Complete How-To for Rear Wheel Bearing Setup - With Pictures

[timme69680]

This is like the tenth time I have done this so I decided to document it this time. I see a lot of folks ask about it and thought this would help. Let me know what you think, feedback is widely accepted.

Sorry folks my iWeb doesn't like Internet Explorer... go figure. I rebuilt the page lastnight. Please use this url

http://web.mac.com/timmetim/TimmesWorld/Corvette_Spindle_Setup.html

 

[Ed's 1970]

Thanks for your expertise on this procedure. Some of the pics are blocking some text.
I bought a whole set of tools off ebay for like $250 to do my own someday. It looks very challenging.
.0005 to .0010 is a very close tolerance to measure!
I am sure your experience with this procedure will save me and some other people a lot of time. Thanks again, Ed :cool

 

[timme69680]

Not sure what happened to the images

I checked this page with Firefox as a browser, I am not sure why it is having issues all of a sudden. I will get it fixed and re-publish. Ed, thanks for the comments, it is a pain the first time, but if you have the tools you can do it!

 

[GTR1999]

Nice writeup. If I may add, without any intended flames, 0005-001" is tight.
I do these all the time and set them to 0015-002 max. Granted this is at the bearings. With a tire on then you'll be able to leverage it more but that's too much load.

For the first timer I would recommend removing the arm to setup and replace the bushings.

You're 100% correct about the shims sold, way too wide in range. I grind all my shims to size. Also I found a lot of the spacers are not parallel, many are out up to 005". This and a wide shim will change the endplay from the setup tool to the press fit on the spindle. You could easily have 001 on the tool and 004 on the spindle, it happened to me once that's why I parallel grind the shims, spacers,and the flanges.

This is how I do them if anyone is interested.
http://www.vettemod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=129

Enjoy the car

 

[JAKE]

The link keeps telling me I need a USER NAME and an INTERNET PASSWORD. So I'm lost.

Any suggestions?

Jake

 

[timme69680]

I posted an update to the site where i protected my family stuff, like pictures of the kids. Basically, I create a seperate site for my non-private life. Anyway the server is in the process of updating should be maybe 10 minutes and it will be back to non-password protected.

Sorry about that, you just happen to hit it at just the wrong time. I just checked it and it is live again (with no password required). Sorry again.

 

[timme69680]

GTR1999 I forgot to mention how good I thought your how-to was. It is really really good, I wish I had the tools you have.

I do agree about the spacer, I cannot believe the manf. tolerances on this stuff. Just kills me, what can you do, I still love working on it so what does it matter right. If it wasn't that way I wouldn't have anything fun to yap about

 

[JAKE]

I posted an update to the site where i protected my family stuff, like pictures of the kids. Basically, I create a seperate site for my non-private life. Anyway the server is in the process of updating should be maybe 10 minutes and it will be back to non-password protected.

Sorry about that, you just happen to hit it at just the wrong time. I just checked it and it is live again (with no password required). Sorry again.

Thanks for fixing it and the link. I just tried it and it works fine now.

Jake

 

[GTR1999]

GTR1999 I forgot to mention how good I thought your how-to was. It is really really good, I wish I had the tools you have.

I do agree about the spacer, I cannot believe the manf. tolerances on this stuff. Just kills me, what can you do, I still love working on it so what does it matter right. If it wasn't that way I wouldn't have anything fun to yap about

Yeah the way some of the setups came through you have to wonder but that was/is true of most mass produced cars,machines,etc.

You understand the process and stay on top of the car, that's good and as long as you enjoy the job it's not bad. I still would watch doing it on the car but many do.NOt sure I could really apply the load on the bearings to check the endplay like I can in my fixture.

The big thing I found was the out of parallel spec on the old and some new shims, can really drive you nuts and if the endplay opens too much then the bearings will have to be replaced again. Once they're pressed on then they're on,removing them will wreck them.