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The front wheel bearings can be repacked and adjusted just like any 'old school' front bearing, nothing exotic....although the grease seal can be a problem to deal with.
The rear wheel bearings, not so much. Adjustment (which is set to a pre-load spec) is by measuring the play, disassembly of the hub, and installing xxx-size shims/spacers. If you have free play in the rear bearings you probably have worn bearings.
If you renew the rears, do yourself a favor and make sure you transfer all the shims and gubbings that are not actually part of the old bearings to the new bearing installation.
Lots of sad souls wandering the scrap yards trying to obtain replacement rear hubs because they threw their shims out with the old bearings...
Replacing the rear wheel bearings is not usually that difficult and doesn't usually require much in the way of special tools except for a torque wrench calibrated to 250 ft. lbs., which you may be able to rent or borrow from an auto parts store.
The large photos at Jag-Lovers are still down, but at the links below you can see thumbnail images and descriptions that will give you an idea of what is involved. The images are of our old '93 XJ40, but the X300 is the same design with all the same part numbers:
It looks a bit of a job doing those rear bearings. When I jack car up I can feel play in bearings but not noisy or getting hot. Should there be any play ?
The Workshop Manual/JTIS specifies that shims be used "to give 0.003 in. (0.0762mm) pre-load," so there should be no play whatsoever in the rear wheel bearings.
Modern bearings by the top-tier manufacturers like Timken and SKF are made to such tight tolerances that most of us just swap the bearings and re-use the old shims, and unless there is any obvious end-play (end-float), consider them good to go.
It looks a bit of a job doing those rear bearings. When I jack car up I can feel play in bearings but not noisy or getting hot. Should there be any play ?
Nope. In fact, on the X300s, the spec calls for pre-load on the bearings; that is, less than zero free play. I always found this odd as (to my recollection) the XJ40 and XJS with similar hubs and bearings call for a small amount of end-float (free play)
Anyhow.....
I've seen quite a bit of free play on rear bearings on many Jags with no immediately apparent ill results. They seem to tolerate it OK, amazingly. But, they should be replaced before something bad eventually does happen.
Jack up the rear, support it well, YOU will be getting there, and have an assistant move that wheel, the same as you did to find the "play", and YOU put your hand around the halfshaft u/joint, and ensure the "play" is NOT coming from one of them.
Much easier to replace u/joints, ALSO remember they do have grease nipples, only 4 on the X300, and maybe they be starving for some LUBE.
And while you're in the position Grant describes, also check your differential output shafts for any excessive play. I seem to recall that the specification is a very small allowance for end float, up to 0.003 in. I think, but I'll have to double check. Leaking seals are often an indicator of worn output shaft bearings. The bearings can be replaced without removing the differential.
my local garage recently changed the rear right wheel bearing and the taper roller bearing. And now i have a vibration. I checked the wheel and there is a lot of movement up down and sideways. see video.
i am guessing the shims were thrown away, or they were never there in the first place. i have owned the car a couple of years and when i bought it i noticed uneven wear on this tire, so maybe it was already a problem back then.
But, where should i start? Buy a few random sized shims and let the local garage try again or surrender it to the very expensive jag dealer 3 hours away from home? New bearings might also be needed i guess?
i dont think i have either tools or know how to approach this myself.
my local garage recently changed the rear right wheel bearing and the taper roller bearing. And now i have a vibration. I checked the wheel and there is a lot of movement up down and sideways. see video.
i am guessing the shims were thrown away, or they were never there in the first place. i have owned the car a couple of years and when i bought it i noticed uneven wear on this tire, so maybe it was already a problem back then.
But, where should i start? Buy a few random sized shims and let the local garage try again or surrender it to the very expensive jag dealer 3 hours away from home? New bearings might also be needed i guess?
i dont think i have either tools or know how to approach this myself.
Hi tcasmarcus,
The movement at the beginning of your video is definitely wrong. It could be that the shims are missing as you suspect. Or, the parts were incorrectly installed, or the axle nut was not properly torqued. The shop that did the job should correct the problem and you probably will need new bearings since driving with all that play has no doubt damaged those bearings. With the correct shims, there should be a positive preload of 0.003 inch which results in zero play in the bearings.
The movement at the beginning of your video is definitely wrong. I could be that the shims are missing, the parts were incorrectly installed, or the axle nut was not properly torqued. The shop that did the job should correct the problem and you probably will need new bearings since you've driven on those bearings with all that play. With the correct shims, there should be a positive preload of 0.003 inch, so there should be zero play in the bearings.
Cheers,
Don
Hi Don, thanks for answering
i cant really prove that they were the ones that removed the shims, as it may have already been like that. They are nice guys though so they will for aure do their best to help out, but without correct shims available there is not much they can do. They were only able to get hold of a new bearing.
i checked the axle nut and that was pretty tight.
do i have to press out the bearings to see if shims are missing ?
i cant really prove that they were the ones that removed the shims, as it may have already been like that. They are nice guys though so they will for aure do their best to help out, but without correct shims available there is not much they can do. They were only able to get hold of a new bearing.
i checked the axle nut and that was pretty tight.
do i have to press out the bearings to see if shims are missing ?
The shim sits between the bearings, unfortunately, so you do have to separate things to see if it's there. The "Adjustable Shim" is part 4 in the diagram below, and part 5 is the "Bearing Spacer." The shim is "adjustable" only in the sense that shims of different thicknesses are available to produce the correct amount of bearing preload. Jaguarclassicparts.com shows the shims are still available. Before you disassemble anything you could measure the current end float with a dial indicator so you will be able to calculate the thickness of the shim you need should you find that it is indeed missing.
Another question you could ask the shop is whether they used quality bearings from a company like Timken, SKF, Koyo or NTN, or if they used bearings from a lesser-quality vendor. There have been reports of counterfeit bearings on the market - you should also ask the shop if they purchased the bearings from a reputable source.
Here's one of the reports on counterfeit bearings:
The shim sits between the bearings, unfortunately, so you do have to separate things to see if it's there. The "Adjustable Shim" is part 4 in the diagram below, and part 5 is the "Bearing Spacer." The shim is "adjustable" only in the sense that shims of different thicknesses are available to produce the correct amount of bearing preload. Jaguarclassicparts.com shows the shims are still available. Before you disassemble anything you could measure the current end float with a dial indicator so you will be able to calculate the thickness of the shim you need should you find that it is indeed missing.
Another question you could ask the shop is whether they used quality bearings from a company like Timken, SKF, Koyo or NTN, or if they used bearings from a lesser-quality vendor. There have been reports of counterfeit bearings on the market - you should also ask the shop if they purchased the bearings from a reputable source.
Here's one of the reports on counterfeit bearings:
great advice Don, thank you.
Today i have talked to Jaguar and a local garage to set up an appointment to check this. I have not yet been given any indication about cost, so i am not sure where this will go.
But.. i was thinking, and maybe i am just an idiot.. but all lugnuts are very tight, but 2 are not original on this wheel. one is shorter and the other one is thinner and longer. didn't give it much thought as they all sit on very tight, but could this be the actual issue? would have been so much easier to fix of course..
If the shims have been tossed, your path of least work will be to find an entire replacement hub from a breaker. Then fit new bearings whilst keeping a sharp eye on the shims, that they go back in just as they came out.
I believe some have also drilled the stub axle and fit a castellated nut and cotter pin, setting the bearing pre-load similar to how it is done on the front, but I have no direct experience with this...just have heard that it's been done.
If the shims have been tossed, your path of least work will be to find an entire replacement hub from a breaker. Then fit new bearings whilst keeping a sharp eye on the shims, that they go back in just as they came out.
I believe some have also drilled the stub axle and fit a castellated nut and cotter pin, setting the bearing pre-load similar to how it is done on the front, but I have no direct experience with this...just have heard that it's been done.
thats a good idea. just found a complete used hub on ebay from the uk so i just ordered it. cheap and easy
Stu Jag- you'll discover the rear sensors are extremely expensive new and not very cheap used. I am using Audi A4 sensors in the rear of my 1997 XJ6 and they work just fine, $20 on eBay. They are as long as the Jag sensor cables (will reach the underside of the rear seat) and use the same connector. I did have to fabricate an aluminum spacer under the sensor (the sensor body a little longer) to "space" it just above the reluctor wheel.
... all lugnuts are very tight, but 2 are not original on this wheel. one is shorter and the other one is thinner and longer. didn't give it much thought as they all sit on very tight, but could this be the actual issue? would have been so much easier to fix of course..
It's difficult to tell for sure from your video, but I suppose a problem with lug nuts is possible - it could also explain the vibration.
05-03-2019, 05:23 PM
