Is it usual to have a small amount of play on the rear wheels. I have adjusted them as per the instructions (hand tighten the hub nut so you can just move the thrust washer with a screwdriver). The car has done 153000 miles and I think they are the original bearings, which I plan to replace soon. If they are shot will anything drastic happen if I carry on using the car?
Any advice welcome
Thanks
|
Remove the dust cap from the hub and replace the wheel and adjust until there a small amount of play. Refit the dust cap and test drive. Rear bearings are £8 a side from GS&F
--
2 Dirty VW diesels and a Honda with an 18 inch blade
|
Depends what you mean by a small amount of play, if you grab the top and bottom of the when and rock the wheel (push at top/pull on bottom and vice versa), I would expect a couple of mm movement at the outer edge, any more and this may be excessive.
Don't overtighten the bearing though, you should be able to move the thrust washer with a screwdriver without levering it when the retaining nut is nipped up.
And obviously if you adjust the bearing there is normally a castellated nut/cover and a spilt pin tp replace before refitting the dust cap.
|
|
|
|
|
Worn rear wheel bearings on these cars tend to make quite a lot of noise before anything worse happens. At this mileage you might find that the stub axles are worn where the outer bearing sits.
|
|
|
>>Is it usual to have a small amount of play on the rear wheels.
on taper bearings yes,if they are shot it will be hard to adjust them to correct level and best to replace,if the old ones have been cleaned up/then repacked with grease without a problem then see no reason why you cannot carry on using them.
soon know when they are shot as they whine
--
Steve
|
|
|
If they are shot will anything drastic happen if I carry on using the car?
you should hear if theyre "shot" when driving also you could feel/hear a roughness when you spin them by hand, what made you decide to adjust them?
but to answer your original question, will anything drastic happen, yes, the car will drop down if the bearing collapses you will loose control of the vehicle and the wheel wiil more than likely leave the vehicle complete with drum, dont like to scare you or anything.
|
Thanks for the replies everyone. I've just bought the car off ebay it's got reams of service history (£4500 spent in last 8 years) So no reason to expect anything sinister. It had the bearings adjusted at the last mot, but I just thought there seemed to be quite bit of play on the back wheels. There are no rumblings or whining and they spin quietly, so I will wait till I do the discs in September. If its the stub axles does anybody know if they are a simple bolt on job?
Thanks again
|
|
I would not worry about stub axles,it is possible to damage one if the vehicle has been run with a badly damaged bearing,but normally no moving part contacts them so they cannot wear.
|
Stubs are held on with 4 bolts, but they're expensive new.
--
2 Dirty VW diesels and a Honda with an 18 inch blade
|
|
|
|
