torque setting for front wheel bearing

sand kombi Officially Full-On Dubber

345 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 2 May 2003, 1:17 am

#43293

Is there a torque setting for the lock nut on the front wheel bearing [the one with the allen key bolt in it] I have been told do up tight then undo it about 3-5 mm . Would this be about right :beer

MIKE.
VW'S DON'T LEAK OIL, THEY JUST LEAVE THEIR MARK !!!

vw54 Administrator Always Waiting 4 Friday

16,723 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 2 May 2003, 7:49 am

#43307

Sand Kombi

these are not to be Torqued up. Otherwise the wheel bearings will not work correctly. overtightening will cause the bearings to over heat n wear out quickly.

the washer behind the nut is the key to the tighteness of the nut

The nut should be tightened so that the washer can be mooved slightly using a screw driver on the side of it, then the lock nut or lock screw can be tightened.

This applies to all cars wheel bearings for that matter not only VWs.

I read it on FACEBOOK so it must be true

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=91278&page=1#pid848630

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=63561&page=1#pid624099

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=4832&page=1#pid452603

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=60650&page=1#pid574409

sand kombi Officially Full-On Dubber

345 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 2 May 2003, 2:29 pm

#43389

Can the car still be on the ground when adjusting the lock nut ,or does wheel have to be off the ground

MIKE.
VW'S DON'T LEAK OIL, THEY JUST LEAVE THEIR MARK !!!

aussiebug Officially Full-On Dubber

246 posts · joined Sep 2002 · 2 May 2003, 4:01 pm

#43409

The method I've always used (and my original 1970 bearings now have 248.000 miles on them so I know it works), is, with the wheel OFF the ground, tighten the large axle nut until the bearings just start to bind (the wheel slows when you try to spin it), then with the wheel still (so the bearings etc don't move) carefully loosen until the nut until it is actually loose, and then FINGER tighten until it touches the washer and just a bit more - a firm finger tighten.

Then tighten up the locking nuts and you are done.

This method takes out all the slack in the stack of assembled parts which might be present, by slightly overtightening first. Then the loosening followed by finger tightening ensures that there is no binding but no slack either.

Rob
Rob and Dave's aircooled VW pages
Repairs and maintenance for the home mechanic
http://www.vw-resource.com

Baja Wes V6 Baja Pioneer

3,119 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 2 May 2003, 4:41 pm

#43418

aussiebug wrote:my original 1970 bearings now have 248.000 miles on them so I know it works

HOLY COW! :o:o:o
Where's a worship smiley when you need it?

I have owned my Baja for about 8yrs, and I reckon I must be on about my 4th set of front wheel bearings. But then the Baja cops a lot of abuse and the taller tyres put more moment on the bearings.

Actually my bearings only really seem to die when I try to drive across a river and water gets past the seal and also in the bearings caps and into the bearings, especially on the speedo cable side. :repuke

I tend not to drive through water so much these days, and when I do I clean and repack the bearings. :thumb

Wes - www.offroadvw.net - 200HP Quad Cam V6 in a VW Baja - with climate control... 🙂
www.taylorcycles.com.au - My DH MTB racing brothers shop.