tires and wheels rear axle nut

[bills2002]

there was no shim present but spacer looks and measures out OK.

[c.d.iesel]

yes - dat's TOAST!

please pass the jelly.

[adamm]

well the worry is that the once tightened nuts are coming loose because a problem with the stub axles, splines, bearing spacer .... something wrong with

the assembly of the stub axle&hub&bearings???

any play in the rear wheel bearing hubs is bad

CD, do you have the measurements for a tii? I'm experiencing exactly the same problem, with a regularly loosening rear hub assembly. I have a feeling this is caused by PO mixing a regular 2002 drive flange with associated tii parts. I'm guessing that the overall width of a tii flange is greater than a non-tii flange and that the various thickness shims play a part in all this?

[kbken62]

I'll hazard a guess that your Shim/Spacer are not the correct size. As I recall there are 3 different sizes. So, you may be smashing your bearings because there is space inside them that is not to spec.

Good luck. They are a PAIN!

[Guest Anonymous]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have always tightened the nuts by standing on a breaker bar a little less than 2 feet from the nut. !70 lbs x almost 2 feet = about the right amount of torque, ~ 300 ft/lbs.

So once you get new parts, you can tighten them to the right torque easily.

[couttsdesign]

I think these are, to use c.d.'s term, TOAST!

I've had many old cars over the years and never have seen anything like this.

I'm currently rebuilding my rear subframe assembly, including rear bearings. Please explain why the pics of the stub axle splines and hub are toast? Sure they look a bit dirty, but what makes them "toasted". They look functional to me.....but this is my first time rebuilding these parts, so I'm definitely NOT an expert.

[M3M3]

CD, do you have the measurements for a tii? I'm experiencing exactly the same problem, with a regularly loosening rear hub assembly. I have a feeling this is caused by PO mixing a regular 2002 drive flange with associated tii parts. I'm guessing that the overall width of a tii flange is greater than a non-tii flange and that the various thickness shims play a part in all this?

all the parts on the rear axles are the same between o2's and tii's except the drive flange and the nut. bearings, shims, side shaft, seals, etc are the same. the shims are between the bearings and should not be different if you use a different outer flange.

[TobyB]

They look functional to me

It's not a 'look' thing.

They have to be a very- tight almost interference fit.

When I look at the parts, I'm looking- and measuring- for wear in the hub- to- spacer

fit, the spline- to- hub fit, and even the nut bearing surface on the outside

face of the hub-

that's where it shows up.

And what you'll find is that, at almost exactly 20 thousandths of wear

on those surfaces, the bearings fail. New bearings go in-

and they fail in 1- 5000 miles.

Now, things can be (easily) re- machined IF the spline fit is still tight

(it often is)

but the trick is getting the bearing stack just right....

hth

t

[jimk]

I think these are, to use c.d.'s term, TOAST!

I've had many old cars over the years and never have seen anything like this.

I'm currently rebuilding my rear subframe assembly, including rear bearings. Please explain why the pics of the stub axle splines and hub are toast? Sure they look a bit dirty, but what makes them "toasted". They look functional to me.....but this is my first time rebuilding these parts, so I'm definitely NOT an expert.

Stub shaft splines are shot. If they are shot, the hub is most likely shot also.

[adamm]

I'll hazard a guess that your Shim/Spacer are not the correct size. As I recall there are 3 different sizes. So, you may be smashing your bearings because there is space inside them that is not to spec.

Good luck. They are a PAIN!

RealOEM list six different thicknesses from 2.8-3.4mm. Who knew?!

Now, can anybody tell me the correct way to measure to determine this shim thickness please?

[Guest Anonymous]

Located in Vacaville,CA.

shermanmartinez@hotmail.com

[TobyB]

That's in the manuals.

And really, ALL you need to do is guarantee that the

stack height for the bearings

(2 bearings and spacer together)

is the same as the stack height for the trailing arm

(2 bearings, trailing arm and spacer)

The spacer pictured below is shot- look at the pink and green spots.

The bearing race has worn a groove into it.

Now, if the SPLINES on the shaft and hub are good, (sometimes they

are, sometimes they aren't)

you can face off the center spacer, grind down the outer spacer an

even amount, and use everything again.

New parts are usually better.

t

[Clevis Woodruff]

Would wear of the ball bearings or the bearing races create enough side-to-side play to allow the axle nut to become loose?

 

I had the rear road wheels off to inspect and adjust the brake shoes that were replaced a few thousand miles ago, and I noticed that the nut on the driver's side axle was finger loose.  Only the split pin was keeping it on the axle.

 

I re-tightened to 210 lb/ft, but now that I've read this, it appears that just re-tightening is the wrong thing to do, and I should instead pull the hub off and just replace the bearings and seals.

 

Is my understanding correct about this?

[jimk]

3 minutes ago, Clevis Woodruff said:

Would wear of the ball bearings or the bearing races create enough side-to-side play to allow the axle nut to become loose?

No, the axle hub, inner race of both bearings and the long spacer are pinched together when the nut is tightened.  The bearing balls are not loaded by the nut.  The other large spacer sets the outer races.

If the nut was loose, it would be a good idea to pull off the hub and examine the splines in the hub and on the axle to see they haven't been worn by running with the nut loose.