At 120 ft/lbs, pretty hard to overtighten, but depends how much "fitters feel" you have. The problem is you may have already overstressed that tapered section of the axle, but no way of knowing, time will tell. I have had one break, see below. The biggest thing with these hubs is breaking that taper to get the flange off for rebuilds/bearing or seal maint, and often after being there for 50 years, that taper will take hold, and age/corrosion etc - often they will break before they let go. People say "Oh, you are using the wrong puller." If they are stuck, they are stuck. I formerly had every mech method under the sun in a heavy fitting workshop, and some hubs come apart, some don't. Heat/presses/hydraulic pullers...... doesn't matter. I have rebuilt a dozen hubs, disassembled probably twice that to get them apart for parts. They are set up with collapsible spacers, but I don't believe in them for wheels. Collapsible spacers are passable for diffs, (Stags used solid in early diffs, collapsible in later) but I don't like them for wheel hubs. I decent sideways knock from a pothole will crush a collapsible spacer in a hub. When I first got my Stag 31 years ago, it was to be my only car, and I did a lot of miles in it. The first time I drove it home for Xmas (Melbourne to Perth, 3500 kms), day after I got there, I got to the end of the street where I was staying, stopped at the stop sign. Went to take off, "BANG", and then a loud rattling noise. I thought I had blown up the diff, so walked down to relo's place, got them to tow me. As soon as car started to move, back wheel fell off. Had to get the car "home" on a tilt tray. What had happened was that the axle had snapped halfway up the taper, so wheel just fell off. Luckily it came off then at walking pace, rather than the previous day doing 130 kmh through the desert on the open highway. Over the next ten years, I got sick of bearing failures on "professionally rebuilt hubs" where they would last from 4 to 6,000 kms. The bearings in there are HUGE, that is the small bearing is the same size as the large one on the front hubs, and the large bearing in the rear is far bigger than that again, so if set up correctly, they should never fail. But the collapsible spacer in the kits are like a piece of tin. I used to carry an old factory made half shaft (spline to axle flange, fits easily under boot floor, and just undo 6 bolts, old axle slides out) under the boot floor on interstate trips (drove Melb/Perth 7 times, always at Xmas, our summer), and it had a slight whine, but went forever. That would go in whenever a "recon hub" failed. And they always did, so it went in a few times until I could get a recon hub. Only ever had to use it on an interstate trip once, 1,000 kms from Perth. I could feel the rear wandering. Axle change takes about 20 minutes. When I questioned the 4 to 6,000 kms, supplier said "No one else has had a problem" (because they use them in show cars that do 500 kms a year) and "it's an old car, so...." Honestly, you mean that when someone bought a Triumph 2000 sedan new as a family car, it was "normal to change wheel bearings every 5,000 kms???" Pfft. So I hand fit some solid spacers. I made a "too big" one as a jig, and then assemble. Check end float, then you know what clearance should be/ calculate and make a solid spacer to length to get that clearance, or spacer and shim. While my car does less miles than it used to (was only car from 93 to 99, then shared daily duties with Dol Sprint; Sprint retired 2012, Stag then shares with "newish" 2007 car) it still gets used regularly, but no interstate trips anymore. I rebuilt 3 hubs with solid spacers, and fitted 2, one held as a spare. That was about 20 years ago............................. first two are still in there, spare is in garage somewhere. That works for me.
I would be more cautious, if you have bought a Hub that has been set up with the flange not torqued up to the correct torque and the bearing end float has been set up at that torque, then by tightening the outside hub nut you could reduce or even remove the bearing end float as you tighten the nut, The end float should be between 0.002" & 0.005", if you remove the end float you will overload the bearings. If mine were loose, I would remove the hub and under do the end float lock nut and loosen the preload then torque up the hub nut , then reset the bearing end float as stated in the Repair operations Manual. just my thoughts
Agreed. If the taper was firmly home to start with, then the bearing clearance shouldn't be affected, but if the taper wasn't fully seated, it would. You sound like you have set these up, so you would know that the taper is meant to be bolted up first, and then the collapsible spacer sets the bearing clearance via the large nut and locknut behind the axle. I got sick of axles failing after 4 to 6 thousand Kms, and I was doing a lot of miles then, so I use solid spacers now, and don't have a problem. I've had one axle break/wheel come off (luckily when stopped at an intersection, I'd just driven across Australia the day before, axle broke 500 yards from where I was staying!!!!) The wheel stayed there, but fell off when I tried to tow the car. I didn't build that hub, that was an original. I have built a fair few hubs, (done 330,000 kms in that car), but since I fitted the solid spacers, the bearings just................... keep their clearance. I made 3, first 2 are still in there, 3rd one will probably always just sit there as a spare. Cheers.
At 120 ft/lbs, pretty hard to overtighten, but depends how much "fitters feel" you have. The problem is you may have already overstressed that tapered section of the axle, but no way of knowing, time will tell. I have had one break, see below.
The biggest thing with these hubs is breaking that taper to get the flange off for rebuilds/bearing or seal maint, and often after being there for 50 years, that taper will take hold, and age/corrosion etc - often they will break before they let go.
People say "Oh, you are using the wrong puller." If they are stuck, they are stuck. I formerly had every mech method under the sun in a heavy fitting workshop, and some hubs come apart, some don't. Heat/presses/hydraulic pullers...... doesn't matter.
I have rebuilt a dozen hubs, disassembled probably twice that to get them apart for parts.
They are set up with collapsible spacers, but I don't believe in them for wheels. Collapsible spacers are passable for diffs, (Stags used solid in early diffs, collapsible in later) but I don't like them for wheel hubs. I decent sideways knock from a pothole will crush a collapsible spacer in a hub.
When I first got my Stag 31 years ago, it was to be my only car, and I did a lot of miles in it. The first time I drove it home for Xmas (Melbourne to Perth, 3500 kms), day after I got there, I got to the end of the street where I was staying, stopped at the stop sign. Went to take off, "BANG", and then a loud rattling noise. I thought I had blown up the diff, so walked down to relo's place, got them to tow me. As soon as car started to move, back wheel fell off. Had to get the car "home" on a tilt tray.
What had happened was that the axle had snapped halfway up the taper, so wheel just fell off. Luckily it came off then at walking pace, rather than the previous day doing 130 kmh through the desert on the open highway.
Over the next ten years, I got sick of bearing failures on "professionally rebuilt hubs" where they would last from 4 to 6,000 kms. The bearings in there are HUGE, that is the small bearing is the same size as the large one on the front hubs, and the large bearing in the rear is far bigger than that again, so if set up correctly, they should never fail. But the collapsible spacer in the kits are like a piece of tin. I used to carry an old factory made half shaft (spline to axle flange, fits easily under boot floor, and just undo 6 bolts, old axle slides out) under the boot floor on interstate trips (drove Melb/Perth 7 times, always at Xmas, our summer), and it had a slight whine, but went forever. That would go in whenever a "recon hub" failed. And they always did, so it went in a few times until I could get a recon hub. Only ever had to use it on an interstate trip once, 1,000 kms from Perth. I could feel the rear wandering. Axle change takes about 20 minutes.
When I questioned the 4 to 6,000 kms, supplier said "No one else has had a problem" (because they use them in show cars that do 500 kms a year) and "it's an old car, so...." Honestly, you mean that when someone bought a Triumph 2000 sedan new as a family car, it was "normal to change wheel bearings every 5,000 kms???" Pfft.
So I hand fit some solid spacers. I made a "too big" one as a jig, and then assemble. Check end float, then you know what clearance should be/ calculate and make a solid spacer to length to get that clearance, or spacer and shim.
While my car does less miles than it used to (was only car from 93 to 99, then shared daily duties with Dol Sprint; Sprint retired 2012, Stag then shares with "newish" 2007 car) it still gets used regularly, but no interstate trips anymore.
I rebuilt 3 hubs with solid spacers, and fitted 2, one held as a spare. That was about 20 years ago............................. first two are still in there, spare is in garage somewhere. That works for me.
Another tip when tightening anything with a high torque I would use a 6 point socket rather then a 12 point.
Good point - much stronger sockets!
well done, correct tool for the job. Glad you made the second video
Thanks 👍
Good to have the correct tools when doing jobs like this. well done. Cheers Bob
You bet
Tools are a great investment, and will usually pay off in the long run. Cheers
You got that right! Just think how much it would have cost me if the halfshaft failed. Thanks for spuring me on to check the tightness properly.
I would be more cautious, if you have bought a Hub that has been set up with the flange not torqued up to the correct torque and the bearing end float has been set up at that torque, then by tightening the outside hub nut you could reduce or even remove the bearing end float as you tighten the nut, The end float should be between 0.002" & 0.005", if you remove the end float you will overload the bearings. If mine were loose, I would remove the hub and under do the end float lock nut and loosen the preload then torque up the hub nut , then reset the bearing end float as stated in the Repair operations Manual.
just my thoughts
That is very useful information! I appreciate it.
Agreed. If the taper was firmly home to start with, then the bearing clearance shouldn't be affected, but if the taper wasn't fully seated, it would. You sound like you have set these up, so you would know that the taper is meant to be bolted up first, and then the collapsible spacer sets the bearing clearance via the large nut and locknut behind the axle. I got sick of axles failing after 4 to 6 thousand Kms, and I was doing a lot of miles then, so I use solid spacers now, and don't have a problem. I've had one axle break/wheel come off (luckily when stopped at an intersection, I'd just driven across Australia the day before, axle broke 500 yards from where I was staying!!!!) The wheel stayed there, but fell off when I tried to tow the car. I didn't build that hub, that was an original. I have built a fair few hubs, (done 330,000 kms in that car), but since I fitted the solid spacers, the bearings just................... keep their clearance. I made 3, first 2 are still in there, 3rd one will probably always just sit there as a spare. Cheers.