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Wire Wheel Hubs

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vping

vping

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Looking for tips on removal, cleanup and reassembly. They do not feel loose and spin freely. I want to clean them up & repack the bearings just so I know that it is done right. Who knows what the PO did.

There is a picture of them in my Calipers post.

Right now the dust cap puzzles me as top how it is removed.
I'll go try while I wait for replys.
 
I use a slidehammer. You'll need a threaded rod "union" the same thread pitch as the stud in the cap. 10/32 or 1/4-28, cant remember which.
 
Its actually 5/16-24 and I alread y have a tool in mind that will use a rod coupling if I can find that size. If not I'll tap my own.
All looks well in there but I am not sure what these thin washers are.

https://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jvping/alb...vping/my_photos

Are there supposed to be shims in there? They are very thin & slightly worn.
 
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Right now the dust cap puzzles me as top how it is removed.

[/ QUOTE ]

Look at the rear passenger side of the engine...there's a spacer on the corner head bolt where the air rail attaches....remove that spacer - the hole into which the air rail is attached is the same as the stud on the top of the dust cap....I've taken an old head stud & one of those spacers & made a tool....screw the spacer onto the dust cap stud...clamp a vice grip onto the head stud...hit the vice grips with a hammer & it pops right out
 
I kinda did the same thing although I lightly clamped a vise grip to the stud then another VG to the first VG. Tapped it and she popped right out.
Little worried about setting it right with the spacers & torque spec & play....
 
[ QUOTE ]
Its actually 5/16-24 and I alread y have a tool in mind that will use a rod coupling if I can find that size.

[/ QUOTE ]
Local hardware store in screendoor section. Add A nut AS jam nut and a six" piece of thread rod then a couple of fender washers and 2 more nuts on outer end. Couple of bucks total! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/angel.gif

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All looks well in there but I am not sure what these thin washers are.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't you have a Shop Service Manual??? REALLY going to need to re-set up!! That one shim is HISTORY!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Are there supposed to be shims in there? They are very thin & slightly worn.


[/ QUOTE ]

ABSOLUTLY!!!!

Missing from your pics is any resemblence of a cotter pin????? The other bearing and race?? Spacer???

From the pic of the axle I would SERIOUSLY consider dis-assembling and have MagnaFluxed!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nopity.gif

About 25% have cracks.

I stock the shims 20 each deep.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
Ed
 
The other bearing & race are still inside the hub. How can you tell by the pics? What is magna flux?

The cotter pin is fine & just not in the pics. I do have manuals just need to go over them to set the shims.

The car was in use a few years ago and everyting was well lubed. I just wanted to clean & regrease to put my mind at ease.
 
In remounting the front hubs, you MUST use the shims. The bearings are not set up as in an American car where you crank the nut untill it FEELS right. In this car the axle nut has a proper torque setting and the shims are for getting the proper pressure on the bearings, which is practically none! I ordered new shims which come in different thicknesses from Moss before I did mine as the old ones were in bad shape. Use the book specs for setting the nut torque and shims. Make sure the split pin is in place before putting the cap back. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif PJ
 
50-70 ft lbs does not allow the cotter pin to line up. I want to remove a shim but not sure which one. I'll go for trial and error for now.

Is there a way to determine the ratio of shim thickness to # of turns on the nut?
 
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I lightly clamped a vise grip to the stud

[/ QUOTE ]

You stand a chance of striping the threads on the stud that way...MG provided the spacer with the proper threads, why not use it?

[ QUOTE ]
In remounting the front hubs, you MUST use the shims. [/qote]

Read this article on my site about shims:

https://www.theautoist.com/spacers&shims.htm
 
I like your idea and will use it on the passenger side. I only realized it after I got it out. I ran a die on it to clean up. Starting the other side now that the drivers side is back together.
 
Tony
In a former life I was an engineer for industrial gear drives. You're right that the shims and spacer are redundant. In fact, if someone were to replace a bearing and use the same spacers & shims it would be just by luck that the bearings would be set right. In all likelyhood they would end up with clearance (loose bearings), or too much preload (mashing the bearings together), both of which lead to early bearing failure.

My only question is the 50-70 ft-lbs of torque, without the shims & spacers. That seems high. As you describe on your webpage: tightening to squeeze out the grease, then loosening, then tightening to adjust out the clearance is the way I've done it for years. By chance is it 50-70 inch-lbs? Without the spacers & shims, the nut is being torqued like a nut on a motor main bearing. Am I missing something????

Also, IMHO unless I'm stranded along the road I always put in a new cotter pin.
Lynn
 
Wheel bearing are wheel bearings.... Do 'em the same as you would on any other car... and leave the spacers and shims out of the equation.

Last time I did a set... Tighten good, hand tight (with a small wrench/ratchet), then back off to the closest cotter pin hole.
 
I figured ou that the first time I tightened it, was diffrent from the second time. I had to keep trying to get the right torque but ever time the nut went a little farther. I still could not get the pin in. I removed the .003" spacer and torqued it to 70#. To my untrained hands it felt a little tight for a wheel bearing.
I think the next shim is a .008" If I take it out I might have to put the .003" back in. I have no way of measuring .002" end float but there feels like zero play and the wheel spins freely. It feels right to me.
 
sounds good... If you can't move the wheel in and out by hand.... Your probably dead on!
 
Lynn...Bentley's calls for 40 - 70 foot pound torque on nut...I also think 70 is to much so I settle in around 50-55 & make it fit cotter pin slot.
 
Tony, Your exactly right about eliminating the shims and spacer in the hub. As many vehicles as I have worked on over the years, and that includes very large construction machinery, This little MG is the only car that I have ever seen with this set up. Your right, it isn't needed and for the life of me I can't figure why I didn't think of this when doing my hubs. I did say that I'd like to choke the guy who invented it. Go figure? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif PJ
 
Useful as an appendix, IMHO. This current B had none when we acquired it, I was not inclined to reintroduce them. Pre-load the bearings as you would any tapered roller and it's done. I've done a "few" hundred thousand miles in MGB's and never had a front hub bearing problem. All I can conclude is; it was a vestigial holdout from the ball bearing days. ~shrugs~
 
I think I might take them out. As much as it spins freely, I am maxed out on torque and dont feel comfy with that. I agree with out guys about set up. The midget does not have them nor did any american car Iv'e worked on.
 
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