Loose bearing race in hub- Now what?

I went to press the outer bearing race into a front hub I purchased used. The race starts out tight but when it's pressed further it's lose enough to spin with my finger. I made a shim using aluminum from a soda can, it's tight, but after thinking about it, I thin the aluminum might be too soft and with the weight of a vehicle it isn't going to last long.

I'm wondering what my options are. Is there a chance I can purchase a bearing race with a slightly larger O.D. and have the hub bored to the right diameter?

I'm I S.O.L. and should I look for a new hub?

 

I was a machine repairman at work and when I encountered a loose fit like your talking about, I would use a pointed punch and punch the bearing pocket quite a few times all the way around,then tap the bearing in. You can add a little epoxy also.

 

I think Loc***e, or Permatex makes something for exactly this problem.

 

I had the same problem on my car trailer but needed to use it now. For a temporary fix, I MIG welded a bunch of dots on the race, then ground them down but leaving a little and pressed it in. Probably pulled that trailer 2000 miles before I bought a new hub.

 

It's worth a try to take a ball peen hammer and pick punch and "knurl" the inside of the hub. I'd think that would be better than a soda can shim.

Brian

 

I was told that also. My only concern is having everything centered and parallel.

 

I also thought about just tacking it a bunch of time. I suppose I could give it a shot. I'll just keep an eye out for another hub in the mean time.

 

Yeah,I forgot about that. It'll add a couple thousandths plus grip the bearing.

 

Done it lots of times. Put Loc***e Stud and Bearing Mount on it and it'll be fine.

 

I had a rear axle bearing spin on a 63 Falcon in downtown Newark N.J. in the 70's. The gas station I coasted into could not do the work but agreed to have a new bearing installed if I did the work. I has tools and used a hammer and a punch to raise the bearing surface on the axle. The guys in the garage said it would not work but I told them I was paying.
Years later I drove the car to the junkyard "RUST" killed it in the end.

 

Thanks, I'll check that out.

 

They do sell races in oversizes but they might not be readily available. Loc***e makes several products to repair loose fitting bearing races. I usually use 660. I stake the area with a ***** punch to center the race and use the 660 to hold it tight.

http://www.henkelna.com/industrial/...anguage=en&BU=industrial&redDotUID=0000000HWS

 

You could try Loc***e 680, It is made for cylindrical parts and fills gaps up to 0.015.
http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/NNSRI...re=ItemDetail-_-ResultListing-_-SearchResults

 

Have no fear of the aluminum shim.

I have done the *****-punch thing before and was sucessfull, but if it's as big as you say that the shim fits, that a better way in this case. the shim will keep the race concentric to the hub bore where the punch method might not be so accurate. And the punch method is supporting the race on tiny spots. The shim on the whole thing.

I have used AL can stock on king pin bushings in the same way when a quick "get thru the inspection" was needed.

Frank

 

Depending on how loose it is there are 2 things that I know you can do. First, if it's not too loose Loc***e makes a product called "bearing retainer". I don't know the part number off hand and it's possible that it was already given. The other option, if it's fairly loose is a product called "shim stock". Shim stock comes in various thicknesses and cuts with sissors. Cut a piece of desired thickness and Loc***e it in the bore, install your retainer and you're done. I've saved several antique Harley frames this way when the neck races were too loose.

 

Did it a couple times on different old trucks with the loc***e stud and bearing

 

The race will center itself as it bottoms out in the shoulder of the hub. I've done the hammer & punch thing on many of my cars, but never a customer's car. I probably had 50K miles on some of them as well.

Bob

 

I was a licensed BMW mech. in the '70s, the little 2002s (model designation, 2000 CCs, 2 door) had spec variations at their rear axle stub-to-hub spline fit.
(when changing direction, an audible 'clink' would occur, these were straight-cut splines)

The factory 'pink-sheeted' the problem, and all Service personnel received a paper concerning the recommended repair. Red Loc***e, available in 1 oz. tubes was available at the parts dep't.
The procedure was to remove the loose hub, clean splines thoroughly with Brake Kleen and a tooth brush, both axle & hub; coat both surfaces liberally with red Loc***e.
Wipe excess, install and torque hub nut and wheel, let set 12 hours.

In my years there, (20+) I never saw one loosen again after that fix, but hubs were removeable as if they weren't Loc***e coated. The dried product came out like hard plastic slivers. I thoroughly recommend Loc***e products, as long as directions are followed.

 

Use the green lock***e, it's made to fill up gaps.

 

I'd be looking for another hub, and use one of the grades of Loc***e to do 95% of the work in any repair on the worn hub. You are justified to be concerned with the alignment of the installed race, but taper roller bearings generally have so much capacity that you can get away with a lot in wheel bearing applications.


There are "rules" about bearing fits (tight, loose, how tight) published by bearing manufacturers. The rules are based on direction of loading, relative magnitude of loading, rpm, and other factors. One intent of the rules is to keep races from creeping and thus either fretting and wearing (or curiously, sometimes seizing) the bearing seat (shaft or housing). There are specs for surface finish and housing material hardness necessary for reliable service.

The outer race of a typical wheel bearing arrangement ( stationary axle, rotating hub ) is subjected to a load that continually changes direction roughly 800 times a minute. So after I've driven 1000 miles there will been almost 1,000,000 complete load reversals doing their best to shiver and wiggle that race if there is any clearance anywhere between the race and hub.

Note the non-rotating inner race can be a slip fit on the axle since the gravity load is pretty constant, and straight down, so the tendency for the race to creep is low. Still, I've found a few axles that have worn smooth and shiny under the race after 100 kmiles or more.

There was a picture in an old technical publication "Ask Walt" by one of the big bearing supply houses. It showed the ID of a ball (or maybe roller) bearing inner race. There was a diamond knurl pattern visible in that Rockwell 60 (hard!) bearing race. The ***le was "knurling doesn't work" and the text explained that the contact pressure on the peaks of the knurls formed on the "repaired" shaft was high enough that the material would yield and the required interference was lost and the micromotions would begin. The pattern was from those tiny motions causing fretting (rusting) of the race. No steel is hard enough to resist fretting.