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Old 09-18-2011, 08:18 PM   #7
Coupeguy2001
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: phoenix az
Posts: 723
Re: Wheel bearing adjustment question

The 33# IS CORRECT. Only on the 2 ton models do you back off to put the cotter pin in. On the half ton, you get 90 degree holes in the spindle. In AZ, i turn it tghter till the cotter pin lines up. 115 degrees outside means the spindle will stretch just that much more.
If you torque it to around 5 or 6 lbs, when the axle heats up, the spindle stretches and you lose all your bearing preload.
The ball bearig is supposed to be installed in a preload sutuation where the tapered roller doesn't need as much. The tapered roller has so much more contact area, that to torque it that high would induce excessive drag, creating enough heat to ruin the grease's lubricating properties, galling the bearing surfaces.
I have driven my 57 about 285,000 miles, and I can tell you i didn't believe it at first and after changing both the outer bearings R+L every year 3 years running, I did what the book calls out for, and they last about 10 years.
You can hear the bearings make noise when they are flatspotting, and you can feel it in the steering wheel. If they flatspot enough, they make a SNAP SNAP noise at speeds above 50 mph in a turn.

Last edited by Coupeguy2001; 09-18-2011 at 08:32 PM.
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