tightening or adjusting front wheel bearings

[Custom 68]

I have done this a few times but last year while about half way thru the 2500 plus mile road trip of the power tour I "blew out" a front wheel bearing. I limped it to a shop where after a few hours an older gentlemen cut and ground the spindle down enough to get new bearings on and me back on the road. I finished the trip but got new spindles upon my return home. Needless to say I am now a little gun shy on how to tighten or set these bearings.
I don't know if I over tightened under tightened or if the bearing itself went bad. Or if I didn't have enough grease.
Everything is new again and I have it where I think it should be but wanted how you do these talked about. I will be going on another 3000 mile trip so I don't want to have any issues that could be avoided (or any for that matter.)
Thanks
David

[spatz]

After installing the bearings tighten nut to iirc to 14 ft lbs or snug while spinning the rotor or drum.
Back nut off one flat and place the cotter pin in. There could be a little play but not much, you should barely feel it with the tire on.

[LEEVON]

Dave, my ace tech spins the rotors while tightening and stops right at the point that they free spin about one rotation, then back off enough to get the cotter pin in. If you have any doubts, come by the shop and I'll check it out.

2315 W Republic Rd.

Leevon

[andrewmp6]

Leevon that is how i have always done it myself also.

[PGSigns]

How do you pack the bearings? That leads to more failures than anything else.
Jimmy

[chakah]

For packing bearings, I bought a cone shaped looking tool at an Autozone. It has two cone shaped plastics with threaded stem going through them, it's actually a tube with a grease port at the end. The bearing is put between and grease through the port, works great.

[Custom 68]

Thanks guys
Leevon I have done it that way also and will check them using that method but if I do question what I have or am doing I will hit you up on your offer. After having trouble I started second guessing what I had done.
Jimmy, I "pack" the bearings by hand. I take some grease in my palm and work it into the bearings thru the ends until it comes out around the bearings. I just try to keep forcing it into the entire bearing.
Next question is how often should these be "re-packed".

I have seen the different tools but I don't do enough to worry about it.

Again thanks.
Dave

[PGSigns]

The hand packing works as good as the tools just a lot slower. After I hand pack them I add a good bit of grease to the races in the hub to give them a good bed of grease. I tighten them till they feel tight while turning them on the first shot and then back off a full turn and do it again till snug and back off till the cotter pin will go in. This ensures the inner bearing fully seats. Has worked for 40 plus years using this method. I repack when ever doing the brakes.
Jimmy

[Custom 68]

Sounds good, when I did this the last time I did "stuff" more grease around it when I installed them just for the added benefit. I used a red high temp grease.

[PGSigns]

I always just use a good wheel bearing grease. Most everything is good with disc brakes. I have pulled a few apart with a red grease in them and it was harder and caked up. Have no idea on what grease it was.
Jimmy

[Custom 68]

I will look at that container I used Jimmy I have some left. I would have thought I had gotten a good wheel bearing grease. I was thinking it was marked as a high temp. Either way I will give it a look.

[PGSigns]

The stuff comes in all kinds of colors. I have seen red and blue. I'm just to set in my ways and just use the standard stuff. In the drag cars we used a grease with a higher moly content.
Jimmy