Morris Minor Owners Club

Ok, perhaps I don't understand preload after all! I was hoping it might "loosen up with wear"...

Well - it may settle in slightly. I assume you didn't dismantle the bearings from the hub - and the solid spacer is still in there.

Actually, during all the rubbing down I tried the hub on the stub, it stuck and when I pulled it off the inner bearing separated as many people have noticed. (I wrote a detailed description earlier in the week but was unable to post it). I pressed the bearing back together and it seemed ok. The outer bearing and inner bearing outer race stayed in place. The spacer was a little short from the start when I first took the hub off. I assumed (that word again) that the gap was what caused the sideways load when you tighten the nut. At a guess it is around 15 thou. short but I only looked, I didn't measure. It slid about.

Did you re- assemble the bearing right way round - as it was before? The inner spacer could never be 'short' - it must butt up to the two bearings. Why did you feel the need to interfere with the bearings at all ??????

My posts cover everything I have done and why. Everything I have done was forced on me by circumstances, starting with the oversized stub axle.

Which you have since discovered was not 'oversized' at all...............

I could get mad, do you delight in picking holes....I wasn't sure because I was using a digital caliper as I don't have a micrometer and it was hard to get a precise measurement. You could have inferred from my later posts that the new stub was several points (I don't know how much) larger than the old so I had to do considerable rubbing down with emery to get the old hub and bearings on to it, whereas the hub had gone on to the old stub easily. During one of which trials it got stuck. I didn't do anything hastily. Now if you have nothing constructive to add.......

I guess you ignored the advice to freeze the stub - and then slip the hub on.... I gave you plenty of constructive advice and encouragement, most of which you have ignored. I can only lead the horse to the trough... Don't worry - I won't trouble you with any advice in future.

Oh, come off it - I haven't ignored anything, and thank you for your help. But you don't seem to be quite taking in what I've said about what I've encountered. And I did try freezing the hub to takes measurements but I thought there was no chance of it staying cold long enough - and it's only -18 deg C. Please don't go off in a huff!