It sounded bad so I screwed it up completely.

mmudge

mmudge

True Classic
I've begun working on the brakes and clutch hydraulics on my '74. After I removed the stuff on the driver side front, I spun the hub. It did not sound good....grumbly, if you know what I mean.

Being the resourceful type I decided to remove the axle stub and get a look at the bearings. I thought I could tap the hub out simply by removing the staked nut by the bottom of the strut.

After hammering for a half hour I was able to destroy the entire thing. The housing is okay but the spindle/hub, bearings and seals are toast. I'm looking back in my Fiat history to find that point in time where I completely lost it.

As I said to someone the other day, An education is not inexpensive. So now I know what not to do.

I'll be looking for a nice hub/spindle and all associated bearings and seals. If you happen to have any of these parts please help a moron out. ;)

Mudge
 
Pound on stuff, and it is very possible to crack something..

To do the wheel bearings properly, use a press or LARGE gear puller with the proper adapters, not a BIG hammer.

When new bearings are installed, apply pressure on the outside of the bearing when they are installed into the housing. If the bearings are pressed in by the inner race of the bearing there is a very, very real possibility of creating small dents (those chrome steel balls are the source of the problem) in the bearing races by the pressure exerted during the installation process. This will cause the new bearing to fail before it's time.

Bernice

Mudge said:
I've begun working on the brakes and clutch hydraulics on my '74. After I removed the stuff on the driver side front, I spun the hub. It did not sound good....grumbly, if you know what I mean.

Being the resourceful type I decided to remove the axle stub and get a look at the bearings. I thought I could tap the hub out simply by removing the staked nut by the bottom of the strut.

After hammering for a half hour I was able to destroy the entire thing. The housing is okay but the spindle/hub, bearings and seals are toast. I'm looking back in my Fiat history to find that point in time where I completely lost it.

As I said to someone the other day, An education is not inexpensive. So now I know what not to do.

I'll be looking for a nice hub/spindle and all associated bearings and seals. If you happen to have any of these parts please help a moron out. ;)

Mudge
Click to expand...
 
The technical term for what Bernice is describing is "brinelling" which is as she said, putting tiny flats on the balls, or damaging the race.

Keep the old bearing bits, with a slot cut down the side of the race, it makes a perfect press pushing tool for both inner and outer sizes.

When you push the bearing into the hub, as Bernice pointed out, press on the outer bearing race using the old outer (with slot cut down the side) to get the bearing well seated into the hub.

Then you need to fit the lockring/ seals... then turn the assembly over and supporting the inner race (again with the old inner) press the wheel flange into the bearing.

It can be done in a big vice, but it's much easier with a small shop press.

SteveC
 
Hey...

It's been a long time Steve. My memory tells me you're in Oz. Correct?

I have a shop just up the street and the owner, Blue Guthrie, Has a very nice press. For the price of a decent lunch he'll do the work.

Mike Mudge
 
Yeah, Western Australia to be exact, the engine room of the Australian economy... :) If we could get away from the politicians in the eastern states (sydney/melbourne/canberra) we would have the highest GDP per capita in the world ... just over 1.5 million people in the whole state (look at it on a map ... the place is huge) and it's where nearly all the resources are ... oil/gas/gold/nickle/copper/aluminium etc etc

Anyway there's an ebay seller here in Oz (f272827f is his user name) and he recently advertised an SKF bearing, OE wheel flange, nut seals and lockring for a series 1 at around the $100au mark... it's not in his store right now, but if you dont have any luck locally shoot him an email, he's a good ebay seller of Fiat bits and pieces.

SteveC
 
Mudge said:
I've begun working on the brakes and clutch hydraulics on my '74. After I removed the stuff on the driver side front, I spun the hub. It did not sound good....grumbly, if you know what I mean.

Being the resourceful type I decided to remove the axle stub and get a look at the bearings. I thought I could tap the hub out simply by removing the staked nut by the bottom of the strut.

After hammering for a half hour I was able to destroy the entire thing. The housing is okay but the spindle/hub, bearings and seals are toast. I'm looking back in my Fiat history to find that point in time where I completely lost it.

As I said to someone the other day, An education is not inexpensive. So now I know what not to do.

I'll be looking for a nice hub/spindle and all associated bearings and seals. If you happen to have any of these parts please help a moron out. ;)

Mudge
Click to expand...

Well Mike, if no one offers you what you need for free I have it all in stock.
 
Hint,

The bearing is known as an "Angular Contact" race bearing. The center race should have a split in the center where the races can be separated, once split remove the seal, chrome steel balls and retainer. What remains is a just the bearing outer race which is good press tool for the new bearing. Grinding down the outside diameter slightly helps prevent the old bearing outer shell from getting stuck after the new bearing has been pressed in place.

If the new bearing to housing press fit is too loose, it is possible to use Loctite RC609 to help the bearing stay put (make absolute sure everything is Oil Free and CLEAN before applying RC609). What is not acceptable is the new bearing easily sliding into the housing. This can cause problems for the bearing and housing later during it's service life.

The inner race is slightly taller than the outer race, being a rather un-trusting and paranoid soul about "Brinelling" the bearing races, I like to make sure nothing contacts the inner race when the new bearing is installed.

One more thing, don't "Pound or Beat" the new bearing into the housing.. Press it in with the proper tools.

Bernice

Bernice

fiatfactory said:
T

When you push the bearing into the hub, as Bernice pointed out, press on the outer bearing race using the old outer (with slot cut down the side) to get the bearing well seated into the hub.

SteveC
Click to expand...
 
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