Wheel bearing play

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Fireball
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Wheel bearing play

Post by Fireball »

I took the car for a regular MOT after not many miles at all since the previous and shocked that there was play on the front wheel bearing. On investigation, the play was the inner bearing seat face being a bit too big for the stub axle. Either I've got the wrong bearing or the stub axle is worn somehow - maybe in a previous life the bearing seized and spun the inner seat??
Has anyone ever come across this before? I think I'll try another bearing as this seems the easiest first option.

James
Finally sorted Dax 'AC 289' after 4 years in the wilderness.
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clive
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Re: Wheel bearing play

Post by clive »

Do you have MGB front hubs?
Cheers, Clive.

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StewbieC
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Re: Wheel bearing play

Post by StewbieC »

Wrong bearing or a very, very badly worn stub axle or incorrect installation with spacers / shims. MGB inner races (bearings) are not a tight fit on the stub axle as they are in tension between the rear inner spacer ( radiused at the back to fit the radius on the stub axle to back plate) and central spacer ( coned on the other end).
If you fit both bearings (inners) spacers and shims without the hub and apply the correct torque to the hex nut, it will be a solid assembly.
Look on You tube for 18 MG Front Wheel bearings from University Motors, John Twist advises how they should be fitted.
Exchange stub axles available from MGB Hive and others, get Timken bearings from them too rather than cheap Chinese rubbish or from a local Motor factors that will not have a clue unless it's a modern car.
My local garage where I MOT my cars had 5 sets of Landrover bearings sent to them for a S11, all wrong. I said why don't you try Craddocks or Paddocks, right ones sent first time.
Let us know how you get on. Btw, it's a half hour job to fit a front bearing, the longest bit is drifting the outer races out of the hub.
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Stu
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Karl
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Re: Wheel bearing play

Post by Karl »

Gents, this is not a Hawk. I think it is using Jaguar running gear!
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StewbieC
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Re: Wheel bearing play

Post by StewbieC »

Danke Karl! Wir sehen uns hoeffentlich am wochenende!

Scrub my last post, I assumed wrongly that it was a Hawk with MGB uprights.
Lord knows what is going on there! Good luck with the fix!
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clive
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Re: Wheel bearing play

Post by clive »

Karl wrote: Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:29 pm Gents, this is not a Hawk. I think it is using Jaguar running gear!
That's why I was asking.
Cheers, Clive.

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Fireball
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Re: Wheel bearing play

Post by Fireball »

sorry gents, yes Karl you're correct it is a Jaguar XJ6 front end. Stu I think you may have a point with the Chinese bearings - regardless of MGB or Jag. I've ordered a new spindle thinking that if a previous bearing did seize then the spindle may have had some heat put into it by the bearing while it was rotating on the spindle. I'm also going to get a new bearing (I know, no expense spared!) and I was going to get a GKN item - I think they are of a good quality.
I'll report back with my findings...

James
Finally sorted Dax 'AC 289' after 4 years in the wilderness.
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nikbj68
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Re: Wheel bearing play

Post by nikbj68 »

You should be able to see clearly if the bearing has spun on the shaft, as it won't have the nice machined finish you would expect.
(Before we knew it wasn't MGB) I measured a spare hub & bearing I have and there is 10 thou" difference as Stu attested to.
Good luck.
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Fireball
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Re: Wheel bearing play

Post by Fireball »

Stub axle was the fault, for some reason there was play on an item that shouldn't have any moving parts on it. I even remembered the rear seal - the second time.
Finally sorted Dax 'AC 289' after 4 years in the wilderness.
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