub spinning . back off a tad and then back off only if you need to line up the lockwasher ring .

and if super close but pin don't line up 100% flip the ring . the holes to key way are off set .

that's how I have done it on mine with no problems .

dana 60 bible should get you facts if you need them . http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/60_front/index.html

 

[Mastiff]

snuf with hub spinning . back off a tad and then back off only if you need to line up the lockwasher ring .

and if super close but pin don't line up 100% flip the ring . the holes to key way are off set .

that's how I have done it on mine with no problems .

dana 60 bible should get you facts if you need them . http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/60_front/index.html

What are you backing off from? The initial high torque? If so, that's basically what I did. I just don't want to have so much preload that I fry the bearings or something.

 

[sweetk30]

yep tiny bit of free play when you back off is about it .

 

[K85 Octane]

lol, I never feel good about it after doing mine

but I'm terrible at repacking and cleaning after trips, so they don't seem to last long anyway

 

[Mastiff]

Kind of a tangent, but how do you guys install the wheel studs? I tried pounding them in with a pretty big hammer, but they weren't having it. Air hammer just dented up the stud with no movement. The only technique that worked for me was to put a stack of washers over the stud and use an air wrench to suck them through using a lug nut flat side in. I guess a shop would use a press?

 

[rebelgregory]

BFH and steel punch. Took some beating, but worked for me.

 

[K85 Octane]

I'd say your method is pretty good.

I've only knocked out my 14b drums and put them in discs, went easy with mallet. But I don't have bad rust around here either.

 

[sweetk30]

BFH and steel punch. Took some beating, but worked for me.

4lb mini sludge hammer and old ford c4 input shaft for punch . then hub/rotor on hard surface . and hammer away .

also first test drive recheck the lug nuts . and then again shortly after. the studs will finish seating in .

 

[paratrooper307]

Kind of a tangent, but how do you guys install the wheel studs? I tried pounding them in with a pretty big hammer, but they weren't having it. Air hammer just dented up the stud with no movement. The only technique that worked for me was to put a stack of washers over the stud and use an air wrench to suck them through using a lug nut flat side in. I guess a shop would use a press?

Be careful with this method. Many a car has lost wheel studs or even a wheel, because doing it this way can stretch and weaken the stud. You've probably got more leeway since 8 lug studs are pretty beefy, but use a press or hammer them in and avoid potential headaches down the road.

 

[rebelgregory]

To be more specific, when I first punched them in, they felt seated but the rotor was still loose. I had to go at it pretty hard, but they seated eventually.

 

[Mastiff]

Be careful with this method. Many a car has lost wheel studs or even a wheel, because doing it this way can stretch and weaken the stud. You've probably got more leeway since 8 lug studs are pretty beefy, but use a press or hammer them in and avoid potential headaches down the road.

Hopefully the big difference here is that the studs are moving while I'm impacting. I can clearly tell when they seat from the sound of the impact, so I know when to stop. Not like the dudes at Discount Tire who are daydreaming for 10 seconds while the impact keeps blasting on a bottomed out lugnut.

As far as sledging them in, are you guys standing over the rotor, which is balancing on the hub? It's like a mushroom shape. It's not super unstable, but I can't just pound away without supporting it either. This may affect how much power I put into the hits. I'm also doing this on plywood so my hub isn't right on the concrete. Don't know if that's significant.

I'll give it another try since it seems to be working for everyone else.

 

[rebelgregory]

I put 2x4 cribbing under the WMS high enough that the hub was off the ground. Had to adjust every few blows, but it worked.