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On a front Dana 44 you torque the inner nut then back it off 1/8” of a turn or so. That isn’t preload?
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Finally got a lathe!
- Thread starter TimDubois
- Start date
It depends on the application, ive seen specs that allow play in the bearing, and others that call for slight preload. Im a preload kinda guy, even when i was working on heavy trucks. Not a lot, but some preload.
Unit bearings are so common now that a lot of newer techs have never adjusted a wheel bearing. Unit hubs are definitely preloaded.
Unit bearings are so common now that a lot of newer techs have never adjusted a wheel bearing. Unit hubs are definitely preloaded.
Gearhead88
Super User
No , backing the adjusting nut off allows for a tiny bit of free play and some thermal growth . If you preloaded the bearings they wouldn’t live long. Once you are happy with the adjustment , the lock plate and outer nut go on and gets torqued . There are variations to that configuration , some lock plates come with tabs that are bent to secure the outer nut , some have holes that line up with a raised nub on the inside nut , on those ones the outer nut is torqued and is a jamb nut , securing the hub .
Jeff, there are many many applications where they call for a lot of preload and the bearings live a long and happy life.
Tapered roller headstock bearings are always preloaded.
On most Kia's, for example, with insert bearings, the axle nut gets torqued to 180 ft/lbs. The torque it takes to rotate the hub goes up after the nut is torqued. Thats preload.
Tapered roller headstock bearings are always preloaded.
On most Kia's, for example, with insert bearings, the axle nut gets torqued to 180 ft/lbs. The torque it takes to rotate the hub goes up after the nut is torqued. Thats preload.
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Gearhead88
Super User
Darren
Just so you know , I've been a mechanic since the early eighties , not a technician as they are called now , we actually fixed and rebuilt stuff.
I just finished up seven years of working on heavy crawler cranes , the trucks & trailers that haul them and the support vehicles to service and assemble them.
I was the guy who certified the road vehicles , tractors n' trailers as being safe . I have a couple of Journeyman tickets that I earned from years of sweat.
The number of times We put preload on any of the wheel bearings on any of that was zero . One trailer had 64 wheels , that's a lot of wheel bearings , to service and adjust , every year or as needed and that was only one , in a good sized fleet of heavy haul gear.
Lighter stuff like on an older Dana 44 that actually has adjustable / serviceable wheel bearing were no different , just smaller , some play is acceptable and is the way it was done. Same as a full floating rear axle , no preload , but a teeny bit of play.
I worked on smaller shit too , was never my thing , working on soccer moms poorly maintained miny van.
Todays light duty junk is all throw away , unit bearings , these younger guys would struggle trying to figure out how to adjust a wheel bearing correctly , I've seen it happen and laughed.
I should add , I wouldn't be seen driving or working on a Kia . whatever wheel bearing setup is required for that , has little to do with what the original poster was trying to explain to us.
Yes , on a motorcycle , the neck bearings have some preload , if they didn't the bike would wobble so bad you'd get bucked off. A neck bearing is not a wheel bearing and see's no loads that even comes close to what a wheel bearing is subjected to.
No arrogance intended , I just felt you need to know a bit about my background before jumping in to "set me straight"
It looks like we've successfully wrecked this thread , sorry .
Just so you know , I've been a mechanic since the early eighties , not a technician as they are called now , we actually fixed and rebuilt stuff.
I just finished up seven years of working on heavy crawler cranes , the trucks & trailers that haul them and the support vehicles to service and assemble them.
I was the guy who certified the road vehicles , tractors n' trailers as being safe . I have a couple of Journeyman tickets that I earned from years of sweat.
The number of times We put preload on any of the wheel bearings on any of that was zero . One trailer had 64 wheels , that's a lot of wheel bearings , to service and adjust , every year or as needed and that was only one , in a good sized fleet of heavy haul gear.
Lighter stuff like on an older Dana 44 that actually has adjustable / serviceable wheel bearing were no different , just smaller , some play is acceptable and is the way it was done. Same as a full floating rear axle , no preload , but a teeny bit of play.
I worked on smaller shit too , was never my thing , working on soccer moms poorly maintained miny van.
Todays light duty junk is all throw away , unit bearings , these younger guys would struggle trying to figure out how to adjust a wheel bearing correctly , I've seen it happen and laughed.
I should add , I wouldn't be seen driving or working on a Kia . whatever wheel bearing setup is required for that , has little to do with what the original poster was trying to explain to us.
Yes , on a motorcycle , the neck bearings have some preload , if they didn't the bike would wobble so bad you'd get bucked off. A neck bearing is not a wheel bearing and see's no loads that even comes close to what a wheel bearing is subjected to.
No arrogance intended , I just felt you need to know a bit about my background before jumping in to "set me straight"
It looks like we've successfully wrecked this thread , sorry .
the only reason there is no pre-load specification for wheel bearings is because it is next to impossible to measure, it is said that tapered roller bearings will live longer with end play than with to much pre-load.....so the 'back off x turn' is ensuring there is endplay/no preload......it is fully a compromise
always fun to get a lathe.Hahaha this got a little crazy lol.
For a little background I have completely designed these hubs myself. The terra jet comes stock as full time locked 4x4 and one cam actuated disk brake on the transmission. With these new spindles welded onto the knuckle (more of a bell really) I will have selectable 4 wheel drive and hydraulic disk brakes up front so that going into 2x4 doesn't limit me to rear brakes only.
I don't have nearly any of your experience with heavy equipment but for tapered roller bearings on trailers I've always snugged it down with the wheel spinning until the wheel pretty much stopped then backed it off till it spun free. I usually check it again after a few hundred kms and adjust as neccesary.
My theory is thay tight means friction, friction means heat, heat means failure.
I am also not new at all to machining, the first two weeks of our 6 month course is just grinding HSS cutting tools. As I said in my into post part of my job is machining, my trade is the one that fixes everything where a part can't simply be changed (for land equipment).
To satisfy all your curiosity I'll post up some pics of the current hubs and my assembly CAD.
For a little background I have completely designed these hubs myself. The terra jet comes stock as full time locked 4x4 and one cam actuated disk brake on the transmission. With these new spindles welded onto the knuckle (more of a bell really) I will have selectable 4 wheel drive and hydraulic disk brakes up front so that going into 2x4 doesn't limit me to rear brakes only.
I don't have nearly any of your experience with heavy equipment but for tapered roller bearings on trailers I've always snugged it down with the wheel spinning until the wheel pretty much stopped then backed it off till it spun free. I usually check it again after a few hundred kms and adjust as neccesary.
My theory is thay tight means friction, friction means heat, heat means failure.
I am also not new at all to machining, the first two weeks of our 6 month course is just grinding HSS cutting tools. As I said in my into post part of my job is machining, my trade is the one that fixes everything where a part can't simply be changed (for land equipment).
To satisfy all your curiosity I'll post up some pics of the current hubs and my assembly CAD.
As promised, here you go.
This is the original hub.
I'm gonna cut off the tube on the "bell'' that carries the outer race of the 6206 bearings. Then I'm gonna weld my new spindle in its place.
The spindle is the part on the far left. In the last pic I omitted the brake rotor and spacers for clarity.
This is the original hub.
I'm gonna cut off the tube on the "bell'' that carries the outer race of the 6206 bearings. Then I'm gonna weld my new spindle in its place.
Congrats on the new lathe and welcome to the forum, and good luck with your project.
Blouin55
Michel
Looks in good shape...nice one!.
Just waiting for my cutting tools to arrive and I can get started. Decided to go with 6061 t-6 for the hubs as they do not need to be welded at all and there's enough meat in the part that I'm not worried. Spindles will be 1018 steel, not ideal for machining but they will weld up solid without pre and post weld heat treating.
Where did you get your metal from?
Metal Pros in Ottawa. It was horrendously overpriced for what I got but I can't blame them. They have to buy lengths and store it and wait for someone to ask for 2.5 inches then cut it...
I used to order all the metal for my last two shops and the big metal suppliers want nothing to do with us home shops. When I bought the aluminum for my squarestream hunting trailer I had to have it delivered to work because they wouldn't let me unload by hand.
I'm just glad I was able to get it at all.
I used to order all the metal for my last two shops and the big metal suppliers want nothing to do with us home shops. When I bought the aluminum for my squarestream hunting trailer I had to have it delivered to work because they wouldn't let me unload by hand.
I'm just glad I was able to get it at all.
boilerhouse
Ultra Member
I have used Metal Supermarkets on the east end in the past. I have had good luck rummaging through the off cut room.