WTF? Stiff wheel bearing???

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:01 pm

Just doing the rear brakes on the UKDM ahead of the MOT tomorrow morning (nothing like having plenty of time lol) and can't believe this, but the drivers side rear wheel bearing is incredibly stiff!

Holding the hub with both hands I can barely turn it, with the wheel back on you can turn it, but it doesn't spin freely (you turn it with your hands, as soon as you stop applying turning force, it stops instantly).

There's no play I can feel it though, just gone stiff. Never had this before, seem like the bearing has gone dry?

Gonna look in the manual to see whether you can take the hub cap off and re-use (so I can check the grease and hopefully just whack some more in to free this up) or whether you have to replace the cap (in which case this is game over for the MOT

).

Very odd though... Can only think the brake has been running hot on this side and it's cooked the grease and it's slowy run out of the seal and disappeared without being noticeable???

Bloody cars...

The "S" express · Post by **honda-hardy** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:03 pm

Take the rear caliper off to see if that is not binding.

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:19 pm

Yep, so it says you can re-use thankfully.

Taken it off and it's all spot on

Next thought is maybe it had been overtightened by whoever fitted it (though given that was aeons ago, I would have expected that to have caused the bearing to collapse by now but anyway...) I'm gonna back the nut off and re-torque.

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:20 pm

honda-hardy wrote:Take the rear caliper off to see if that is not binding.

Good idea, but the rear caliper's off, that's the job I went in to do!

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:21 pm

Good job it isn't dark or anything, eh?

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:32 pm

drokk it, not got time to arse about with it any longer. I'll finish the brakes, see if they let it through the MOT or not and deal with it afterwards...

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:23 am

Anyone with any experience of removing the rear hub bearing on here?

Not sure how to get the pinch on the nut bent back out so I can then undo it

Can't think of any tool I have/could get that's small enough to slide down the groove on the axle and under the pinch, but strong enough to withstand stong whacks on the end to force the pinch out again (the shoulder on the nut is thick enough that I rekon it'll take some fair old whacking and long nose pliers just won't cut it!).

Wondering if just sticking a socket on the nut and hanging off 6 foot of extension bar is the way forward, but a bit concerned about damaging the stub or rounding off the nut...

Grrr... Normally these things are easy peasy castle nuts (or castle caps on standard nuts) and split pins

Post by **Merlin** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:35 am

A breaker bar should be enough to get the nut turn and force the pinch out. Although it looks like someone has done a proper job in smacking it in there

Maybe a breaker bar with an extension pipe on it?

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:42 am

Yep, someone sure as hell didn't want that one to come undone, hence my concern

Good to know someone else comes to the same conclusion though!!!

Cheers Merlin.

(nb: fortunately no problem on getting an extension long/heavy enough - I'll post pics up when I do it and you'll see what I mean

)

Post by **rob quilter** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 12:09 pm

Merlin wrote:Maybe a breaker bar with an extension pipe on it

This.

I did mine with a breaker bar on a breaker bar, then I stood on it and bounced up and down.