info please

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Hi just had my fourtrak for the dreaded test, and she failed Sad
but all is not lost i just need to know how difficult it is to change the front wheel bearings
then she'll be fighting fit again.
so any info would be greatly apprieciated.
Graham..

GrahamChanging the front

Graham

Changing the front wheel bearings is fairly easy m8. However there are a couple of points to note. There are two bearings on each wheel..the inner bearing and the outer bearing. More than likely it will be the outer bearing thats goosed.If changing the outer bearings you dont even have to take the wheel off the car.

If you have free wheeling hubs fitted they have to come off first.
Once these are off you will be presented with the end of the axle (axle stub). This has a small circlip on the end which needs to be removed ..if you dont have circlip pliars..go buy a set,you wont regret it..cos trying to get that little circlip back on without them is a nightmare.

Once the circlip is off you need to undo the large spindle nut that you will see. It locked into place with a locking washer...the edge of the washer will be bent over to prevent the nut from loosening.
Using a screwdriver and hammer straighten the edge of the washer.
Now you need to undo the nut.Lots of amateur mechanics loosen this by wacking the edge of the nut with a chisel or the like..this wrecks the nut.Much better to go and buy a socket that fits..its large (about 32mm) I think. Once this nut is off remove the lock washer. Behind the lock washer is a second spindle nut..remove this also.You are now presented with the outer bearing..slip two small flatheaded screw drivers either side of the bearing and slide it off the stub axle.If the bearing has collapsed or is siezed to the axle you have a bit of a problem on yer hands to get it off.This happened to me and I ended up having to remove the brake caliper so that I could wack the inside of the brake disc to get a siezed bearing off the stub axle. Hopefully you wont have to do this bit.

Millners sell replacement bearings for £15..they come with a new bearing race (the circular collar that the bearing sits in).More often than not the race will be fine and you wont have to replace it.
If you do want to replace the race then you will have to strip the hub right down to the brake disc cos the race fits into the hub and its impossible to get it out without taking the hub of the axle.This just means taking the brake caliper off...adds a bit of work.

When you fit the new bearings remember to grease them up...dont over do it with the grease. Reassembly is simply reversing the above.

front wheel bearings

cheers for the info mike, been on with it to day and it was exactly
like u said only i took the wheel and caliper off.
outer bearing was dry as an african summer.
so i greased it up and now its prefect
The last owner must have been an amatuer as there were chisel marks on the lock nuts and had to file them down to get the socket on which
is 55mm by the way.
so thanks again for the info Smile

I'm dragging up an old thread

I'm dragging up an old thread to see what I'm doing wrong!!

I want to tighten up the bearings on my F78, with the wheel off and having undone the 10 or so bolts that hold the freewheeling hubs on I'm presented with a grey unit the hub bolts to and no sign of the nut to tighten. How do I get to it from here.

many thanks in anticipation, MOT is next week and I must confess this was an advisory from last year!

Do you mean you have gotten t

Do you mean you have gotten the end of the FWH off, but the body of it is still there despite unbolting it? If so there is a cerclip around the drive shaft you need to remove.

Any veiws expresed in this thread by me are purely from my own experience, and (sometimes) falible memory. Hope my comments help, but please don't take them as gospel.

its odd because at that point

Ok I have the hub off and the circlip plus the washer from underneath. Now I have a slotted copper colour ring that I can tap round with a chisel but doesn't seem to tighten anything or loosten itself, Is this the adjuster I'm looking for or not?

Many thanks in anticipation of usefull replies!!