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Main wheel nuts

M

MConner

Well Known Member
New owner, just installed new main wheel bearings.
Having trouble lining up the large aluminum nut with the cotter key hole in the axle. It seems to be too tight on one gear and too lose on the other.

Why are the holes in the aluminum wheel nut not slotted like a typical castle nut? As it is, I am forced to settle for bearing tension based on when the cotter key holes align between nut and axle. Am I missing something?
 
MConner said:
New owner, just installed new main wheel bearings.
Having trouble lining up the large aluminum nut with the cotter key hole in the axle. It seems to be too tight on one gear and too lose on the other.

Why are the holes in the aluminum wheel nut not slotted like a typical castle nut? As it is, I am forced to settle for bearing tension based on when the cotter key holes align between nut and axle. Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

You can drill another set of holes in the nuts.
 
Grease seal aluminum insert rings.

These rings can vary in thickness as well as the bearing seat depth in the wheel halve. If the nuts were ever matched perfectly to the axle hole, you could have disturbeb it by mixing components in the bearing replacement. Thickness matters.
 
Larry DeCamp said:
These rings can vary in thickness as well as the bearing seat depth in the wheel halve. If the nuts were ever matched perfectly to the axle hole, you could have disturbeb it by mixing components in the bearing replacement. Thickness matters.
Click to expand...

Exactly, it is not likely that 10 year old bearings and new bearings will match the same hole due to differing depth . In conventional castle nuts there is no limitation to an exact hole alignment as the ?castle? allows proper tension. I guess I will either over size the holes in the nuts or slot them parallel to the axel to give me the ability to apply proper tension to the bearings.
 
Mel said:
Are you sure you didn't swap nuts left for right?
Click to expand...

Mel,
I am sure but now I am aware that the starting position of the nut defines the hole that may or may not line up. There is a hole in each flat of the nut.

Is there any reason to have the hole as close tolerance since or is just a cotter key that is in shear to prevent unscrewing the nut?
 
Mconner suggestion

Just align the hole in the nut with the axle hole. Either shim the gap ( nut to felt wiper ring ) or face the nut in a lathe or sanding disk until the next hole matches the axle while the bearing has the preload/clearance you want.
 
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