TR4/4A TR4 Front Wheel Bearing

I know that this was asked a while back, but I can't find it so I guess that either I am not using the right search parameters or "Oldtimers" is kicking in.

I am replacing the front wheel bearings and need to know if the bearing races can be drifted out with a soft drift or if they have to be removed using a press.

As always, thanks.

A soft or even a hard drift pin, properly used, will do the job just fine.

If you're replacing them, even a hard drift will do fine /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
Look in the notches in the hubs, where the backside of the races are exposed to the drift.

Thanks, that was easy and now for the follow up question worth 1 point. How much should I pack the inside of the hub with grease?

Lots of debate on that topic, with no clear winner.

Myself, I don't pack the hub at all, just the bearings. Some grease outside the rollers is good, as it helps form a dam to hold grease in the rollers if they should get hot enough to liquefy it. But I can't see that packing the entire hub does anything at all except waste grease.

Been doing it that way for some 30 years, and my wheel bearings seem to last a long time. Never had a hard failure.

FWIW, I also plug up the hole in the dust cap, with a short flat head screw and nut (nut on the outside). Can't prove it helps, but it might keep some dirt out of there.

Ian,

You are suppose to fully pack the bearings and hub with grease before sliding it back on the stub shaft. If you have a dust cap do not fill that with grease.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:] Lots of debate on that topic, with no clear winner.[/QUOTE]

As previously mentioned, recommendations go each way. The manual says partially fill. What ever that means.

I pack the hub with enough grease so that when it is placed on the axle, very little is pushed out, but when fitted is completely filled. My thoughts here are that with the void filled, as the grease heats, it expands and forces grease into the bearings.

My feeling is that if you fill it, fill it. Otherwise just pack the bearings as previously recommended.

Right side done; nice little evening project. Left side tomorrow.

As always, thanks for the responses and advice.

TR6oldtimer said:

The manual says partially fill.

Click to expand...

Depends on which manual you read. Practical Hints for the Maintenance of the T.R.3 (4th edition, around 1958) says
"Every 12,000 miles, repack the hubs with grease. This involves removing the hubs and washing the bearings to remove all traces of the old grease before packing the rollers and races [emphasis added] with new grease."

Later TR3 manuals omit the details above, saying only to "repack the hubs". But I believe they still mean to just pack the rollers & races.

If the grease did expand enough to exert any pressure, it would force itself through the inner dust seal, and contaminate the brakes.