Rotating outer wheel bearing cup

[pgadler]

I have had problems with my front right wheel bearings for some time. I hade them swapped at a garage 2 years ago, but during this summer I identified a front end rumble to be a too loose front bearing.

So I adjusted, thinking that the garage had done a poor job.

A week later, same thing. And so on.... The rumble increased and a couple of days ago I dismantled the hub completely.

The outer bearing, outer bearing cup had rotated, grinding a track in the hub. The bearing cup was loose by at least 1 mm. The grinding had been lubed by the grease, so the surfaces were smooth almost leading me to believe that the track/groove was "as designed". But no way that the hub could be kept in place with the outer bearing cup wobbling about.

So, the school book approach would have been to have the hub milled to oversize and sleeved it. But I am to impatient for this. Since I have original Budd disc brakes, a used good hub is "unobtainable" here in Sweden.

So I cut a piece of sheet metal, smothed the edges, and formed it to fit in the track/groove. Lucky me, it was easy to make good fit. And the track/groove was just the right depth, so that a 0,75 mm sheet metal would give just the right diameter, even a bit tighter, than original hub diameter.

Now all is assembled and no longer that terrible bearing rumble.

 

[cantflip]

Excellent! I don't know if I fully approve of the repair, but I admire the ingenuity. You know the symptom, if it returns and have a better repair idea already. I would suggest you update your profile, so everyone can remember your location. I would think your sheet metal "shim" may have trouble with heat cycles as everything will have a slightly different expansion rate. You may have a specialty shop close to home that deals in bearings. I have in the past been able to find a replacement bearing that was able to work on less critical items. I would think, if a suitable "thicker" cup was available you would be better of with that than a sleeve, which also give 3 components to loosen through heat cycles.
Just food for thought, and good luck to your efforts.

 

[traintech55]

Glad you got your car drivable again. I would start looking for another hub though as I have seen this in the past especially if you have radial tires. Maybe a change to the 73 spindles, rotors, and calipers, easier to find and bigger bearings to help with the load.

 

[commando1]

That soft piece of sheet metal is going to disintegrate and hopefully not on the highway.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Find a oversize cup or tack weld the cup into the hub. Best solution is to change the brakes to easier to find parts and sell all the budd crap.

I would also suggest buying a formal but then the price will start climbing when there becomes a rush of those going over. So ignore that idea because I am too cheap to buy one now.

 

[pgadler]

That soft piece of sheet metal is going to disintegrate and hopefully not on the highway.

Future will tell. Though I doubt it will happen neither overnight or instantly. And I am not sure that sheet metal firmly squeezed between milled cast iron (hub) and milled forged steel (bearing cup) with no room to expand is so soft. If there were room to expand, sure.

 

[pgadler]

Find a oversize cup or tack weld the cup into the hub. Best solution is to change the brakes to easier to find parts and sell all the budd crap.

I would also suggest buying a formal but then the price will start climbing when there becomes a rush of those going over. So ignore that idea because I am too cheap to buy one now.

An oversize cup will not pass the entry of the hub, since that has not been "rotated"/grinded to oversize. The entry has original size, so to be able to mount an oversize cup, I would still need to mill the hub oversize. But doing that, a bearing with oversize outer diameter would be easier than sleeving the hub to original size, but would give a potential next owner gray hair.

And I have considered tacking the cup, but decided not to, since I guess that the heat would give the cup impairfections (roundness, surface etc).

And converting would hurt. I have new Durabreak rotors, rebuilt calipers and new pads in this original setup. Stupid, but a fact.

 

[cantflip]

An oversize cup will not pass the entry of the hub, since that has not been "rotated"/grinded to oversize. The entry has original size, so to be able to mount an oversize cup, I would still need to mill the hub oversize. But doing that, a bearing with oversize outer diameter would be easier than sleeving the hub to original size, but would give a potential next owner gray hair.

Plan "B" involved machining for a sleeve. If you can avoid stacking pieces, your better off. without a chance to see I have no idea if this is typical old car "lots of extra metal"... but if machining will make it too thin...don't do it. When I modify anything I start a binder with part numbers, receipts, photo copied wiring with updates drawn in... it makes my life easier down the road and would be the item to pass on to a new owner.

Given your in Sweden... I gave thoughts on repair... replacement and upgrades are much better options. I assume you are exercising caution in your travels and that this is not daily use...if I am wrong in that assumption, you would be wise to the safest route and replace.

best of luck
Jeff

 

[pgadler]

Plan "B" involved machining for a sleeve. If you can avoid stacking pieces, your better off. without a chance to see I have no idea if this is typical old car "lots of extra metal"... but if machining will make it too thin...don't do it. When I modify anything I start a binder with part numbers, receipts, photo copied wiring with updates drawn in... it makes my life easier down the road and would be the item to pass on to a new owner.

Given your in Sweden... I gave thoughts on repair... replacement and upgrades are much better options. I assume you are exercising caution in your travels and that this is not daily use...if I am wrong in that assumption, you would be wise to the safest route and replace.

best of luck
Jeff

Promise to look out for replacement. The Newport is my summer daily driver, but I find running a car daily gives me more regular input on it's status, than a car I only take out of storage occassionaly. Frequent usage combined with good servicing is not bad, even for old card. Not saying that my servicing always is top-notch.....

 

[cantflip]

Promise to look out for replacement. The Newport is my summer daily driver, but I find running a car daily gives me more regular input on it's status, than a car I only take out of storage occassionaly. Frequent usage combined with good servicing is not bad, even for old card. Not saying that my servicing always is top-notch.....

No argument, stored cars have all sorts of problems happen... but I would want a safe and proper repair before any real driving. IDK anything about finding or shipping used parts overseas, but if you were in the USA I would definitely encourage you to think more towards upgrade...just to keep it serviceable. The small amount of that kind of work I have done has always been a bit of a PITA, but was worth in for functionality and replacement parts availability. You certainly wouldn't want to risk loosing a wheel on the road.... worst case, but definitely something to weigh in your decision making.