15 replies to this topic

[minicj]

I have fitted wider wheels and arches to my mini, just got back from the isle of man, and the front right wheel bearing decided that it didn't want to come home to england, and expired rapidly.

Now i understand that having the wide wheels definatly arent helping and the bumpy manx roads definatly didnt help either.

Is there anything i can do to stop this from happening again?

Stronger bearings? or maybe thinner stub axles to reduce the width?

Probably a very common problem?

[Cooperman]

How much wider are the wheels? It's not so much the width as the datum offset of the wheel which increases the loads on the bearings.
You can't use stronger bearings as they ae one size for all disc-braked cars. Don't understand what you mean by 'thinner' stub axles. The only stub axle is the CV joint outer shaft.
When fitting new bearings make sure that they are top quality ones from a major supplier like Mini Spares, not some 'cheapie' Chinese ones.
Wheels with a large datum offset will exacerbate any existing bearing weakness you have, especially is there is a lot of offset.

[minicj]

Sorry, i mean Hub flanges! i just thought maybe you could get them machined down a bit thinner, also i have deep dish superlights, which are probably the worst kind to have?

[Spitz]

Are you on discs or drums? Roller bearings or ball?

[Kinky_Kylie]

As said above but personally id Only use genuine Timken roller bearings! There are fake timkens knocking about so definatley buy from a reputable source.

[Frisco]

Timken, NTN, FAG, SKF, INA there are quite a few tier one bearing manufacturers so I wouldn't be tied down to one.
If your buying over the counter in a motor factors open the box and read the bearing

[MRA]

Discs or drums has no bearing (excuse the pun) on the type of bearing used they are interchangeable.

Timken are regarded as the best, fitting the correclty is a big issue, make sure that you pull the whole assembly up tight with a flat washer first (ours has instructions on how to use it) (blatant plug)

Read the following link for more information.
http://www.mra-minis...rive-flange.htm

[Frisco]

Regarded as the best by who?
We used to put INA bearings into production machines that would run 24 hours a day 364 days a year so they can well make bearings for a mini

[MRA]

Regarded as the best by who?
We used to put INA bearings into production machines that would run 24 hours a day 364 days a year so they can well make bearings for a mini

Sorry I should have explained myself, I meant for taper roller bearings for the Classic Mini, all of the above bearing manuacturers are excellent and supply good bearings for other applications, however the genuine TIMKEN fron taper roller bearing for Classic Mini is definately the best.

[Spitz]

Discs or drums has no bearing (excuse the pun) on the type of bearing used they are interchangeable.

Yes...quite right...this is common knowledge.
Why I was asking though was I wanted to know what type were presently fit.
Balls being somewhat less tolerant of wider wheels and spacers etc.
My suggestion then would have been to fit Timkin Rollers.

[minicj]

Thanks for your help guys, its using the standard 8.4" discs, its probably a mixture of an old knackered bearing, wider wheels and manx roads, ill replace both sides and hopefully itll be cured....

[scudracer]

Can I use the upgraded GHK1805 Timken rear wheel bearing set on my 1971 Mini?

[Wozza1380]

Any ideas ? have recently changed the front near side wheel bearing on my disc brakes, torqued the main hub nut up to 150lbs using a flat washer at first and then replacing with cone washer back to 150lbs again and finally just squeezing the split pin back into the next available slot.

 

The spline of the cv where the hub nut goes has 4 holes in it and when I fitted the new bearing (taper rollers not ball) there was a small metal ring/spacer approx. 5mm wide that came out of the hub with the original bearings that were previously fitted. which I refitted with the new bearings . .

 

My question is how hard should it be to turn the brake disc after fitting the new bearing and tightening to 150lbs ? as I can only just turn the brake disc by hand . . is this normal as personally it seems to be a bit tight or do the new bearings just wear themselves in ?

[jaydee]

By hard to turn, you mean hard to spin the hub? if so you have over-torqued the bearing, but unless your torque wrench is well out of calibration, i think your bearings have mismatched spacers. Not uncommon on cheap bearing. 

Whats the make of the bearings?

 

The small 5mm spacer has been discontinued at a certain point, its fitted on the CV side.

[Wozza1380]

the bearings were after markets from mini spares but don't think that was the problem as after doing them up to atleast (and the wrench is fairly new) 150lbs I could only just see enough of the corresponding hole in the spline end of the cv to squeeze the split pin into the 1st available hole, but it was still really tight . . so decided to dismantle whole of hub again and remove the 5mm spacer from behind the inner bearing (cv side) and reassemble.

 

once again torqueing to 150lbs and this time it gave me atleast 3 more threads clear of the castle nut and easy access to the holes for the split pin.

 

This seems to have sorted the issue as it all seems to spin fairly freely now so my only conclusion is the spacer for some reason was pushing the hub out to far ? ?

 

Don't know if this is a fact or whether this is just a one off case but was not to happy as various data on the subject states that the spacer can be left in or out and it doesn't really matter but obviously in this case it did . . if anyone can give a definite explanation would be appreciated.