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Wobbly Wheels

To: spridgets@autox.team.net
Subject: Wobbly Wheels
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 22:02:27 EDT
First I want to thank everyone who has sent various forms of get well notes; 
they are all appreciated.

I have grounded our bugeye for bad rear axle bearings and seals.  I will not 
be able to do this work until Jan but wanted to start looking at solutions 
and ordering parts.

The problem is that in a few weeks of installing new seals it will start 
throwing oil up the brake backing plate, onto the back of the tires into the 
wheel wells. The seal area on the end of the banjo is smooth and has no 
groove of wear.

The more serious, and maybe part of the first problem, is that within a year 
of installing stock ball bearings the rear wheels start to wobble.  If you 
jack the rear end up, release the emergency brake grab the edges of the wheel 
it will move in and out with respect to the center line of the car.  Also you 
can see the brake drum moving with the wheel.  I can see no explanation for 
how this can happen.

This is a bugeye with a wire wheel banjo from a 1961 Midget (1/4 elliptic 
suspension) and Mk IV (1967) axels, hubs, wire wheels, breaks and backing 
plates.  This conversion was done in 1968 and do not recall having any wheel 
wobble until after we redid the car in 1996.

Bearings and seals have been purchased from the usual sources and the past 
couple of sets from a local industrial bearing and seal specialist.   I will 
be replacing the seals with Chicago double seals, assuming the the seal 
surface on the banjo still shows no wear.  The only place in the hub assembly 
that would allow wobble is the bearing and even that is hard to believe.  
Again assuming that everything checks out with the hubs and ends of the banjo 
then the questions is what to do about bearings.  None of the dual bearing 
hubs that I have checked on work with wire wheels so those seem to be out.  I 
was thinking about using roller bearings rather than ball bearings.  It does 
not appear to me that there is any thrust or side loads on the rear bearings 
the way there is on the fronts so can seen no reason for not using roller 
bearings.

Looking for comments, suggestions or someone who has successfully solved this 
problem.

Annice & Bob
1960 Bugeye (Mk. IV in disguise)
1966 Sprite Mk. III (Still in Boxes)



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