Droning / deep vibration at over about 50.

[JaneHibbert]

plus loads and loads of oil poured out when i pulled the half shaft a little. is that normal?

[Andy Rose]

Hi Jane, Was the 2 mm. movement there before you loosened the half shaft retaining screw.. I ask this because I have just done my rear bearings and on one side I was a bit worried about movement in and out after I put the hub back on and locked it all up.This was movement of the bearing in the hub itself. Once I secured the half shaft to the hub, all was well as the half shaft secures the bearing.

[JaneHibbert]

No this is with the half shaft on the hub! With the wheel on, the wheel itself can now be pushed in and out by a couple of mm, the other side doesn't do this

[JaneHibbert]

The nut won't move...

[bmcecosse]

There must be no play. There have been a few threads along this line recently - I can't remember the outcome - maybe wrong bearings with C3 fitment - which is too loose? I would try swapping hubs side to side - or another hub if you have one ?

[JaneHibbert]

I can get my hands on another hub, but will have to order a new seal, bearing, rubber ring and stuff. I have read how to put a hub together, but I was wondering HOW on earth can I actually pull the old hub off? In my book it says you need a special hub pulling tool. How can you use a hammer to do this (my favourite tool).

Oh and BMCECOSSE, I I have discovered that my tie rod is very very very tight as well. So after doing this hub thingy ill have a go at fitting a new tie

It is a steep learning curve isnt it.!

Janey x

[bmcecosse]

Undo the nut and the hub should just pull off. If not by hand - then bolt the wheel on and use that to wiggle it off. If all fails - a flat steel bar can be set across the axle end - holes drilled to match two studs - and nuts wound on to pull the hub. Protect the axle end with something.....piece of timber, something like that. But the wheel will pull it I'm sure.

[Andy Rose]

Sorry, I thought that the bearing outer race sat a little proud of the hub and that was the reason why the paper gasket thickness was critical. If you fitted a thick, home made gasket, the half shaft would not snug up against the bearing. What else holds the outer? the inner is secured by the hub nut and the outer just sits in the hub..
Jane if your car is level on work stands you will have to drain the diff or lots of oil will run out. One other thing, silly sounding question, but have you recently fitted a roof rack? They can make a very spooky sound at certain speeds

[bmcecosse]

Indeed that's exactly so - but the whole wheel assembly here is moving we are told..........

[JaneHibbert]

Yes, the whole wheel moves backwards and forwards slightly.

No, no roof rack. But the noise wasn't the prop, the exhaust seems fine, but it is more than just a noise it is vibration that sounds... worrying!

I have put a new differential on now, well a different one anyway. The old one, I know, had had the main nut, the one that sits under the prop shaft flange, changed as a home job, so not tightened perhaps properly, or over tightened, so that's why i changed that. I cant test now because of the hub but will try and get that done, or ask him indoors to do it, and see if that makes a difference, and then try the engine steady.

It isn't just a worn engine is it?

I'll post again when ive changed the hub. So, anti clockwise off, pull off the hub, put to one side. take new hub and put the oil seal in with the open side of the seal inside (against the bearings), then drift in the bearings with a big socket or similar carefully, then put the hub on the axle, lock washer, nut and tighten. Do you need to grease or oil the bearings before putting them in?

[JaneHibbert]

the bearing doesn't move, or the nut, but the hub itself , and then obviously the wheel and hub.

[JaneHibbert]

oh, the bearing goes with the balls visible from the outside doesn't it?

[bmcecosse]

As long as the oil seal ends up on the outside....... put it in from the back of the hub. http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/Shop/ViewP ... exID=17078

[JaneHibbert]

let me check this, on the moss piccie (thanks) the 'open' side of both the oil seal and the bearings faces OUTWARDS towards the wheel? Is that right?

Second, you put the bearings in from the front and the oil seal in from the back, yes?

One thing I don't get is what does the hub 'run on' at the back? At the front of the hub it sits on the bearings, but what does it sit on at the rear? because when you tighten the nut on the front it must push the hub onto something?

[bmcecosse]

It must push on to a location on the axle. I must admit I have NEVER had to fiddle with rear wheel bearings - they just seem to go on 'for ever'.

[lambrettalad]

agreed they are over engineered ,thankfully

[bmcecosse]

There is only the one bearing in the hub. It needs to sit back on a raised section on the axle, and the nut tightened up. This traps the bearing on the axle. the hub is then free to slide on the outer case of the bearing, but with the hub pulled forwards, the bearing case should be 3 or 4 thou proud of the hub. It is then trapped there when the outer flange of the half shaft is bolted up (by the wheel nuts) with a thin (ie 3 thou!) paper gasket in there, and on later cars a rubber O ring. So - first check is - is the bearing firmly trapped by the nut and lock washer? Or is it loose? Then with hub pulled right forward - is the bearing still proud by 3 thou or so? Finally - is there only a 3 thou paper gasket - NOT a great thick cardboard gasket fitted by someone in an attempt to seal an oil leak??

[JaneHibbert]

The bearing is trapped by the nut, yes, but the hub slides backwards and forwards OVER the bearing, i can see the bearing keeping still, so either the bearing is too small or the hub or bearing is worn im presuming allowing the hub to slide on it?

[JaneHibbert]

oh hang on a moment i see what you are saying, i need to make a diagram for myself.

[bmcecosse]

Yes - but when the hub is slid outwards as far as it will go - the bearing case should still be sticking out (proud) of the hub by that 3 thou....... If not - the bearing is either too thin -or the hub is worn internally. It's extremely unlikely that bearing case will have worn thin......