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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - GENERAL FWB query

Hi all,
Still summoning up the courage to replace my wheel bearings ( I will use the MediTech SKF ones).

My query is, is it a good idea to replace all the other bits ( distance piece , locating washer etc etc ) or should I leave those alone?

I was always told " If it ain't broke, don't fix it" but would value your comments.
Cheers all
colin
colin frowen

I used the distance piece that was already in place as this was 1.5" dead,

The new moss ones were .008" oversize and had high and low spots all over the faces. They went back for a refund.

Reused the locating washer and castle nut as there was nothing wrong with the ones I had.

Just my 2p!
R Williams

Crickey 0.008" oversize that's huge, that isn't going to work well with anyones bearings. Do I recall Chris Buckingham doing new spacers as well as the correctly toleranced bearings, if not that's another business opportunity.
David Billington

Chris did new spacers with his early bearings that weren't face adjusted
Dave Pratt

I fitted tapered roller front wheel bearings in 1990 - done near 100,000miles since then (including some "track days" & "motorkhanas") - greased & adjusted them a couple of times - still going good today !.

Just my experience.....

A L SLATTERY

Done over 120K on my angular contact original RHP fwb's. Never greased or had to adjust them. Still going well today. ;).

Nothing wrong with tapers of course AL, but why did you convert when back in 1990, there was no problem getting the originals?

Also interesting that you can testify to not having snapped a shaft. I assume you haven't used a spacer, and aren't torquing the hub nut. But if you are using the spacer, -- and shims, then that's the best reason to NOT convert to tapers, because you lose the simplicity of simply tightening the nut to adjust.

Can we get to a ton on this thread? lol
Lawrence Slater

<<Never greased or had to adjust them>>

I thought you did 'adjust' them?
Dave O'Neill 2

Ah yes. My experimental 'reconditioned' worn set.

I'd completely forgotten I'd done that. And THAT, is testament to how sucessful it's been.

I took an old worn set, and ground a small amount off inner face of the inner race of the OUTER bearing set. You could do the same to the inner bearing too, or even to both. But the outer wears more than the inner in my experience.

I took off my offside hub, and replaced it with the reconditioned set in a spare hub.

I'd intended to leave the 'renewed' set in the hub for six months. That was back in July 2012. I posted an update in October 2012, saying that it was working well, with no excess play detectable. Then I forgot about it. The renewed set is still in my offside hub, and has since passed 3 mot's, with no advisory given.

Here's a pic of the grinding against some 280 wet and dry. I took off about a thou of an inch.

So yes, I have adjusted and greased, but not the good set. The hub with the unadjusted same grease bearing is sitting on my shelf. But the nearside bearing is still in situ, unadjusted and still going strong.

If you look in the Archives for Thread: "F/Wheel bearing RENOVATION. Update", last post 15 October 2012 at 09:56:56 UK time, -- you can read my description of how I ground the race to the right amount.

Amazing. Tempus fugit.

Enjoy. :).




Lawrence Slater

Back in 1990, I spent a lot of time adjusting new and old ball races trying to get the car tracking straight on the freeway. In frustration I tried the tapers by using thinned hub nuts - what a revelation.

I machined the hubs to accommodate the wider taper bearings, left out the spacer and re-fitted a standard nut - end of tracking problems forever.

BTW, my car is an Australian assembled Mk3 midget with wire wheels.

Cheers

Tony
(only the bank calls me Anthony)
A L SLATTERY

" -- left out the spacer and re-fitted a standard nut -- "

With no spacer then you just nip them up until all the play has gone.

Now given you did that back in 1990, and haven't snapped a spindle, it begs the question, are we all too concerned about the strength of the spindle? Norm?

PS A L. You must have had bloody bad bearings, if your tracking was out, and those were the cause.
Lawrence Slater

Colin: given that you are spending a chunk of money on the two bearing sets and the success of the installation is totally dependent on the spacer being spot on, I would seriously consider buying the spacers with the bearings. Unless you can accurately check your existing ones (with the emphasis on "accurately"). If they are the wrong size the bearings will run too tight or too loose.
Graeme Williams

This thread was discussed between 08/02/2016 and 09/02/2016

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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