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MG TD TF 1500 - Replacement of rear hubs

I just had the rear hubs replaced because of worn splines (wire wheels). The mechanic who did the work said he didn't grease the splines because he read somewhere on the internet that grease increases the wear. Does anyone have any comments on this? Ron
Ron Coates

I always do or they can be impossible to remove.
Dave H
Dave Hill

"...he read somewhere on the internet that grease increases the wear."

You can find anything you want to hear on the internet. Grease the splines as Dave H. suggests. I had wire wheels on our MGB (until I got tired of fussing with them) and I always kept the splines greased. Cheers - Dave D.
DW DuBois

The TF I worked on last spring and summer got a new wire wheel conversion in the early 70's. The car was never driven and parked in a dry barn. They didn't grease the splines and it was a major pain in the ass to remove the wheels. I prefer a coating of anti sieze myself these days.

L E D LaVerne

If we're talking about the splines between hub and wheel, yes grease them along with the spinner threads and the inner lip of the spinner itself, where it fits over the wheel hub. Do not grease the tapered area at the rear.

If the question pertains to replacing a pressed-on hub on an axle, that's a different animal.
Steve Simmons

Like LaVerne, I use anti-seize on my splines and so far no issues PJ
Paul Jennings

Ditto on the Anti-seize on the hub to wheel splines. Although I don't grease the tapers inside the knock-on and the wheel seat to the hub. A little friction there is a good thing.
Rod
R. D. Jones

No, friction there is not good! It is a sliding surface while you are tightening the spinner. Too much friction here will prevent the spinner from tightening as much as it should, and allow the wheel to move slightly under acceleration and braking. This will cause premature spline wear. Put a bit of grease there and your spinners will probably go 1/8 turn tighter. With a new spinner and wheel, the paint or chrome on the wheel is slick enough that it may not make much difference. But the more you take them on and off, the rougher the surfaces will become if not greased.

One car have a wheel that would pop and move during cornering. You could walk alongside with your hand on the hub and feel it move. No amount of tightening fixed it. The spinner lip was found to be dry (chrome hub on minataur wheel), and a dab of grease completely fixed the problem!

On another car I remember a wheel that would clunk forward and backward. I thought the splines must be work but they looked good. Again I found this lip dry (painted Dayton wheel), and with a bit of grease the spinner tightened much farther and the wheel never moved again.
Steve Simmons

I know what I should do after all your input. Thanks so much.
Ron Coates

Just re-read RD's post and I now realize he was talking about two tapers. I agree NO grease on the rear taper between wheel hub and car hub. This is a friction surface. It's the taper on the spinner where it fits over the wheel hub which needs grease.
Steve Simmons

This thread was discussed between 15/02/2017 and 19/02/2017

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