Morris Minor Owners Club

I know bearings have been discussed ad nauseam but ESM have very recently started selling Timken bearing pairs for the front hubs.

I recently had the hubs off and I replaced both bearings on both sides. The reason for replacing the bearings was that one set ran badly and were worn out and the other set had free play. The worn set were BMC originals and the free play set were "Powertune" branded.

I fitted brand new sets of Powertune branded bearings to both hubs. The result, the side that had free play went to no play and the side that didn't have any free play did have free play (the hubs were not swapped side to side). Grrrr.

So I looked on the ESM site and saw they had Timken bearings in stock. More expensive but these are quality bearings. I fitted pairs either side and hey presto, no free play whatsoever. Hurray!

The only thing that might confuse with the Timken bearings is that the outer race is marked thrust on one side and the inner race is marked thrust on the other! ESM make clear that the side with the thicker ring on the OUTER race should face the inside of the hub. So, with these bearings the OUTER ring marked "Thrust" faces the inside of the hub.


Stephen


These bearing sets resulted in free play. Very little but free play all the same




These bearings were perfect. No free play whatsoever.


Note the thicker side of the OUTER ring marked "Thrust" faces the inside of the hub.





Thick side of outer ring. Outer ring marked "Thrust". This side faces the inside of the hub.




Thin side of outer ring

Rings from old bearings make ideal tools for tapping in new bearings. This is all these "Powertune" bearing are good for!!! Apparently they are made in Taiwan but there is no indication of country of manufacture on the box.

I bought some Powertune Hardy spicer joints, very disappointing.

The length of bearing spacer situated between the inner and outer bearings can have a effect on bearing clearance which can result in play at the wheel rim.
Not all bearing spacers are the same length and sometimes a light skim on the end of the spacer can remove that play without effecting the bearing preload. If you have spare bearing spacers swopping the spacers around may eliminate any play.

philthehill wrote: ↑Thu Mar 20, 2025 2:57 pm The length of bearing spacer situated between the inner and outer bearings can have a effect on bearing clearance which can result in play at the wheel rim.
Not all bearing spacers are the same length and sometimes a light skim on the end of the spacer can remove that play without effecting the bearing preload. If you have spare bearing spacers swopping the spacers around may eliminate any play.

Thank you for the tip as always Phil. I do have 2x spare spacers.......I will know next time!

Stephen

les wrote: ↑Thu Mar 20, 2025 1:01 pm I bought some Powertune Hardy spicer joints, very disappointing.

Yes. The Timken bearings just seem so much better even just by holding them and looking at them. The fact that have zero free play when fitted also inspires confidence. Unfortunately, they do have nylon bearing cages and not brass as the originals had but unless you pay about £120 per side for brass cage original bearings this is what there is in the good quality but affordable bracket.

Stephen

"I bought some Powertune Hardy spicer joints, very disappointing."
Sorry being pedantic Les, they weren't Hardy Spicer but cheap Chinesium. I once tried using Powertune universal joints in a Minor propshaft and I suspect their dimensions were wrong. Yes, they were from ESM. Far too tight when the circlips were fitted, too much preload. I think there were other issues too, can't remember though. I could have tried other thinner circlips but didn't want the hassle of that, or even shaving some off the provided clips.
I did source some genuine Hardy Spicer joints and they fitted perfectly.

If the joint is tight - hitting the yoke which pushes the needle bearing cup back against the circlip usually frees the joint.

"If the joint is tight - hitting the yoke which pushes the needle bearing cup back against the circlip usually frees the joint."
Yes, I am aware of that Phil. Unfortunately not a solution using those Powertune u.j.s I tried.
I compared the measurements to genuine Hardy Spicers and there was a discrepancy, the Powertune's were too "long" from one cup face to it's opposite.
I had similar issues with an aftermarket duplex timing chain kit, last year. The cam sprocket bore was too small, as was the crank
sprocket to a lesser degree. I fitted a single timing chain using n.o.s. parts (not the chain) which fitted perfectly.

I did try hitting the yoke and achieved a degree of success, I also had a few thou taken off a circlip. I was just using a generic term regarding these joints. I will buy genuine in the future, in fact I might look out for another prop and rebuild it.