Question after front hub/bearing replacement on a 93

CaifanSC

SCCoA Member
Howdy folks,

A little stumped here. For a while I noticed some of the basic signs of a bad front hub/bearing (chirping/grinding...uneven tire wear). I confirmed the bad bearing by lifting the car and seeing that the tire had a pretty good wobble when I moved it by holding it at the 3&9 o'clock positions.

So I purchased an OEM ford Hub assembly, new ford locking nut. I removed the old one which came out in pieces and installed the new hub. To my surprise after I finished the job and installed the tire...I grabbed the tire at the 9&3 o'clock positions again and it still has some play!

Any suggestions?
 
How much torque did you use to install the fresh bearing?

Did you make it move and check that the control arms/joints/lug nuts aren't causing the play?

I had nothing but trouble w/my left front hub and finally ended up swapping out the spindle.
 
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I assume you torqued the lock down nut to 250 ft/lbs. If you still have what feels like hub wobble you may have worn down the spindle shaft and it is now out of spec. The fact you mentioned that old one came out in pieces may very well have worn down your spindle shaft. ( you think I can find the front hub section in the Ford book..NO)
 
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Typically, when I check for a loose hub bearing I do that at the 12 and 6 o'clock position. Checking 3 and 9oclock checks for play from the steering system. I've replace hubs that were noise but not loose at all to the feel. I think you fixed a problem, but you have more than 1 in my opinion. Let us know what you find next. Make sure the rack isn't loose where it bolts to the subframe, seen that before.

Like stated, you could have play between the hub and the spindle, but that is more common to the rear on these vehicles being that the rear spindles are aluminum.

Chris
 
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How much torque did you use to install the fresh bearing?

Did you make it move and check that the control arms/joints/lug nuts aren't causing the play?

I had nothing but trouble w/my left front hub and finally ended up swapping out the spindle.

I assume you torqued the lock down nut to 250 ft/lbs. If you still have what feels like hub wobble you may have worn down the spindle shaft and it is now out of spec. The fact you mentioned that old one came out in pieces may very well have worn down your spindle shaft. ( you think I can find the front hub section in the Ford book..NO)


Typically, when I check for a loose hub bearing I do that at the 12 and 6 o'clock position. Checking 3 and 9oclock checks for play from the steering system. I've replace hubs that were noise but not loose at all to the feel. I think you fixed a problem, but you have more than 1 in my opinion. Let us know what you find next. Make sure the rack isn't loose where it bolts to the subframe, seen that before.

Like stated, you could have play between the hub and the spindle, but that is more common to the rear on these vehicles being that the rear spindles are aluminum.

Chris

Thanks for the input so far guys.

Regarding the torque, my torque wrench only went up to 150 ft/lbs....but I tightened it waaaaay more than that. I believe the Hayes manual said the torque value was somewhere around 200-250. I'm quite certain I got it in that range, but I think I'm going to get a bigger torque wrench and re-check.

Do other bad components allow for that side-to-side play? The car has new shocks, springs and shock bearings...but everything else needs replacement. This includes the steering rack... I had planned dropping the subframe and refreshing all bushings and control arms when the rack gets replaced (hopefully before year's end). Any way to check the front spindle? I've never had a front spindle go bad in any of my past SC's, but as mywhite89 mentions I have had to replace a rear knuckle due to a bad bearing.

My biggest concern is not killing the new hub. In the mean time I just rolled the car back down from the driveway and parked it until I can re-check the torque in the axle nut.
 
Do other bad components allow for that side-to-side play?

Yes.

The car has new shocks, springs and shock bearings...but everything else needs replacement. This includes the steering rack... I had planned dropping the subframe and refreshing all bushings and control arms when the rack gets replaced (hopefully before year's end).

Steering rack, inner tie rods, outer tie rod ends, control arm bushings. All those can give play in the wheel.

If you can get a helper, ask them to wiggle the wheel while you watch under the car. You'll find the problem.
 
As said prior 3 and 9 PM shows mostly steering linkage problems. 12 and 6 for bearings. Likely you have an inner or out tie-rod end worn. Ball joints are more likely to show up at 6 and 12 as well. Shake it in both positions. Use the helper. Let us know what you find.
 
Do other bad components allow for that side-to-side play?

jack up the wheel and grab the top and bottom of the tire and try to move it in and out. That eliminates things like tie rod ends. If it moves when you do that then it could be ball joints, control arm bushings, or hub. So next you need someone to help while they rock the wheel look with a flashlight at where movement is occurring. If not the control arms or the ball joints then it is the hub. Spindles are cast aluminum. The wheel bearing assembly is steel. As the wheel bearing fails excess friction can cause it to spin in the bore of the spindle. This wears on the aluminum which should be a press fit. Eventually this can cause the spindle to open up too much and need to be replaced.
 
It's set at 250 ft lb to set the bearing to the shaft if you don't know what torque it is its probably too loose and it will ruin the new bearing.
 
It's set at 250 ft lb to set the bearing to the shaft if you don't know what torque it is its probably too loose and it will ruin the new bearing.

The problem is, if he torqued it to 70ft lbs and can still wobble the wheel end, he has a problem. The 250 ft lbs is needed due to the design of the fastener and stresses it will see in operating. If you get it to 70ft lbs that wheel shouldn't wobble. You wouldn't want to drive it around at that torque as the nut could back out but you could test that the bearing is no longer the wobbly part of the wheel end.

If you are using anything less than an 18" breaker bar when tightening the nut, you will struggle to achieve 250 ft lbs. If you use a torque wrench you will want the longest one you can get.
 
Checked with a few of my buddies and no one has a torque wrench that reaches that high. I just saw that Autozone has loaners that go up to 250. Mine went up to 150 and I want way past that...so it's not loose at 70 ft/lbs :). Should be able to torque to spec this weekend and inspect the movement. I'm hoping is just a steering component issue.
 
Autozones around here have a rent/free 250lb torque wrench I've used with success. Of course if you don't have a proper socket that will cost you.
 
Should be able to torque to spec this weekend and inspect the movement. I'm hoping is just a steering component issue.

You can check it for movement right now. No need to go from 150ft lbs to 250ft lbs just to check. That would be especially a big waste if it turns out the spindle is bad and you have to pull it all apart again to put the new bearing in a new spindle.
 
38mm deep impact socket 1/2" drive if you need to buy one. not cheap.

I have torque wrench from Lowes I waited until they had it 60% off before I bought it up to 300ft/lbs good long handle. I had to change 2-3 hubs on my 99 Taurus, same size lock nut, lower torque.
 
I'll go on and guess inner tie rods had those fail on me and I also replaced the bushing for the steering rack while I was there.
 
I actually haven't had a chance to fiddle with the 93 lately. I'm hoping next week I'll get to work on it. Last couple weeks were spent picking up another SC and fiddling with the bimmer :)
 
Math is your friend.. 250 ft-lbs = 250lbs at 1 ft. = 125lbs at 2 ft = about 190lbs at 18".

Take your body weight, do the math. Use a piece of tape to mark off the distance on your breaker bar and carefully/slowly stand/balance your body centered on that mark. Don't bounce or jump. :cool:
 
I like it!!!!!:D

I have a 2ft piece piece of steel gas pipe about 1.5`ID, it`s my sliding breaker bar for UNDOING things not torquing I have that 300 ft-lb torque wrench.
 
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