[Fot] Differential Pre-load

Thu Jan 30 09:18:19 MST 2020

After I moved to California from Cleveland in 1984, I later made the trip back to Cleveland to bring my '63 Galaxie to California.  The Galaxie had been not been used for a little while, so I renewed all the brake hydraulics and serviced the front wheel bearings, before I made the drive to CA with my brother Pat.  Somewhere north of Nashville with Pat behind the wheel, I smelled burning rubber. I thought we must have been driving through an industrial area.  A short time later, something broke and one front corner of the car dropped a little.  I told my brother not to make any sudden moves, ease on the brakes and very carefully pull off the next exit, which was in close view.  The exit ramp was gently curved and a quick-stop was near by.  We carefully pulled into a parking spot and the front corner was smoking.  I had a floor jack and tools in the trunk.  I took out the floor jack and raised the corner.  The wheel just fell off.  The bearing had welded itself to the spindle axle and of course it snapped.  We were very lucky that the wheel had stayed on.  The brake drum kept it in place.  We were stranded at a repair shop for a couple days while a replacement spindle was pulled off a '61 Country Squire in a scrap yard.  I think I still have the welded bearing and axle somewhere.  I hadn't set enough free-play.  Live and learn.
I still have the Galaxie and it gets lots of care and my brother Tom uses it quite often for pleasure and shows.  Tom and I bought the car together as our first car in '79.  It gets more attention than my TR in the paddock at the Rolex Reunion.  It was my first restoration project when I was 17.  Photo attached.
Dave H.

> On January 30, 2020 at 2:08 AM "van.mulders.marcel--- via Fot" <fot at autox.team.net> wrote:
> 
> 
>     TeriAnn,
>     Some years ago, a friend of mine took his freshly restored TR4 to the MOT. There he was told he had to adjust the front wheel bearings. He tightened these there and then to pass the MOT and on the way home a stub axle broke off because the bearing had seized, luckily without too much damage : besides the  stub axle and brake caliper bracket,  a wing had to be repaired.
>     Marcel
> 
>     ---------------------------------------------
>     Van: "fot" <fot at autox.team.net>
>     Aan: "fot" <fot at autox.team.net>
>     Verzonden: Donderdag 30 januari 2020 10:16:08
>     Onderwerp: Re: [Fot] Differential Pre-load
> 
>     On 1/30/20 2:11 AM, van.mulders.marcel--- via Fot wrote:
> 
>         > >         Barry, if that is true about the rollers/races, how do you explain the prescripion about the front wheel bearings : you need to back off the stub axle nut to get some play for the bearings?
> >         Marcel
> > 
> >     > Likewise with Series Land Rover wheel bearings. Leave them tight and they quickly die.
>     TeriAnn
> 
>         > > 
> > 
> >         ---------------------------------------------
> >         Van: "fot" <fot at autox.team.net> mailto:fot at autox.team.net
> >         Aan: "fubog1" <fubog1 at aol.com> mailto:fubog1 at aol.com , "Bob Kramer" <rkramer56 at gmail.com> mailto:rkramer56 at gmail.com
> >         Cc: "fot" <fot at autox.team.net> mailto:fot at autox.team.net
> >         Verzonden: Woensdag 29 januari 2020 19:02:55
> >         Onderwerp: Re: [Fot] Differential Pre-load
> > 
> >         Preload is more for the life of the bearings than the gears. You preload a bearing to take up manufacturing tolerances and account for the anticipated (by the manufacturer of the bearings) wear during their life time. There does need to be some 'squeeze" between the bearing races and the rollers or the rollers will not roll in lubrication. If any of you have ever rebuilt the rear outer suspension on old XKEs, the tapers roller bearing in the outer wishbone pivots wear out because the wishbone only moves up and down a few degrees. The tapered roller bearings never fully rotate and cause the rollers and race to pit. Roller bearing must roll 360 degrees around to survive. Preload makes them do that.
> > 
> >         Barry
> > 
> >         On Wednesday, January 29, 2020, 09:41:34 AM EST, Bob Kramer via Fot <fot at autox.team.net> mailto:fot at autox.team.net wrote:
> > 
> > 
> >         I think the main reason a specified amount of  preload is required is that it sets it up so that the bearings roll under mild tension. To tight and the components slide over each other.  Too loose and they cock in place. Without rolling, bearings will soon fail the same way a lifter that doesn't spin fails.
> > 
> >         Bob Kramer
> > 
> > 
> >     > 
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