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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Rear wheel bearing

Can anybody tell me if the bearing sits just flush with the hub assembly or is it pressed into the hub and if so how far in does it sit?
68 gan 4 wire wheels.
Col
C Pearce

It is pressed in until it hits the shoulder.
Dave O'Neill 2

Ok but how do you know when the shoulder is hit? It won't press in any further so I take it that where it is going to stay which means it is flush with the hub.
Back in now, other side tomorrow. Memory is fading as this is the fIrst work I have had to do to it in three years of driving. Not an every day car but still has done some miles. Must have done something right the first time.
Thanks
Col

C Pearce

IIRC when pressed fully home against the shoulder the bearing is proud by between 1-4 thou...
Its slightly proud to make sure the halfhaft sits against it and clamps it in position so that the bearing dosent move inside the hub when you corner....
Andy Phillips (frankenfrog)

This question came up not too long ago when someone measured how far theirs stuck out. His measurement said that when it is pushed all of the way in, the outer race sat about 0.010" proud of the hub housing.

Perhaps this is why the Bentley manual recommends the gasket be no thinner than 0.010" thick?

Plenty of folks run with no gasket, only hylomar sealant, and apparently there is no down side to doing that, so maybe the writer of the manual was worried that trying to use a too thin paper gasket (with no sealer) would result in leaks?


Usually, when pressing in bearings, as long as you are only pushing on the outer race, and pushing squarely, then you can feel it when it is seated (either the hydraulic press goes solid, or the brass drift you are hammering on starts to ring, ever so slightly).

Norm



Norm Kerr

concur with Norm, when I drive them in using a big socket as a drift you can hear the sound change when it bottoms out.
David Smith

Following on from Andy and Norm...

When I did my rear hubs (steel wheel but I assume the set-up is similar for wires?) I came to the conclusion that the hub gasket acts as a sort of shim to ensure the bearing is correctly clamped.

The first gaskets I bought were quite thick, at least cereal packet thickness, if not more. Using these gaskets there was a lot of fore-aft play, showing the hub/bearings not being clamped properly.

I bought some other gaskets that were thin paper, better, less play but still a little.

I therefore removed the gasket completely and I am just relying on the o-ring to seal and the play is gone. Time will tell if it is a long term solution. If/when it begins to leak I will look for some new hubs as I think having to totally remove the gasket shows that there is some wear that I have had to adjust for by removing the gasket "shim".

Another theory I have, albeit totally unproven, is that play here may increase the likelihood of half shaft failure as there will be some unintended fore-aft motion of the shaft in the diff under cornering loads.

Cheers,
Malcolm
M Le Chevalier

Thanks everybody, puts my mind at rest. The gasket is paper thin, but I didn't actually measure the amount the bearing sat proud of the hub but I will tomorrow on the other side but 0.01" sounds about right.
Thanks again,
Col
C Pearce

Archives anybody? ;)
Lawrence Slater

Malcolm, you meant "in/out", or "cross car" play, right?

"Fore/aft" would mean the bearing was super, amazingly loose in the hub!


Norm
Norm Kerr

Yes Norm, half shaft/hub assembly sliding in/out of the diff/axle across the width of the car. Fore/aft from the perspective of the observer pushing/pulling on the assembly!

Sorry for the confusion.

Malc.
M Le Chevalier

Yes Lawrence I did look in the archives but could not find what I was looking for. It has been answered now ,thanks everyone.
Col

C Pearce

I promise you it's in there. I even uploaded pictures on the subject. But the archives do take a bit of patience to go through.
Lawrence Slater

Is it correct behaviour to trawl the archives before posting a question? I did not know that. Sorry if I've wasted people's time.
Nick and Cherry Scoop

no, not at all

I mean, usually, yes, but in this case, the archives are difficult to use and the threads often drift so finding a particular bit of information from here can be a challenge.

Now, on the other hand, if there was a library here where people posted FAQ information, THAT would be reason to be critical of posters who ask questions that were answered before. Or, conversely, it would make it easier to point folks to where it is (because even the original poster of a great thread has the same trouble finding it in the archives as newcomers have when searching!).


The best way to use the archives here is to read through all of the results from a search (which can take a long time), and make notes of what is found. Then, after spending hours reading through them, THEN, post a question about what wasn't found. Few take the time (who would, besides a nerd like me?), so, in this case, I'd say it is bad form to criticize a newcomer for not doing a search first!

Norm "just sayin'" Kerr
Norm Kerr

history repeats itself; a few years ago the same suggestion was made, Growler and a few others started to compile an FAQ and IIRC one of the Bills uploaded it to a website, but it never progressed beyond a beta test stage.
David Smith

It would also help finding things in the Archives if the original poster chose a meaningful title!

But at the same time I usually find that doing a search with what I would regard as a fairly specific search time brings up dozens and dozens of possibilities. So you lose the will to live and post the question again. Contributors love to repeat themselves.

Did I mention chosing a meaningful title?
Graeme W

Thanks Lawrence, as others have said what do you type into the search. I needed to know if the rear bearing fitted flush with the hub but after searching in many different areas, bearing, rear axle etc. I thought I would pose another question from which I have new knowledge. I have not had the need to use the forum for some time but as usual I have found the answer.
Just love the fact that you can always get that answer!
Thanks again to ALL,
Col.
C Pearce

I wasn't suggesting that a new question shouldn't be asked. Look at my wink.
Lawrence Slater

You could event try posting a question about FRONT wheel bearings!
Graeme W

OK. How about, where on the car, do the front wheel bearings fit?
Lawrence Slater

So that's what ;) means!
C Pearce

I've been trying to find the combination of characters to use, if the letter "i", in the previously described facial expression, was substituted for a letter "a", thereby rendering it a non-facial expression, -- although possibly still accompanied by one, similar to, ¦ ).
Lawrence Slater

This thread was discussed between 31/07/2014 and 03/08/2014

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