How To Properly Torque Front Wheel Bearings

[themechanic]

 

[mmissile]

Harbor freight wrench. Close within a few ft-ibs, give or take.

 

[Ranger16]

I just did mine 2 days ago, but all I did was snug it up with channel locks, then I backed it off and then finger tightened it so there was no play and locked it in place.

 

[themechanic]

The service manual calls for a bit of end play.

 

[69L48Z27]

Guess I've been doing it all wrong for ever. End play?

 

[themechanic]

 

[Kern Dog]

This dude I know bought new slotted rotors and installed them with new bearings and seals. The bearings failed in a few hundred miles. He replaced them and again, they failed in about the same time frame. He was telling me about it...I asked him what method he used to tighten the wheel bearing nut...He said he followed the factory torque spec....70 FOOT Lbs...
I had to show him the INCH Lbs in the service manual to get him to understand. The guy is a great friend but very stubborn.

 

[khryslerkid]

View attachment 399527

I did the "snug and back it off" for years. Never had any comebacks with customers or on my own vehicles.

Then I saw this in a service manual one day and tried it. Much better! Do it both ways once and you'll see the difference. The torque method seats the roller bearings in the race. Doing it by hand doesnt...

 

[66Satellite47]

Well after 45+ years ya can learn some things:
1) Read the book more, even on stuff ya think you know
2) An inch pound torque wrench really does have good uses

I used the method of Ranger16 & Khryslerkid a lot. I'll sure give the proper method a try.

 

[miller]

Gotta love it...

 

[YY1]

For the past 33 years I've tightened until there's resistance to spinning, then backed off making sure there's no slop.

It's kind of an art. I learned if from my Jr Vo-Tech shop teacher, who had 40 plus years experience with Chrysler products at the time.

I've seen new bearings fail using the factory method, but have not had any failures using my method.

 

[moparmarks]

For the past 33 years I've tightened until there's resistance to spinning, then backed off making sure there's no slop.

It's kind of an art. I learned if from my Jr Vo-Tech shop teacher, who had 40 plus years experience with Chrysler products at the time.

I've seen new bearings fail using the factory method, but have not had any failures using my method.

Pretty much the way I've done it since the 70"s.

 

[747mopar]

X3.

 

[BeeKool]

X4.
With the exception; replace the word 70s with 90s

 

[Ranger16]

The service manual calls for a bit of end play.

The way I read it, the service manual allows for up to .003 of end play, but zero is preferred.

"The resulting adjustment should be zero (no preload) to .003 inch end play."

 

[Bb70charger500]

German tq spec .
Goodintight !!!!

 

[Kern Dog]

German tq spec .
Goodintight !!!!

That is the nickname I gave to a German girl that I was seeing in 1997. THis is real.

 

[BeeKool]

That is the nickname I gave to a German girl that I was seeing in 1997. THis is real.

What was her name. Olga?

 

[Kern Dog]

Silvia. 5 foot 2, 108 lbs, blonde and blue. Sweet girl but pretty boring out of the bedroom.

 

[BeeKool]

but pretty boring out of the bedroom.

Aren't they all?