Front wheel bearings

[fast400]

I decided that since the front wheel bearings hadn't be repacked for the time I've had the car now (over 2 yrs) and who knows when before that....it would be a great day to repack the front bearings.
I follow my normal procedure for doing this, but ran into an odd problem. Whenever I hand tighten the nut I could feel notable play in the disc if I wiggle at the top and bottom. The only way I could eliminate play is to torque to the 12ft/lbs and leave it there. Is this a sign that my bearings are shot. They looked good visually.

(My bearing procedure after repacking: 1. Torque nut to 12ft/lbs while turning disc. 2. Back off 1/4 turn. 3. Hand tighten, then align to the cotter hole.....this procedure usually works fine.)

 

[V6TA-MI]

do you allign to the cotter key hole by tightening or loosening? remember there are two cotter key holes to align with. I have a similar problem with my '95 Impala SS. I have been wundering if the threads are distorted stlightly as I tend to run the bearings tight rather than loose. Keep us informed

Glenn

 

[fast400]

I hand tighten as much as possible. The TTA only has one cotter hole.

 

[fast400]

Well...it's been a couple of weeks and I'm hearing no bearing noise or feeling any slack in the steering, so eventhough they're tightened to 12 ft/lbs it appears to be ok....got a new spare set coming anyway.

 

[echostatic]

Well...it's been a couple of weeks and I'm hearing no bearing noise or feeling any slack in the steering, so eventhough they're tightened to 12 ft/lbs it appears to be ok....got a new spare set coming anyway.

It should be fine as long as the disc can still spin without much drag. That does seem a bit odd, though. I just did mine and it only needed to be hand tightened.

 

[fast400]

Everytime I went to 12ft/lbs, then back 1/4 then hand tighten as much as possible, I had play.....crazy!