Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Classic Front Axle

I'm currently replacing rotors and rebuilding calipers when I came upon a question. On the left side of the car, there is a metal collar that is slid onto the axle that is not on the right side of the car. Did I lose this piece on the right side and do I need to order one? Can't find it in morganspares parts catalogue either.

Left Side (has the sliding ring/spacer on the axle):


Right Side (does not have the ring on it):




Comments?

Could be the bearing spacer?

Didn't know there was a bearing spacer, but it is a spacer that would fit next to the bearing. Should there be one on both sides then?

Found a few pictures of other people when they've been disassembling theirs and no one else's car seems to have a spacer there

Between the inner and outer bearings sits a spacer. It there to get the correct bearing preload when the retaining nut is torqued up.

Got a link to someone doing this?

Woodstock didn't have spacers on either side, and from what I know (which may not be enough) this type of bearing assembly doesn't have one.

From my experience, which may not be correct, but was over 25 of ownership without a wheel falling off:

There is no 'torque' as such applied to the nut. It's done up tight to get everything home then backed off, a lock hole and a castellation to insert the split pin. You spin the wheel as you do this, with the nut tight, feel the bearings binding, and as you slacken, it frees off. There should be just perceptible play with the wheel on - you won't feel the play without with just a hub, and the bearing will be much too loose.

The bearing tightens up with heat, hence the play, and there is a picture of a +8 where the wheel, and hub has just fallen off in the Colin Musgrove book, "Moggie" along with similar advice to the above that I've always gone on.

Added - there are other types of bearings for non-driven front wheels, I believe Mercedes uses one of them where the hub nut is most certainly torqued up to quite a high figure. Front wheel drive front bearings are different again.

Spacer is used on ball bearings, but none is required on taper roller bearings.If your spacer is removed, the rotor will move inboard and the caliper will no longer be in the right place. Is one axle longer than the other? I assume that the spacer is inboard of the inner bearing?

According to the Gomog site, the early cars do have a spacer, and are ball bearings on both sides. The one pictured though is a later taper roller set up and should not have a spacer.

Good point about differences, I'd be checking both stub axles for differences - can't rule out somebody having repaired the car with the wrong bits somewhere along the line.

not sure what's fitted in this application but the first bit above is not true. Check out mini cooper s: it has two taper bearings, one either side of a spacer ring and torqued up to 150lbs ft and that's tight. But this is a front wheel drive application.

I Agree most ford's are of that type. The version I have described has a spacer machined to suit the bearing pair so as to get the correct fit when torqued up. The spacer is therefore unique to the pair of bearings and comes as a kit when replaced.