1951 dodge Coronet wheel bearing preload torque

[nr1freak]

Hi Folks! i’m putting some new grease in the wheel bearings but now i’m wondering what the torque is to preload them? can’t find anything about it in the workshop manual ??‍♂️

[TodFitch]

I have never used a torque setting for tapered roller bearings as used on the front wheels of every RWD Plymouth I’ve ever worked on.

 

While rotating the wheel, tighten the castle nut until there is slight drag on the wheel. Then back off to the first position on the castle nut where you can get a cotter pin in.

[Los_Control]

My method is to actually tighten the castle nut until the bearing does not want to turn.

The goal is to get all pieces set into position. Then back off on the castle nut so the wheel spins freely, while there is zero play in the bearing if you grab the top & bottom of the tire & try to rock it back & forth.

 

You want the bearing to spin freely, you do not want any play in the bearing. ..... this method I can spin my wheel freely with no drag or movement on the bearing, I can see just a bit of movement on my king pins showing some wear there .... Properly adjusted wheel bearing will show other wear on your front end.

 

The tire up in the air is a big lever & you can check for all play in your front end. ... There is no exact setting for wheel bearings.

[nr1freak]

3 minutes ago, Los_Control said:

My method is to actually tighten the castle nut until the bearing does not want to turn.

The goal is to get all pieces set into position. Then back off on the castle nut so the wheel spins freely, while there is zero play in the bearing if you grab the top & bottom of the tire & try to rock it back & forth.

 

You want the bearing to spin freely, you do not want any play in the bearing. ..... this method I can spin my wheel freely with no drag or movement on the bearing, I can see just a bit of movement on my king pins showing some wear there .... Properly adjusted wheel bearing will show other wear on your front end.

 

The tire up in the air is a big lever & you can check for all play in your front end. ... There is no exact setting for wheel bearings.

 

but you need some play to make room for heat expansion, no? normally u set to a certain torque (while spinning the wheel) and then return a quarter of a turn. or that’s what i’ve been told. 

[Los_Control]

I think no matter what you do, when you put it back together .... then you drive it .... there will be some clearance that magicaly appears.

 

The books I read, they always said to lock them down then back them off. .... I claim to be a young man born in 1962 .... this method has never failed me.

 

It is not a certain torque .... it is spin the wheel til it stops .... then imho I  give it just another 1/4 turn to lock it down.

I read this method in a book somewhere .... been using it for 50 years ...It does work & just used it a few months ago on my daily driver.

 

Any play in your wheel bearings will show wear on your tires, also possibly in the steering wheel ... The bearings will run hot & wear out early.

Why we need to check them & grease them every couple years ....

 

[Sniper]

There is a whole discussion on wheel bearing preload some where on this site. 

 

 

[TodFitch]

1 hour ago, Sniper said:

There is a whole discussion on wheel bearing preload some where on this site. 

 

 

 

To me, the key item in that thread is the link to the Timken documentation. That link (stripped of Google tracking cruft) is: https://www.timken.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/5556_Bearing-Setting-Brochure-1.pdf

 

And in that document, the section that applies to us says:

 

Quote

 

Manual methods are frequently used to set bearings on a variety of equipment with low to moderate volume production requirements whereby a non- exact, primarily end play, setting range variation is acceptable. No special tooling, gauges, charts or fixtures are typically required, but assembler’s skill and judgment are necessary. For example, in the case of a conventional truck non-driven wheel with a single adjusting

nut design (Figure 3), manual setting involves tightening the adjusting nut while rotating the wheel until a slight bind is felt. Then the adjusting nut is backed off 1/6 to 1/4 turn to the nearest locking hole or sufficiently to allow the wheel to rotate freely with some minimal end play. The adjusting nut is then locked in this position. Skill and judgment are required to determine when the wheel binds slightly in rotation. The more complicated the equipment and/or the larger and heavier it is, the greater degree of skill and judgment required.

 

 

[Kilgore47]

Another thing to remember when working on bearings.  Keep it clean - no grit allowed.  While growing up I had a friend that always complained about wheel bearings going bad.  I was at his house one day when he was working on the front brakes.  When he took the drum off he laid the outer bearing on the ground - in the dirt.  Mystery solved.  

[keithb7]

Bearing pre-load? Outer axle bearing is set up by shimming brake baking plate, where it bolts on to axle housing.  No so much pre-load, it is end play on the axle shaft, which the bearing is pressed on.  Allows for heat expansion. You should have a dial indicator and various shims to get the right clearance. 

Edited November 24, 2022 by keithb7

[Sniper]

I believe the OP is referring to the front wheel bearings.

[BobDeSoto]

Grab the top and bottom of the tire - not the sides.