Hey all quick question,

I took my front hubs off today and both sides i was able to take them off without any tools (except pliers for the codder pin)

should everything be just hand tight???

 

Not sure what you mean by 'everything'.

The wheel bearing adjusting nut is never tightened very much and will back-off a smidge or two over a period of time (thus the cotter pin to limit the amount).....so, yes, it isn't unusual to find it to be just finger tight

Cheers
DD

 

It's very possible. As the bearings wear they loosen up and the preload goes away. Then the nut can be removed by hand. I'm sure you used some other tools to remove the dust cap and caliper though.

 

Check the underside of the stub-axle. Over time the bearing chatters on this, and wears some clearance, so that no matter how hard you try, you can't get the bearings adjusted correctly. Only cure is a new stub axle. I had to do this on my XJ back in the 90s. It's not a good design, but was perfectly OK when everybody was on cross-ply tyres and didn't corner too hard.

 

Well yes the dust cap came off with the tip of a chisel and the caliper was rusted to the hub so a crow bar was needed, but the nut had backed off quite a bit on both sides, almost out to the retainer and codder pin.

But the bearings look good no visible wear on anything, only other surprise was the passenger side hub had little to no grease in it.

 

Front bearings on most critters have always interested me.


I recall seeing one old car at the curb. No dust cap. the bearing completely disintegrated. Only the nut and washer keeping the wheel on!!!!


My first car, a 23 T had great Timken bearings. The outer one screwed on to the hub.
Very secure and a classy way to set preload. Once, going down the street circa 35 MPH. No speedo, the left front bearing seized. Instant left turn and hit a low rock wall. Damaged wall and T. Teen aged me, just fine.


Oh, the dust caps screwed in Much more elegant than the force fit caps on any other I've seen.


I opened the bearings on my old Toyota Land Cruiser one week end to clean and pack them. One outer one in pieces!!! A Timken like Japanese bearing. Oh, oh, I need that car to get me to BART Monday!! I got the rollers back n the shell and packed it with grease to keep it together. No place to get new ones on the week end.
Drove it that way, short trips for a week, til the new ones came in and I was available to fix it. I think water got in. The PO seemed to be a fisherman.


One must examine the bearing carefully. The rollers may be loose in the cage, just short of falling out. They should be closely in place.


Packing the cavity between the front and rear bearing serves no useful purpose and merely wastes grease.


When the bearings are washed before the repack, don't spin them dry!!!


Use a tool to get grease into the rollers. but they can be massaged in grease to do that. A mere wipe is inadequate.


Jag ignition switch to work on today.


Carl

 

what's the problema with the ignition switch Carl?

I have an old article about rebuilding it if you want it.

 

Thanks, Jose:


Tis been adventure of crank run issues. One of which was a suspect ignition switch.


I got it out and on to the bench. Diagnoses:


1. Dirty contacts and congealed goop.
2. Busted drive tang. The one with the slot in the end.
3. Missing or last teeny bearings.


It was loose and sloppy in operation and a bit inconsistent!!!


Well, I got a good used one. Complete with key from David Boger. Nice and tight and clean. It is in place. but, getting the teeny break off screws started is the preset challenge.


I now know far more as to jnnards of the things than I wanted.


And, a substitute for the missing ball bearings may be the little ones on a lamp pull chain.


Oh, and why does it run in the accessory position???


Fuse issues may be involved.


Apologies for the thread hijack. Any further will be on the one I started on the switch.


Thanks, though.


Carl

 

Had to change mine out... too much wear. You have to look on the underneath side of the axle for the wear... then you can feel it with
your fingers..

 

I am not sure these are good ideas, but the thoughts occurred to me as follows:


1. Use Loctite. I forgot their name for it, but intended to seat races in industrial equipment. it fills in slop.


2. Remove the spindle and use a fine sharp hard punch. dimple the worn area. That raises the metal just a tad along the periphery of the hole. Doesn't take much. an old machinist work around.


3. Mask all but the worn area and have it hard chromed. That adds material. grinding, turning to size will be required. crankshafts are 'fixed"' this way.


4. Turn it upside down. Worn side up. that presents a new surface for another many miles.


5. Get a better one from David Boger.


6. I suppose a super equipped shop could whip out a chunk of bar stock and chuck it in the big lathe and turn anew one.




Old Ford rear ends featured semi floating axles. The hub had bearings that rode on a surface on the axle housing. These wore similarly. Old tech. swap side for side, that turned the worn side up.


Caveat: Not a substitute for unused units of quality.

Carl

 

I actually thought about using Loctite or similar to lock down my bearings because my spindles are in Sad Condition (picture below) from this very cause, but I was advised privately that's not a good idea.

I was told by someone who should know (engineering background) that the inner race is *Supposed* to rotate *Very* slowly, because if it doesn't it brinells from road shocks.

I was told it should be installed with a good quality bearing grease between the race and the shaft.

I asked about turning the worn side up, but the bearing would still be loose on the spindle and alignment would be difficult if not impossible.
(';')

 

Most of the 1970's spindles were machined poorly.
My car had a factory recall for them to be replaced.

 

If it were me, I'd replace the stub axles if they're worn out on the bearing track locations. It is a bit involve, as you first have to get the hubcarrier off, but it's probably easier to loosen the securing nut in-situ. Then you need a "talking hammer" to knock out the old axle. You don't have to worry about damaging the thread as it is scrap. New ones go in on the taper, and then you secure them with new nuts. I believe these are nylocs.

Only problem is these stub axles are getting hard to find, although I did find one or two new old-stock on eBay

 

Husband found one at Welch last fall and the other one at Barret just last week and it wasn't all that expensive in my opinion.

The difference in workmanship between old and new is astonishing! See below.
(';')

 

Outstanding!!! By far the way to go.


I still am perplexed by the ;large flat on the threaded portion. Just too much important metal ground away!!!


Are the new ones different ?


Looks like the new ones are turned on a lathe from bar stock. As opposed to a dedicated forging???


Carl

 

The new ones have the very same flat, Carl,
See below.
(';')

 

Not really, the Jaguar original is a steel forging that is then machined where needed, the replacement is machined bar stock. Clearly the bar stock has to match or exceed the original steel specification, but is usually only used for small production runs as so much metal is machined off, it is uneconomic for production of thousands.

Anyways, the new ones should last you for many years as most of these cars will not be doing big mileages anymore.

 

Not to mention that forging is a complex operation requiring not only special skill, but a lot of complex equipment.