Heavy Duty Wheel-End Spacer Kit Installation Tech Tips

Bower heavy duty wheel end spacer kits can save heavy duty fleets time and money.
The bearings and races included in Bower’s kits are high precision, matched sets, which allow for proper endplay setting for the lifetime of the spacer setup without the need for manual adjustment, but they need to be installed and adjusted properly to begin with.
When it comes to the spacer kits, there are some tricks of the trade to keep in mind for a successful installation process.
General Installation Tips:
1. Ensure that the small end of the spacer faces the outboard side of the wheel hub.
2. Always use high precision bearings for a spacer setup, which are included with the NTN-Bower spacer kit. Do not use standard bearings for this setup.
3. Remember, Spacer is not a crush sleeve. Its width should not change during normal installation/operation.
4. The RP618 wheel adjustment procedure does not apply to spacer setups & generally, it is not recommended to reuse spacers.
5. The nut’s purpose in a spacer setup is to retain the wheel end & nut torque does not set endplay for a spacer setup. Instead, the endplay is controlled by the tightly machined tolerances of the bearings and the spacer.
Double Nut Installation Tips:
1. Mount the wheel hub assembly onto the axle spindle while holding the outer bearing in place to ensure it doesn’t move.
2. Install the inner nut onto the spindle. Torque inner nut to 300 ft-lbs while rotating the hub, but remember not to back off the inner nut.
3. Install locking devices. If the locking device cannot engage, attempt to remove and flip the locking device. If it still does not engage, then advance the inner nut until the locking device engages.
4. Install the outer nut onto the spindle. Torque outer nut to 200 ft-lbs & do not back off the outer nut.
5. Install the hubcap and lubricate the hub per manufacturer’s specifications.
Single Nut Installation Tips:
1. Mounting the wheel hub assembly onto the axle spindle while holding the outer bearing in place.
2. Install nut onto the spindle. Torque nut to a minimum of 250 ft-lbs while rotating the hub. And again, remember not to back off the nut.
3. Install the locking device (if applicable). If the locking device cannot engage, then advance nut until the locking device engages.
4. Install the hubcap and lubricate the hub per manufacturer’s specifications.
For even more on the Bower Heavy Duty Bearings by NTN, visit www.PowerofBower.com

[@promechanics2395]

Is there any reason that why few trucks have spacer between bearings and others don't have and one have to set the preload according to specs ... according to my personal opinion bearing having specers between their races are much accurate as they are company fitted and even a nobe can fit the hub of heavy duty truck...

[@BowerBearings]

Good question. There are a couple reasons a fleet might choose one over the other. One is the preference of the fleet. Some truck fleets just prefer to stick with standard tapered roller bearings sets, and follow the established TMC procedure to adjust the bearings and achieve proper end play. Standard bearings sets can be more cost effective to purchase, but they take longer to install and adjust and there is a larger margin for error, so there is a tradeoff.
Wheel end spacers require higher precision tapered roller bearing sets, and a high precision bearing set with the matching spacer can cost more, but the installation is quicker with a smaller margin of error.
There are tradeoffs with either option, so sometimes it comes down to their preference, and going with what they know for their established maintenance procedures.