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Front Spindles

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Skip & Lynne

Jedi Warrior
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I was going over everything tonight before starting on the outer body and I remembered that there were no shims in my front end when I put them back togther. There was the distance piece but no shims. The front end feels good going down the road with no shaking or wandering but how do I know if the front end needs shims. Skip
 
Hi Skip, the nut on the spindle must be adjusted to a torque of 40-to-70 lbft. there should be no end float and no wheel drag felt on the bearings. Generally this can only be achieved by shimming. The torque range is to allow the split pin hole in the spindle and the nut to be aligned.Failure to observe this alignment procedure can cause the bearing to weld on to the stub axel {Spindle}---Keoke
 
Hi Skip,

Here is a tech article that goes over the particulars:

https://www.vintage-sportscar-touring.ca/technical/frontwheelbearings.html

You should also read through the workshop manual to get the full picture. I think the best tip to setting them up properly is to keep the bearings and shims dry so you can really feel the endfloat vs. drag with different shim combinations. Zero float ... zero drag being the goal within the specified torque range (as Keoke says!).

Cheers,
John
 
I have alway wondered why the hubs were set up with spacers and shims. I don't recall ever seeing this arrangement on any other front wheel bearing assembly. Everything else I have worked on simply has inner and outer bearings and races that are adjusted with the spindle nut. Is this unique set up due to the wire wheel hub? Can anyone explain the reasoning for this unusual setup.
 
The socalled distance piece is used to strengthen the stub axel. To accomplish this strengthening a tube is placed over the axel and put in a state of compression, the tapered roller bearings also require special treatment when used in this configuration and to overcome manufacturing tolerances shims are required .-FWIW---Keoke
 
That sounds like a good design. Did other auto manufactures use the distance piece/shims approach? MG? Jag? I have never run into that set up before.
 
Hi Rob,
Keoke is "right on" about the bearing spacer. Because the spacer is in compression it effectively increases the diameter of the spindle. MGB also uses this arrangement. It "is" a lot of extra work to setup & adjust. I think that on most other cars, including Jag, the spindles & bearings are larger to start with, & this arrangement is not necessary. Remember, the Healey suspension was adapted from an Austin sedan which didn't have as much force put on the spindles as a sports car has.

This "lash up" does provide extra strength in a critical area & should be followed. A few folks just set things up as they would on a more conventional bearing arrangement, & ignore the shims. If you're not driving the car at the limits the extra strength provided by the compressed sleeve may be needed or may not. Denis Welch claims that over 50% of the stub axles that they have checked are found to be cracked. I assume that this is on race cars that put more stress on the axles.
D
 
The tread raises more than interesting for those of us who race our cars. As I understand what I have read the spacer piece essentially increases the diameter of the inboard end of the spindle because it is under compression. Doesn's this put additional stress on the outboard end of the spindle do to the impact of leverage ? Are there any ways around this ? I am in my second year of running my 100 in VSCCA after 20 years of Porsche DE events. Are there any others out there in the Forum involved in vintage racing and if the numbers warranted would a subgroup be a good idea ?. I have spent two years sorting a car that was built in the ninties to what seems to be an m spec by Kurt Hoffman for Harvey Seagal the owner of VIR and would be happy to share my experiences. I am focused on preparing my car for next years Australian US Healy Chalenge (AUHC)
 
jtb55
The easy way around the spindel problem is, like most racers do, use the earlier spindels which are stronger and do not require the spacer.With regards to your querry about stress on the spindel an overly simplified answer is NO. Sorry I did not read all of your post. there is an additional spacer in the hub that gives wider support for the spindel axel which reduces the shearing stresses in the spindel axel. The Tubular distance piece discussed above is in addition to this distance piece and the two combine under compression to form what is sometimes called a capital shape.Failure to employ adequate torque to compress these items[Bearings/Distance pieces] will generate excessive heat in the hub, because they will rotate with the wheel, and can weld themselves to the spindel axel, leaving you under the most favorable situation on the side of the road.-FWIW---Keoke
 
Hi John,
Since most of the spindle length is covered by the spacer & bearing inner races all in compression, there is very little unsupported outboard spindle left to worry about. The only thing left unsupported is the nut on the end. The sleeve & inner bearing races all in compression adds quite a bit of strength to resist bending flex. A very clever solution to the problem. I think in a lot of race classes you can't get enough tire on the car to overload the properly set up spindles. Real rally spec racing might be a different game. Denis Welch has heavy duty spindles (stub axles) for around $400USD each. They fit BN2 through BJ7 front ends. I don't know anyone who has used them. But then, I don't know any pro rally drivers. Good luck with your car, sounds like fun.
D
 
[ QUOTE ]

The easy way around the spindel problem is, like most racers do, use the earlier spindels which are stronger and do not require the spacer.FWIW-Keoke

[/ QUOTE ]
Are you sure about this? Aren't the early spindles shorter for the narrower brake drums. To the best of my limited knowledge, The BN1's used the spacer from the very beginning. Please elaborate on your statement. Exactly how much has to be changed to use these spindles. Thanks,
D
 
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