1970 Front bearings loose, resources?

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Scota4570

Scota4570

Joined
Mar 6, 2019
Threads
79
Messages
317
Location
Salinas, CA
My driver's side front wheel has a bit of play. Steering is sketchy even after a front end alignment. I am not finding a decent schematic for my vehicle's front axle. The drawings I have found are for later vehicles. I have external locking hubs.

I am hoping to tighten a nut and take up the slight slop. Is that possible? I assume I need to buy a fresh locking washer. Are new bearings and complete disassembly absolutely necessary?

The giant socket? I only go up to 37mm. IT is a 57mm?? I have a friend in the used tool business that may have one. Does it need to be a thin wall sheet metal socket or will a real socket work?

Thanks in advance,
Scot
 
There are cheap hub sockets. Or you could just use a cold chisel on the edge. I reuse the lock until the tab breaks off. I think my hub socket was like $10 years ago. If you drove it a long time loose you could have damaged the bearing. Its not all that hard to rebuild the whole axle assembly.
 
Ok, where can I find instructions on how to do the job??

I strongly suspect the front end has been worked on. I have no records. I think it was driven on the ranch for a couple of years after front end work. IT was only driven at very low speeds and for a few years before being retired for about 20 years. Based on the other work I have observed I'd bet the bearings my not have been installed properly in the first place. The wobble is slight.

What do I have to loose by tightening the bearing nut?

I do not have space to rebuild the axle assembly.
 
If you're tightening the nut, I'd just throw a set of wheel bearings at it. It's not much more effort than you're already talking.

Going through the knuckles isn't a fun job and if it doesn't need to be done, don't.
 
Curious did you flatten the star washer where it's folded over the front nut before trying to remove?

In a pinch I used channel lock pliers. I was around Seattle and needed flat tow an FJ40 back to Phoenix. Both front wheel bearings were extremely loose. Towed all the way back with no problems. I always check hubs for excessive heat on anything I tow. Vehicle or trailer.

With with either the drive plate or the locking hub removed just a matter of flattening the star washer between the inner and outer nuts. Remove the outer nut slid the star washer off. Then tighten the inner nut. Ideally replace the star washer. But in a pinch I used a hammer to to flatten it. With the star washer back on install and tighten the outer nut. Redoing the knuckles is a far bigger project. Besides just a dirty job getting the knuckles clean the knuckles bearing require shimming to be sure it centered on the axle. Then the seal is fun on the back side. Fine the axle pitted where the seal it your either searching for a better axle or just putting back together the way it is.
 
I was just looking at it again. I think the wheel bearings are good after all.

The wiggle is in the castor direction only. That indicates the steering knuckle bearings are loose? Are they supposed to have a tiny amount of wiggle?

Using a dial indicator , I measured the total wiggle as 0.025" at the edge of the wheel near the tire. See attached photo.

Can I remove a shim from the one of the knuckle bearing plates without completely disassembly? Should I?

I have no mechanics to work on it in my area. My work space is the driveway, or inside but only one side at a time due to space limitations.

DSCN1204.JPG
 
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