Fiat X1/9 wheel bearing retaining nut tools

[rx1900]

Hi folks. I am quite proud to present my newest project. In many ways my most challenging project yet.

Those of you who have had the...pleasure...of changing a wheel bearing have found - while cursing Fiat the entire time - that the bearing is held in by a funky retaining nut. That of course requires a special factory tool to remove and later re-install.

Attempts to remove the nut with hand tools, chisels, and hastily made tools, usually results in much frustration and damage to the nut and/or the hub - usually without success.

The proper tools to do the job are now very tough -if not impossible - to find. And very expensive if you can find.

So....I designed and had made some proper tools.


Note it is just the tools shown that are on offer. The corresponding nuts are just shown for clarity.

Precision cut right here in Canada. Case hardened and then yellow zinc plated.

Sadly, there are 4 different tools, depending on the year - and other factors - of your X1/9.

Labelled and zip-locked and ready to ship.

Pricing:

45mm tool $ 18.75 US or $ 25.00 Canadian

52mm tool $ 19.75 US or $ 26.50 Canadian

Lancia type tool $ 20.75 US or $27.75 Canadian

65mm tool $ 21.75 US or $ 29.00 Canadian

That is less than 1/2 price of any alternatives on the market. If you could find them....

Plus shipping - see below.

Due to the low value and high shipping rates out of Canada, the good folks at Eurosport UK have agreed to stock them. They currently have stock of all tools. So an easy item to add on to an order of the 100's of other X1/9 parts they carry. Like the wheel bearings and V seals you are likely to also need if are ordering the tool.

Below are direct links to the tools on their website:

45mm tool:
https://www.eurosport-uk.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_22&products_id=782

52mm tool:
https://www.eurosport-uk.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_22&products_id=783

Lancia type tool:
https://www.eurosport-uk.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_22&products_id=785

65mm tool:
https://www.eurosport-uk.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_22&products_id=784

Note their pricing is virtually identical to mine. Due to high priced and slow postage from Canada, those folks outside of North America will find shipping cost and transit time to be much better. It is my product, so you are supporting me either way - if that matters to you....

But in any case do read the above links. They provide additional info in a more concise manner than myself.. But I know it is a little confusing as to what tool is required on your particular car, so I will expand below in a subsequent post !!

But if you also want any of the other products I offer, I'd be happy to ship anywhere in the world. We have recently partnered with a new logistics partner, so I am now able to offer quite reasonable shipping. Just ask for a quote.

I will provide shipping and payment info in a separate thread. Along with a summary of other items you may be interested in:
https://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/parts-ordering-from-rx1900.37418/

Thanks for looking. Thanks for your support. Doug

 

[rx1900]

Some questions and answers:

What tool do I need for my model of X1/9 ?

Well in theory the answer is simple. If....the car is as it came from the factory...you will need the 52mm tool for a 1300 model ('73-'78) or a 65mm tool for a 1500 model ('79-'89). The 1300 models need the tool front and rear. But on the 1500 model the tool is only needed on the rear as the front wheel bearing was held in by a snap ring instead.

But...in reality the answer may be different !! Very early X1/9s - up to mid '76 - were prone to early bearing failures. Likely due to the bearing not having a seal on the nut side of the bearing. Realizing this, Fiat introduced a "service fix" in the field which involved a new style of bearing nut that contained an integral seal. This is the nut shown on the left in my photo above. This was said to prolong bearing life - but required a different (the 45mm tool ) to install it. So...if your X had at some point received this update...of course you will need the 45mm tool - well at least on that wheel. You will have no way of knowing until you have pressed the hub out.

From mid '76 on, they came from the factory with a different nut. Still requiring the 52mm tool, but with the nut now having a wider inner face and a V ring seal that rode against that face. You should retain that style of nut and use a new V ring seal. However...you may well find that a previous owner had used the 45mm nut as that is the replacement nut offered by many suppliers or is contained in a bearing kit.

Then in '79 they went to a bigger bearing and a nut that required a 65mm tool. Should be quite straight forward...except...that nut has been almost NLA for many years now. Very difficult to find these days. I have found only three places in the world that still have some, and they are very expensive. You can use instead - and indeed is what most Fiat parts vendors supply these days - the rear nut from a Lancia Beta. It is a direct replacement and fits and works fine. And is easy to find and cheap. But.....it requires a different tool ( my Lancia style tool ) to install. So it is indeed possible your X has had that style of nut installed in the past.

Can i re-use the existing nut on my X ?

Well....in theory NO. According to Fiat it is a staked nut and should be replaced with a new nut whenever the bearing is changed. But...in reality....you likely can. Unstake the nut very carefully and use a proper tool to remove it. Although it is only torqued to 43 ft/lbs, in reality it is usually quite seized in and will require a LOT of force to undo it - like in excess of 150 ft/lbs. Use a long breaker bar or an impact wrench. If the nut seems quite solid and not mangled once removed, go ahead and re-use it. Due to the scarcity and expense of new nuts, all the more reason to use a proper tool. If you are doing both sides bearings, switch the nuts side to side so the staking is now likely in a different spot.

I have a Scorpion. What tool do i need ?

You will need the 52mm tool for the fronts. And the 65mm tool for the rears. But the above caveats still apply.

Do the tools fit other Fiats or Lancias or Yugos ?

Yes, Fiat 128s are the same story as the 1300 X1/9s. Same change sometime in '76. Same caveats apply. Yes, most 128s, 127s, A112s, Yugos, use either the 45mm or 52mm tool. i'm not sure which. The Lancia style tool fits all Beta models both front and rear. Also some Gamma and Trevi models. Even some Ritmos.

How did you harden them ? Heat them up and dunk in some old oil ?

No, they were all case hardened - and tested to Rockwell 60 - at a professional heat treating facility.

Why do they look different from the factory tools ?

I designed them from scratch. The factory tools were quite heavy and bulky. Costly to make and heavy to ship. I aimed to keep the selling price low without sacrificing function. I used a sculpted design instead of just an octagon so the tool would get a better grip.

Did you test them ?

Yes. I bought a variety of OEM and aftermarket nuts. Designed the tools to work on all of them. Tested with a very long breaker bar. No damage to nut or tool. Although some of the plating did wear off the corners. And yes, The Lancia tool went through extensive - wait for it you knew this was coming - Beta testing......
I personally checked every single tool for proper fitment into its corresponding nut. And ran a tap through every threaded hole to clean out any plating deposits.

Why did you plate them ?

Mostly just for looks and pride. But also to avoid them surface rusting after sitting in your toolbox for 20 years. They were plated at a professional electroplating facility. I chose yellow zinc so they would stand out a bit among a toolbox full of silver tools.
I even labeled each tool in case you forgot what they were. And so your heirs would know what they are.....

Why are the tools designed to bolt together ?

Not really needed for most of them. The 52mm and 65mm tools work perfectly on their own, as they bottom out in the nut. The 45mm and Lancia tools would not ( due to the design of the nut ) and are more stable to use - especially if using an impact wrench - if bolted to the 52mm or Lancia tool. But still work okay on their own. I even supply the screws - 10-32 x 1/2 if you lose them.

What else am I likely to need when changing a wheel bearing ?

Not much really. The wheel bearing itself of course. And you should use new V seals - usually 2 per wheel. And the proper tool of course. The hub nut is staked and in theory should be replaced - or at least swapped side to side so the staking is in a different spot. And you will need access to a shop press and some pullers. Do a search here and lots of posts on the subject.


Any more questions, just ask..