Hub bearing adjustment w/dial indicator

[DosGatos]

Installed new bearings using a welder and the freezer. Single nut 12tpi front hub. 200# torque while turning hub. Loosen one turn. Re-torque 50#. Back nut off 1/6 turn. Install nut cage and cotter pin loose. Measure with dial indicator.
Made a bridge of perforated angle for the magnetic base. Backing out 1/6 was .006 end play. Flipped the cage and turned in nut to get .003
With the bearings installed with only the lube from the package, you can still hear and feel it "click" when pulling on the hub. Surprised me cause I thought I'd be measuring deflection, not an air gap.

[Rawze]

Many thrust bearing assembly manuals for machinery say that 0.001" pre-load is better than any clearances on new bearings for achieving an extended lifespan. I have also seen this same thing stated in some of the manuals for axles and hub bearings on trucks.

I set mine for a bit of pre-load a long time ago and have had better results in minimizing hub bearing wear. I torque them to 70-80 ft-lbs when there is no sleeve, and to 260 ft-lbs when there is a sleeve. All makes are slightly different though so someone should follow the manual for that model and make axle if they are not sure.

I know though, that anything more than about 0.002" clearance on most trucks, the inside edges of your tires will not last as long as they should.

Nice setup with the bar btw. Is that a Hendrickson front axle? -- Kinda looks like one in the pic but hard to tell. If so, I set mine for about 230 ft-lbs (mine have the sleeves) and have more than a million miles on them with no signs of them wearing out yet.

-- I have recently purchased a 50-ton press for doing that kind of work instead of having to put them in the oven.

[DosGatos]

Getting a press for the rear hubs. What did you use for bushings? I found this set
https://amzn.to/2Y639Rw

or did you make your own?

[Chamberpains]

I made my own with a bottle jack and some plate steel and small "i" beams.

Just remember to clean thoroughly the hub and races after pressing them in. Aluminum flakes have tendency to come off the hub while pressing the in.

[DosGatos]

Did the rear hubs with preset bearings. They were all loose. Ride is much better now. No more wobble.
Used a 12 ton press. Still ran a weld around the large cup to remove. Bought an otc 3 finger tool that was good to drive out the cups straight.

Titan 12 Ton Hydraulic Shop Floor Press H Frame 24000 lb w/ Heavy Duty Steel Plates https://amzn.to/2PLgeMO

OTC 7180 Universal Bearing Cup Installer https://amzn.to/2Vhoz17

PMD Products 19 Piece Jumbo Large Bearing Bushing Seal Disc Driver Tool Set 2-3/4 inch to 6 inch https://amzn.to/2Y0XHz5

   

[74bassman]

Hey Rawze do you have a video on do this?

[RocketScott]

Finally getting around to putting the front axle back together. Wedge brakes suck...

Had a dial indicator but no base, so I made one

[Volvo8873]

Is there anybody on here that took out there sleeves on there drive axle hubs, torqued them to the sleeveless specs and ran them that way?

[Mattman]

(07-15-2020 )Volvo8873 Wrote:  Is there anybody on here that took out there sleeves on there drive axle hubs, torqued them to the sleeveless specs and ran them that way?

With the original bearings or a new set?