16 replies to this topic

[Hulk]

I am currently replacing my rear wheel bearings. Everything was going well until I went to put the hub back on the spindle. I was tapping it on with hits at 12,6,3,9 with a rubber mallet. Then it seemed to get stuck! So tried to take it off again. The hub came off leaving the oil seal ring and the back bearing on the spindle (see photo).

The bearings I took off were ball bearings I am replacing them with the roller type. If you look at the spindle there is a ridge - which I assume the ball bearings fit into. Which makes me think can I fit the roller type onto that spindle? Is it a different size?

A) should I try and force the whole thing on?

B) remove the back bearing and oil seal ring again - if so how?

Any useful comments would be greatly appreciated.

Attached Files

•  axle.jpg   432.23K   114 downloads
•  large.jpg   441.65K   45 downloads

[lrostoke]

I wouldn't try to force it on, chances are the bearing as picked up on something on the shaft causing it to jam.
Best to remove I'd try something like a large spanner just bigger than the shaft behind the bearing and try lever it off. Do a bit one side then a bit the other.

A puller might work if you can get the fingers on the inner race , don't want to be pulling at the outside you will pull bearing appart.

oh hang on just noticed where you arrow is pointing hard to tell but I think you've left part of the old ball bearing on there, thats the inner race by the look it needs to come off.

Edited by lrostoke, 12 November 2010 - 07:14 AM.

[Hulk]

Thanks Fella - I don't have a puller so will try your spanner method tomorrow. How easy should it go on? Should I be able to push it on without giving it a good bash with the persuader (hammer). The ridge in the shaft is that standard.

[lrostoke]

Like mentioned before you have left a bit of the old bearing on.

see pic of shaft off radius arm, no ridge

[Hulk]

Hmmmn that would make sense - although the assembly I took off was complete including the dust/oil ring. It seems to happen quite a lot. I just googled it. I'll try the spanner failing that I'll get my hands on a puller. Thanks for the photo of the shaft. It looks as though the ridge has been ground into the shaft. Anyone seen this before?

[BLUE ITALIAN JOB]

might want to check the brake linings and how they are fitted to the back plate - one is the wrong way round .

[Hulk]

Thanks for the comment re: brakes. I will look into that. So today I bought a hub puller and a 24mm spanner. I can't work in it for another 2 days - arrgh the frustration.
I did take a photo of the old bearings when I took them off. See attached all the bits seem to be there. x2 races. Baffles me as to why someone would grind into the stub axle?

Attached Files

•  old_bearing.jpg   234.61K   64 downloads

Edited by Hulk, 13 November 2010 - 08:02 AM.

[Dan]

Did you stop to think that if there is a spacer to go between the inner races, there should be two inner races? Or that you have far more balls there than will fit into the single inner race?

It's not uncommon for people to leave a bearing race on when doing this, but if you thought that stub axle was remotely clean enough to be building a wheel bearing onto it you were very sorely mistaken. Dirt destroys bearings, the dirt on the remains of the old inner race is easily enough to kill that bearing inside 6 months. Everything inside the hub should be spotless. And make sure you clean all that grease off and out of the thread, if you torque that bearing up with that much grease in there you will crush it. No offence meant but that is some very sloppy work, you've got to take your suspension and brakes more seriously than this, they are important.

[samsfern]

brake shoes have been fitted wrongly.

[Hulk]

Dirt destroys bearings, the dirt on the remains of the old inner race is easily enough to kill that bearing inside 6 months. Everything inside the hub should be spotless. And make sure you clean all that grease off and out of the thread, if you torque that bearing up with that much grease in there you will crush it. No offence meant but that is some very sloppy work, you've got to take your suspension and brakes more seriously than this, they are important.

No offence taken this is the first time I have seen the inside of a hub. It failed it's warrant - the garage quoted me $500+ for parts and labour. So I googled it and armed with my Haynes manual I set about the task. Isn't that one of the things we love about minis. As for the brakes again first time I've seen inside a drum. Are they both the wrong way round - or just one. Should I replace with new? on both sides of the car at the same time?

[lrostoke]

Dirt destroys bearings, the dirt on the remains of the old inner race is easily enough to kill that bearing inside 6 months. Everything inside the hub should be spotless. And make sure you clean all that grease off and out of the thread, if you torque that bearing up with that much grease in there you will crush it. No offence meant but that is some very sloppy work, you've got to take your suspension and brakes more seriously than this, they are important.

No offence taken this is the first time I have seen the inside of a hub. It failed it's warrant - the garage quoted me $500+ for parts and labour. So I googled it and armed with my Haynes manual I set about the task. Isn't that one of the things we love about minis. As for the brakes again first time I've seen inside a drum. Are they both the wrong way round - or just one. Should I replace with new? on both sides of the car at the same time?

Only one of the shoes will be wrong. ideally remove the shoes clean up all the metal parts inside there, the handbrake lever make sure its free to pivot,apply copper grease.
same with the square adjusting peg,apply copper grease

on the shoes you will notice one end the friction material doesn't go as far, that end goes at the top with shoe on the side closest to front of car. the other shoe fit with that end facing down rear of drum

shoes look dry and plenty of meat so just a light rough up with sandpaper is all ide do

Edited by lrostoke, 14 November 2010 - 07:22 AM.

[Dan]

Unless they're old shoes full of asbestos. They look quite new but if you don't know how old they are, DON'T sand them.

You should be able to use the puller to get the remaining inner bearing race off the axle, you will need to fashion something to get behind it that the puller can grab or tack some nuts to it that you can thread into. It will come off eventually. Then make sure everything is clean and start again. The thread on the end should only be very lighlty oiled before you torque it all up, if its too well lubricated the same torque would be generated by a much higher stretch and clamping load so clean all that grease out with a solvant before you start assembling. The bearing itself needs to be packed with grease between and around the rollers but there needs to be some air space inside the hub for expansion and for the hot grease to flow.

Once you have the brake shoes on the right way around, check that the springs are fitted right. The lower spring will rub on the hub if it's upside down and will eventually wear a groove through it. The centre bar of it needs to be offset to the bottom, it does look right at the moment in the photo. Check that all the springs are clear all round. In addition to what LRO Stoke said, I would also copper grease the two square pressings in the back plate lightly, these hold the centre of the shoe in alignment and it needs to slide over them cleanly. Remember always be very sparing with the copper grease, a little goes a very long way.

Because one of your shoes is upside down currently, the springs are possibly a little over stretched so you might find they are now worn out and need replacing. The difference isn't that much though so they're probably OK. The springs should both run from a larger, round hole at one end to a small slotted hole at the other. You'll see what I mean when the shoes are setup right. The longer holes are there to make it easier to get the second end of the spring fitted. Remember to check the brakes on the other side too.

[tomfogg]

Heres a diagram showing the correct orientation of the brake shoes. left hand side of car shown.

[Hulk]

Thank you all for your advice. I do appreciate it... I have to wait nervously until next weekend until I can get to it. Meanwhile today we got hit with another 4.9 magnitude aftershock the car is up on axle stands! Today I put two jacks under it aswel.

[Hulk]

One week later and all done. I used a 3 armed gear puller and it came off with no drama. Cleaned everything throughly reapplied new grease and popped the new assembly on. The hardest bit was putting the split pin back in after 1 and a half hours worth of gentle tapping and a very bent split pin I decided I'd been given the wrong size split pin so bought a thinner one.

The wheel doesn't spin as freely as I thought it would is this a result of not enough grease or too much?
I torqued the hub nut up to 60 as mentioned in the Haynes Manuel.

Edited by Hulk, 21 November 2010 - 05:55 AM.