Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Front wheel bearing Hex Nut problem

Hi,
My front left wheel bearing had too much play in it. With the car on axle stands and rocking the road wheel from top to bottom I could feel a considerable amount of free play.
After a battle royal I managed to finally get the split pin out.
The castellated nut was very loose in its previously set position, but turning to the next castallation seems to make it a little tight?
There only seems to be one hole in the axle for the spilt pin to go through, so I am left with the choice too loose or possibly too tight?
I say too tight, the wheel spins freely enough but not as freely as it was.

I'm wondering if I was to buy another castellated nut it might stop in a different postion and line up with the hole to allow the spilt pin to secure in the correct position.
Or does anyone have a better idea? Maybe a washer behind the nut??

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you

You don’t mention year of car but are you sure it’s not drilled at 12/6 and 9/3 O’clock positions?

If not rather than a spacer washer you could take a little off the back of the nut but to be honest I have never seen it required in quite a few I have had apart for king pins, brakes or bearings.

You also don’t mention the indexed washer that should be behind the nut anyway? Maybe dislodged?

BR
Colin

Hi, Sorry, its a 2009 4/4.
As far as I could see it is only drilled at 9/3, I couldn't feel anything at 12/6?
Maybe I should look again but I felt sure there wasn't this afternoon

I have the same problem on my Elan, I make shims to go under the nut. After a few years you'll have a collection of different thicknesses so that you will not need to make any more. I do have a punch to make the centre hole to make life easier.
Cheers
John

The most usual way to fix a axlenut is to tight up to the correct torque and than give it a turn that the holes for the spline
does match.

I‘ve got classic MINIs there is a very heavy torque of 225NM (for the 9/3 and 12/6 doublehole) and 245NM (for the 9/3 singlehole).

So the first step is to look about the correct torquesetting.

René

René

That’s a different bearing in the Mini, the Morgan has opposing taper roller bearings and the correct procedure is to turn the wheel in the direction of rotation and at the same time nip up the castellated nut to15 pounds INCHES that is literally just until it contacts and centres/beds the rollers against the inner race.

From that position you back off the castellated nut until the next slot and fit the split pin and then check at the tyre rim for a 1/16” to 1/8”of an inch rock, in other words you can just feel a slight movement.

If you torque the taper bearings to anything above this very low figure you can destroy the cages and lead to bearing failure!

BL had a spate of Allegro rear and Marina front wheels coming off due to bearing failure when dealers mistook 15 pounds feet for pounds inches!

BR
Colin (When I fit them I tighten to finger tight only by using a socket and extension bar but no ratchet or T bar and twist by hand only)

That's interesting Colin. A classic case of giving the mechanic too much information when generic old school rules regarding taper bearing adjustment should have ruled.

Thank you for the clairifiaction Spanner Juggler, that is what I had done but was beginning to think maybe I was following an out dated proceedure!

I am going to remove the wheel today and look at it again.

I think, where it is set now is just a tiny bit tight. With the wheel on it spins nicely, but without the wheel the brake disc has a little bit of drag on it.

I remember changing Maxi bearings. There was a tapered, split washer (quite thick) that fitted into a matched taper in the hub to aid setting the torque with a torque wrench. Many years ago so just a hazy memory!
I changed front bearings on my Mog about 3 years ago. Just enough torque to set and then ease the nut back to the slightest play. I rechecked it after a couple of hundred miles and it was ok. The old original bearing had some very slight pitting in the outer race.

All done, thanks guys

I started again this morning, torqued it and eased it back and found the missing hole at 12 / 6 O' Clock !!

I searched for it yesterday with no sucess and convinced myself there wasn't one, this morning I found it straight away

Thank you for your help