Wheel Bearings

[Jim Innella]

I planned on repacking my wheel bearings in my IT7 car. I took off the front bearing and then disaasembled the brake and removed the rotor. Now what.I see the inner bearing but not sure what to do with it. Do I clean it off with brake cleaner ,then grease with lithium grease.And how about the outer bearing. Clean with brake cleaner then pack with as much lithium grease as I can squeeze in there. Also once everything is back together is there a torque specification for the spindle nut and if so what is it? Should I repack both bearings after every race weekend?Finally what about the rear wheel bearings. Do I need to repack them after every race?
I know this issue isn't very technical but better I ask those that know than do it the way I think it should be and lose a wheel.
Thanks
Jim
IT7 #60

[bcarter]

I replace both bearings and the bearing races on each front wheel after every second or third race weekend. They are relatively cheap, and it doesn't take much time at all. I knock the old races out and put in the new ones using an old set of races I have ground down on the outside, so they will drive the new races in, with a hammer, but not get stuck. Works perfectly. I never bother to re-grease an old bearing, just replace it.

I find that with the neg. camber we run up here in our series, the front bearings, particularly the right front don't last all that long and it's always nice to know at the start of a two hour race that your bearings are going to last.

Lots of different stories on how to tighten the nut. I tighten it up quite tight, until the wheel doesn't want to spin freely, back it off, do it again, then back off about 1/6th of a turn, so the wheel spins nicely.

I am not a genius at this, this is just how several of us up here do it.

[dickita15]

i have had much better luck with front bearings on my ita car since i started using mobil one grease. hard to find but does not seem to run out from heat.i pack as much as i can between the inner and outer bearing.
dick

[Dave Damouth]

I put new bearings in when I replace rotors, about once a year. Tighten until finger tight, use a wrench to run just past finger tight to take the slop out, back off and snug it up just a little more than finger tight. If the wheel spins slower after tightening, you've gone too far. When you lift the front for any reason, rock the wheel from top to bottom. Any slop, readjust the bearing. Otherwise its fine. I use redline grease, just enough between the bearings to coat the walls about 1/4 inch thick. Never had a bearing fail.

The rears are self lubricated.

[Allen Brown]

My front bearings replacement (85 SE) happens the same as Dave. About once a year, at the start of the season I replace bearings when I replace the rotors. (You can tell I don't use Blue pads...)

I do have my old rotors (and studs), and bearings as spare...just in case. In the last three years I haven't every had to worry about a replacement required at the track.

I tighten my front rotors similar to both Brooke and Dave. I tighten until I feel resistance. I spin it for a 1/2 dozen rotations, back off, then repeat. I tighten, then back off to where the rotor spins freely. I also check by pulling top/pushing bottom of rotor to ensure there is no play (ie. I haven't backed off the nut too much).

From what I see here there isn't much difference from the three methods...as long as it is the same end result, that's all that matters.