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MG MGA - Front Wheel Bearings

Could someone please give me instructions on to how to correctly remove and reinstall the front wheel bearings and grease retainers from my 58 MGA w/splined hubs, drum brakes. Not clear in my service manual.

ALso: While the car was up on the floor jack with tires removed, I noticed that the left brake drum feels as though it it rubbing (there is scraping sound and a bit of resistance) at a certain point when the drum is spun by hand. The right front drum spins freely with no resistance or scraping. What to check for?
F Valenzano

Read Barney's Article:

http://www.mgaguru.com/mgtech/universal/ut108.htm


Mick
M F Anderson

Barney's article is certainly comprehensive, but it seems more slanted to a front hub configured for disc brakes...but I could be wrong. If I could become proficient about a new task by simply reading, I would be playing golf on the PGA tour.

Sorry, but I am a novice (nice word for dummy)when it comes to this type of thing. The workshop manual K-2 illustration that relates to a WW hub shows two components; the bearing and the grease retainer. No spacers are shown. My main concern is not wanting to damage the hub due improper removal and installation.

That said, I'm fairly secure in trying to accomplish the task with a (Changing Bearings for Dummy's)approach. You know; step 1, step 2, step 3 etc.

Simpler explanation to replace the front bearings on a wire wheel/drum brake hub perhaps?

Fran
F Valenzano

Manual Fig K.2, page K.5 clearly shows the spacer. It is tapered one end. There are no shims for adjustment. Ask for bearings with "normal" fit SKF 6304 and 6306, otherwise you can get too much play at the rim.
Art Pearse

Fran, the scraping sound you are hearing on the left brake drum is drag on the brake shoe(s). A little bit of drag/resistance is acceptable. I usually adjust brakes to get one spot of contact between the brake shoes and the brake drum. Your right brake may be adjusted differently than the left. Have someone press on the brake pedal, then turn the drums by hand. You should not be able to rotate the drums if all is well.

George
G Goeppner

Art,

The caption in parenthesis under Manual Fig K2, page K.5 states (disc wheel type). Mine is a wire wheel car and I believe the configuration of the hb bearing is different.

Look at the illustration depicted on page K.2 with the heading FRONT SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. The upper illustration on the right showing the splined hub, the bearing and the grease retainer for a wire wheel car is what I have. I do not see a spacer.
F Valenzano

George-

I just checked, the drums will not rotate when the brake pedal is depressed, so I feel comfortable that all is okay. Thanks for the comments.
F Valenzano

Fran, you are mis-interpreting the diagram. The upper right area showing the splined hub assembly is just identifying the "differences" when using the splined hub. If not noted, then it is the same as the steel wheeled counterpart. i.e the inner bearing, distance piece, etc. NOTE that in the diagram for the splined hub, the part number is not flagged for the outer bearing, the washer or the retaining nut. That is beacuse it is the same as used on the steel wheeled version below. Everything installed from the rear of the hub is identical, so it is not shown.

Chuck Schaefer

Aha...I have it...thank you for explaining that Chuck. Makes sense!
F Valenzano

This thread was discussed on 11/12/2009

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