VIPclk320

can anyone tell me the propper way of installing new wheel bearings, because i have gone through 3 sets of them in the last 6 months and they all keep going out so after the firts set that i installed and later i was told were too tight i took it my echanic and this is 2 months later and the driver side is toast again. after changeing the races and cleaning the hub/spindle and repacking whats next, how do you tighten the clamp that goes on the spinddle to make sure its not too tight and how do you re-pack yours?
Also i use Timken bearings that ive been told by many sources are one of the best bearings out there.

Thanks.

gregory13lil

This might sound like a stupid question at first but I have seen it happen before.

When you changed out your bearings did you replace both the inner and outer bearings to include the inner race that is sometimes practically welded on. The inner race definitely needs to be pressed out or you will continue ruining the new inner bearings since they will be riding on an old scraped up race.

If it was replaced each and every time then I would check the tourqe specs for that one spindle nut. I did mine buy hand and have not had any probs but I guess I got REALLY lucky. What I did was tighten it and then spin the wheel. If I felt or heard it scrapr too much then I loosened or tightened. Once I felt it was right then I locked it down. I havent had any issues and it has been about 30K miles now.

Greg

VIPclk320

thanks for the reply greg. the race wasnt changed the first time but the second and 3rd time they were changed my mechanic didnt have the press so he hit them out with flat head and malet. do you know if the hub can be damaged? i just saw the complete hub assembly with the bearings brand new for $135 the manufatorer is FEBI, i've used some of their parts over the years but not sure if i should get these or just replace bearings again, any feedback would be great, below is the link to the FEBI hubs on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT

hotrodneb

WTF???? Looked at the link to your hub---my 2002 CLK430 has the hub integral with the rotor. Like on my 1970 chevrolet.

VIPclk320

????? never heard of that, take a look again because the rotor has a allen screw that locks it on the hub, the hub sits insde the rotor so unless if you take it apart its really hard to see.

hotrodneb

I didn t bother noticing that...and had them off twice once, to replace bearings and another to turn rotors. I'll take your word on that as I am just too lazy to jack up the car and remove a wheel to satisfy any curiosity.

VIPclk320

lol, i dont know you might be right but that would mean that everytime your rotors go bad you have to change everything including the hubs and bearings which would be highly unlikely. but you never know.

gregory13lil

The heat might have damaged/warped the inner hub and that might be causing the bearings to keep wearing out now. The only way would be to get a micrometer on the inside of the hub and see if it is still true and round inside. But I think the new FEBI hub is a damn good price and I would just buy it to get the situation resolved quickly.

Greg

mint

Also, when you're tigtening down the nut that seats the wheel bearing, after tightening all the way make sure to back the nut off a 1/4 of a turn or so (don't know the exact amount you back it off). Otherwise, you'll keep roasting your bearings.

bryant9850

You may need to replace the spindle. If there are any grooves or material on the spindle then it could prematurely wear the bearings.

VIPclk320

which part is the spindle, as far as i know there is the hub that the bearings sit in and the king pin that the hub sits on.

bryant9850

Not from a Mercedes but you get the idea.

VIPclk320

ok i see your refering to possible dirt on the kingpin. how can you tell if your kingpin is gone bad?

gregory13lil

You will first start seeing dark discoloration on the spindle/king pin which means it has started to burn in that area and further damage may yield burrs or very slight indentation in the burned area.

bryant9850

^^^^^+1.

bobbyjo9

Just to keep you on track with the parts dept... Kingpin and Spindle are totaly different parts. Both front end items but you dont have a kingpin on the merc you have balljoints. Spindle is the shaft your hub and bearings are riding on. I dont think merc has a torque spec but rule of thumb was mentioned above... hand snuged with a pair of channel locks then backed off and locked with the cotter key and castle nut. I dont back off a quarter but more like an 1/8th. They are taper bearings so you are shooting for just a hair of lash without being loose. With no lash you will kill the bearings quickly. Also when installing the new races, make sure they are seated all the way. If not, they may be crooked and that would again... cause your bearing failure.

bryant9850

Pack it with bearing grease also

bobbyjo9

Yes... and this is a place where cleanliness counts. Make sure your hands, hub, and spindle are TOTALY clean.... no lint, no nothin! The palm of your hand is your friend here. Bearing packers are fine but doing by hand is best. Work the grease from the rear or "open" end to the front "closed" end. After forcing against your palm you see the grease coming out the top, move to a new area to pack. Once you have gone all the way round the bearing, a light coating on the outside of the carrier is all you need. Set aside on a clean surface and do all 4 at once. Dont jamb a big handfull in the hub for good measure.. this will only cause seal trouble and make a bigger mess.

bryant9850

This is good I feel like I'm contributing instead of just trying to sell and engine

VIPclk320

thank you for all the good and usefull information regarding the install i really appreciate it. now here are my last two questions:

1. how would i know if my hub is damaged and replacement or not?(i rather not spend $270 on hubs if i dont have too)

2. how would i know the soindle is not warpped or damaged other than the usually that was mentioned?

once again thank you very much for all the help.

bobbyjo9

I very much doubt your hub is damaged. unless the race moves without being pressed/beaten out you should be good. Even if you kill a few lugnuts they can be replaced without need for a new hub. As for the spindle, a visual inspection should be fine unless you have damaged that corner with an "impact". It needs to be smooth as butter where the bearings ride. Dont trust your eyes though... feel for any gouges or roughness. May even want to fit the plain bearing directly on the spindle and move it with your hand feeling for smoothness of operation. Slight finger pressure agaisnt the bearing cage should give you no resistance

VIPclk320

ok i see, so then no reason to change the hubs, because last time they had to beat the races out with a chizzle and malet and i tought maybe that damaged it, but the races had to be hmmered back in and they are nice and tight fitted with no movement at all. also as the spindle goes there is absolutly no visual damage or anything it looks clean as all hell. and last time i put the bearing over it by iytself and it slid in and out with no problem and spun freely around it. so i'm assuming the bearing lock was done too tight or the greecing method was wrong, so just to get a second time advise, after i pack the bearings themselves i will remove the races and clean the inside of the hub from the old greece. then:

1. how much greece should i put inside the hub in the hollow space between the front and rear bearing?

2. should i put greece on the protective cup that covers the lock piece and sits in teh center of the wheel before i put it back on?

3. should i put greece on the lock knot piece?

4. should i put greece on the races themselves before puting the bearing in them?

5. should i put greece on the spindle?

6. should i put greece inside the back seal?

7. is mobile 1 systetic greece good for this job(the red greece)?

once again thank you very much and i will do according to what you said i will hand tighten it and then loosen 1/8 of a turn, or should i super togthen t with a wrench and then loosen 1/8 of a turn?

VIPclk320

to all you great people one more question, please let me know which one of the following bearing kits i should get:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

bobbyjo9

P>1. how much greece should i put inside the hub in the hollow space between the front and rear bearing? </P>
NONE AT ALL

2. should i put greece on the protective cup that covers the lock piece and sits in teh center of the wheel before i put it back on?

NONE AT ALL

3. should i put greece on the lock knot piece?

JUST A DAB TO COAT THE THREADS

4. should i put greece on the races themselves before puting the bearing in them?

JUST A SMEAR WITH YOUR FINGER

5. should i put greece on the spindle?

AGAIN.. A LITE COATING WHERE THE BEARING RIDES IS FINE

6. should i put greece inside the back seal?

JUST ON THE SEALING LIP SO IT SLIDES ON EASY.

7. is mobile 1 systetic greece good for this job(the red greece)?

HIGH QUALITY, HIGH TEMP BEARING GREASE IS JUST THAT. HAVENT USED THE MOBILE 1 BUT IM SURE ULL BE FINE WITH IT.

once again thank you very much and i will do according to what you said i will hand tighten it and then loosen 1/8 of a turn, or should i super togthen t with a wrench and then loosen 1/8 of a turn?

NEVER USE A WRENCH ON THOSE BEARINGS. I LIKE TO MOUNT THE WHEEL UP WITH THE CENTER REMOVED AND SNUG/BACKOFF, SNUG/BACKOFF THE NUT SEVERAL TIMES WHILE SPINNING THE WHEEL TO GET EVERYTHING SEATED PROPERLY. THEN JUST BACK IT OFF AND LOCK IT WITH THE COTTER KEY.

VIPclk320

Thank you very much, this should deffinatly be in the DIY section, very valuable information. as for the space inside the hub between the front and the back bearing, my mechanic puts grease init but i didnt know that i shouldnt, thats very intresting and he puts a pretty big coat in there too. also what is a COTTER KEY? and i deceided to go with the timken bearings again since i can just pick them up from auto zone, and ive been told they are top notch bearings, can you confirm that. thanks.