Shimmed rear wheel bearings

[steveg]

A PO shimmed my rear wheel bearings with circular shims between each bearing and its seat in the carrier - perhaps to compensate for the thickness of the paper gasket. Shims were made from beer can aluminum stock. but true! One side had 2 shims which stayed in place; the other evidently had one, which was chewed up presumably by the bearing spinning. This implies the thickness of 2 beer cans is appropriate.

Has anyone else encountered either the shims or the need for them underneath the bearings?

Is there any kind of wisdom or practice on how far the bearing spacer should be proud of the carrier surface?

 

[57_BN4]

One thou I read somewhere.

If the bearing is free in the housing when installed then use Loctite bearing mount or similar, it is a pretty common problem.

Andy.

 

[GregW]

This implies the thickness of 2 beer cans is appropriate.

That would depend on when the beer can was made. If the shims were added in say, 1987, 2 cans would equal about 4 of today's cans.

 

[steveg]

Thanks!

 

[Healey Nut]

Depends on the make of beer to

 

[drambuie]

I hope he had enough sense to use a British domestic beer can...gotta keep things proper you know!

 

[Healey Nut]

True , if he used some cheap watered down American swill then its destined to failure !!!

 

[steveg]

Red loctite is pretty strong and would require heat from a torch to free the bearing later on - correct, Andy?

I have half-hardened brass shim stock and would be inclined to re-create the shims with sturdier material than beer cans.

 

[57_BN4]

Steve, I never had any luck using thread locker on bearings, it is a bit too gloopy. The bearing mount stuff is very thin and gets into the right places. Yes, warm it up with a propane torch and it comes out all good.

Seems odd that your car needs shims. Have you put the bearing and spacer back in and checked whether they are actually required?

While you are in there, how about balancing the drums? It takes about an hour if you have a bench grinder and a marker pen and really smooths out the ride.

Andy.

 

[oxford]

Hi Steve
my understanding is that the bearing spacer (the ring on the outside of the bearing) should be slightly proud of the carrier and the paper gasket so it is clamped when the axle is screwed/bolted in place. I think about 2 or 3 thou.
Matthew

 

[steveg]

Steve, I never had any luck using thread locker on bearings, it is a bit too gloopy. The bearing mount stuff is very thin and gets into the right places. Yes, warm it up with a propane torch and it comes out all good.

Seems odd that your car needs shims. Have you put the bearing and spacer back in and checked whether they are actually required?

While you are in there, how about balancing the drums? It takes about an hour if you have a bench grinder and a marker pen and really smooths out the ride.

Andy.

I'm converting to rear discs. I mentioned Red Loctite as it's called "stud and bearing mount". Didn't realize there was a separate bearing locker.

 

[steveg]

It is odd that it needs shims, yet from the photo it appears that at least one bearing has spun its outer race.

 

[57_BN4]

Hi Steve,

Down here we call high strength thread locker "red Loctite" so sorry for the assumption.

About half the bearings I have had out have spin marks and are loose in the hub. Unfortunately increasing the sideways clamping force won't help to stop this if the bearing isn't a tight fit as the forces in the vertical/radial direction are far greater than the friction available in the clamping/axial direction. The only cure that I know of is to Loctite the bearing in to take up the gap around the periphery so it can't move around.

Andy.

 

[BoyRacer]

I once discovered a rear hub that was so badly worn that the bearing had worn itself down into the hub more than 1/8th of an inch. I can only assume that at one time it had been disassembled and the distance piece i.e., bearing spacer, had been left out. This distance piece keeps the bearing pinched in its bore so that the bearing cannot rotate while the car is being driven. This piece should stand proud of the gasket by about two thou. I suspect the shims were in there to achieve the desired height.