spindle nut problem,advice?

[pack84]

I will explain this as easy as i can,about 4 months ago I changed my left rear hub and bearing assembly and u-joints on the half shaft there.I dont drive the car very often but when i do i hear a sound coming from that area,when i get back i jack up the car and the tire wiggles,so i tighten down the spindle nut every time and replace the cotter pin but i can drive it a few miles each time and each time same thing, loose nut.something wrong here but what did i do wrong or what did i not do.I am tighting this nut down with everything i have each time.

 

[Schrade]

I will explain this as easy as i can,about 4 months ago I changed my left rear hub and bearing assembly and u-joints on the half shaft there.I dont drive the car very often but when i do i hear a sound coming from that area,when i get back i jack up the car and the tire wiggles,so i tighten down the spindle nut every time and replace the cotter pin but i can drive it a few miles each time and each time same thing, loose nut.something wrong here but what did i do wrong or what did i not do.I am tighting this nut down with everything i have each time.

Some bearings have to be properly 'pre-loaded' before the locking (or spindle, in this case) nut is tightened. If it's too tight before the spindle is tightened, the bearings are going to be ground down in a couple of hundred miles. If too loose, the hub assembly is going to rock side to side (the way it does when you do a bearing check - with the wheel in the air and rock from 9 and 3 oclock position).

There's probably a spec measurement for race clearance of the bearing. If you dont have a micrometer (or the measurement), you can still set the proper load, but it's a trial-and-error process. Reason is, when you tighten the spindle, the pre-load can change just enough to cause problems.

This was my experience with 4 wheel drive wheel bearings with manual locking hubs. Vette might or might not have similar bearing assemblies...

 

[tmkassin]

I would pull the hub back off. It might be something that is binding up on the axle spline and not letting it torque down properly.

 

[gmjunkie]

If your not torquing the Spindle nut to 164 Ft. Lbs,it'll never stay tight!!:L
Hope you haven't ruined your new bearing!

 

[eltee4]

Hi Pack,
I am a little late with this reply but here are my 2 cents worth. The wheel bearings should be a packaged assembly,(spindle & hub) fully preloaded from the factory thus taking any guessing about "how much preload" out of the equation. If you feel the wheel wiggle, then you have excessive play between the bearing rings and rollers of that individual bearing assembly creating the play (wiggle) with the spindle in relation to the hub. Tighening the spindle nut only pulls the shoulder of the spline up to the inner ring of the inside bearing. If you have the play in the wheel I would be looking at buying another bearing and bringing the one in question back to the store as a defective unit. There are two versions of this bearing quality out there, one at an import price ($150 approx) and one at a domestic price around $300. Go for the better one as I know some of the cheaper ones have play right out of the box and they only get worse with use. Also consider going to the dealer and get a new teflon coated washer to go between the bearing and the spindle shoulder on the inside. This eiminates the clicking sound the splines make under initial torque. I hope this is some help to you.
Good luck

 

[vetteoz]

There are two versions of this bearing quality out there, one at an import price ($150 approx) and one at a domestic price around $300.

New genuine Ac Delco OEM bearing @ $130
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