Hub Won't tighten after replaceing bearings, races and seal

Status
Not open for further replies.

tuort

Cadet
Joined
Jun 8, 2010
Messages
18
I replaced the bearings, races, and seal with a kit I bought at TSC(Tractor Supply Company) I drove out the old races and installed the new races and am sure I got both seated. I packed the new bearings per the old standard method of grease in the palm and forceing the grease up into the bearings until it comes out the top side. They are well packed. I dropped in the rear bearing and drove in the new seal. I flipped the hub over and completely filled it with the Green Grease I bought at tractor supply and is made for wheel bearings. I dropped in the other bearing and slid the whole assembly onto the axle. I put on the large washer I had taken off previously and put on the large nut. This is where things just didn't seem right. I tightened down the nut as far as I could and used a large wrench to really put some tight on it. However the wheel would still roll freely and when I would grab the sides it had some rocking motion. Not lmuch but I think maybe to much. Its like if you grab the top of the tire and pull and shove back and forth there is definite slack. I at first thought I had run out of threads on the spindle but I checked the large washer and its sort of cupped so I put the outside of the cupped part out(toward the nut). This didn't help. Since I thought it ran out of threads I wen to NAPA and bought an exact washer just like the one that was already on there and put it on with the old one so now I have double washers and won't run out of threads. Well, that wasn't the problem. I still had the wobble and even after tightening up with a large pipe wrench with lots of leverage it was still loose. I took off the extra washer and put the nut back on and tightened it up as much as I could and still have the cotter pin hole open and then installed the cotter pin. I put my bearing buddy on and pumped it full of grease and still it has the wobble or looseness from side to side or top to bottom. I will finish by saying that the other wheel only needed the bearings repacked and re-assembled and it went fine. could tighten the nut up to where the wheel would almost not spin and after backing off and installing cotter pin it didn't have any looseness or wobble and spins freely. Can anyone give me an idea of what may be the problem with the wobble wheel. One thought that came to mind is maybe the new bearing and race are not matched correctly. They came as a complete kit but maybe that doesn't mean anything. Please help.
 

Bifflefan

Commander
Joined
May 27, 2009
Messages
2,933
Re: Hub Won't tighten after replaceing bearings, races and seal

Possilbe that you got the wrong bearings.
take off the washer and try just the nut to see what happens. The tooth may be hitting the end of the key way slot.
 

JimKW

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 10, 2009
Messages
397
Re: Hub Won't tighten after replaceing bearings, races and seal

You say you dropped in the rear bearing and then the seal. Did you put the race in? If so, compare the size of everything that came out with the new parts. You should not have wobble and you should be able to tighten the nut down to where the wheel will not turn.
 

tuort

Cadet
Joined
Jun 8, 2010
Messages
18
Re: Hub Won't tighten after replaceing bearings, races and seal

Possilbe that you got the wrong bearings.
take off the washer and try just the nut to see what happens. The tooth may be hitting the end of the key way slot.

I guess its probably an old style. Its just a smooth round spindle with no keyway of anything like a slot or whatever. It an older dilly trailer and I believe its a 1976 or there abouts. Thanks for the reply.
 

tuort

Cadet
Joined
Jun 8, 2010
Messages
18
Re: Hub Won't tighten after replaceing bearings, races and seal

You say you dropped in the rear bearing and then the seal. Did you put the race in? If so, compare the size of everything that came out with the new parts. You should not have wobble and you should be able to tighten the nut down to where the wheel will not turn.[/

I did install the races. I haven't compared the old and new bearings and races but I will do that soon. It 100+ on the heat index out there right now so this will wait until morning.
 

woosterken

Lieutenant
Joined
May 18, 2005
Messages
1,431
Re: Hub Won't tighten after replaceing bearings, races and seal

it sounds like you got the wrong size bearing :( sorry
one bit of advice: LOOSE the pipe wrench!! you should be able to run the castle nut down (by bare hand) and then give it a snug with a pair of plyers and then adjust for the cotter pin

woosterken
 

tuort

Cadet
Joined
Jun 8, 2010
Messages
18
Re: Hub Won't tighten after replaceing bearings, races and seal

Hub Working, Mystery not solved. I removed the hub and checked the bearings and races against the old bearings and races that were originally in the hub. Took measurements and everything the same. I then started suspecting the spindle may be the problem. Quick check showed it to be a standard 1" spindle. Next thing to do is remove the good hub that I had replaced the seal on and repacked the bearings. Like my beginning thread said, it worked perfectly. I removed it and put it on the other side where the wobbly hub was. It tightened up just fine and didn't have any rocking motion like the other hub. So the spindle was not the problem. Must be in the hub huh. Nope!!! I installed the defective hub on the side the ok hub was removed from and it tightened up and performed beautifully and had no rocking motion. Some things are just not meant to be easily explained. I have thought of all the possibilities that could have caused this to happen and have heard from a few of you with the same ideas that I have been working with. If anyone has any fresh idea of how this could be then please let us know. One last point. I had removed and inspected the old hub and replaced it on the wobbly side at least 5 or 6 time before switching it. It :confused:always seated properly and I even took measurements on the back side to where the rear bearing sits up against the wider flange to make sure it was sitting up against that flange and it was.
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
Re: Hub Won't tighten after replaceing bearings, races and seal

Could be one of the bearings got cocked slighty on the spindle and that prevented you from tightening it. Maybe there was a slight burr and now its gone.
 

bobgofast

Recruit
Joined
Sep 11, 2011
Messages
3
Re: Hub Won't tighten after replaceing bearings, races and seal

May be too late to help you but others may have this problem too. If this is one of the old Dilly's that uses lug bolts rather than studs and nuts, flip the hub around 180 degrees, reinstall seal in other end and try it that way. Worked for me when I accidently put the seal in the wrong end (and the hub would not tighten!)
 

bobgofast

Recruit
Joined
Sep 11, 2011
Messages
3
Re: Hub Won't tighten after replaceing bearings, races and seal

One more idea, maybe you got bearings with L44649 cones (1-1/16") rather than L44643 (1.0") They use the same races #44610 but would leave slop in the clearances if used.
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
Re: Hub Won't tighten after replaceing bearings, races and seal

One year old thread!!!

OP hasnt been around for 5 months either.
 

'78 Crusader

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 15, 2011
Messages
407
Re: Hub Won't tighten after replaceing bearings, races and seal

One year old thread!!!

OP hasnt been around for 5 months either.

He's a new poster whose just trying to help......might not be forum savvy.
 

bobgofast

Recruit
Joined
Sep 11, 2011
Messages
3
Re: Hub Won't tighten after replaceing bearings, races and seal

You're right. I'm not forum savvy. Thought we were building a knowledge base here. Added another opinion in case somebody came along later researching the same problem. Guess you might as well delete all threads after, what, say two weeks so this doesn't happen again? Excuuuuuse me!
 

'78 Crusader

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 15, 2011
Messages
407
Re: Hub Won't tighten after replaceing bearings, races and seal

You're right. I'm not forum savvy. Thought we were building a knowledge base here. Added another opinion in case somebody came along later researching the same problem. Guess you might as well delete all threads after, what, say two weeks so this doesn't happen again? Excuuuuuse me!

Bravo!!!! :D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top