8 replies to this topic

[lolipop]

Just reassembling my front hub after the wheel bearing disintegrated.1993 Rio.
The Haynes manual recommends making a 50mm x 6.5mm washer for reseating the bearings in disk brake models.
Is it really necessary or is there a way round it.

[Dan]

It is essential to properly reseat the wheelbearing using a flat washer. This has been covered here many times.

If you really need to you can use the spacer from behind the fan which is the right size, although it isn't thick enough and will bend. You should use it one way to bend it and then flip it over and seat the bearing properly with the bend dished outward so you develop the proper load. It will not be any use as a fan spacer afterwards so you'll need a new one.

A Mini specialist is now selling these special tools if you can wait for a delivery. I think it's MRA Minis but I'm not certain.

[lolipop]

Cheers,Another thing,the manual shows a split oil seal spacer inserted behind the rear bearing before the oil seal.This doesn't appear to be included with a new bearing kit,and wasn't fitted on the youtube video I saw.I can reuse the old one but do I have to?
Thanks again.

[Dan]

They were deleted from the standard spec many years ago. Just fitting the seal flush is easy enough without the spacer but you can re-use the old ones if you like.

[mk1leg]

The washer is used to preload bearings IE pull them tighter together before you attach dics and flange otherwise your new bearings will fail much quicker..................

[lolipop]

Isn't it going to be difficult to torque up the nut while the car is on stands?

[Ethel]

Use the brakes.

[lolipop]

Use the brakes.

Before the disk & flange is fitted,aint going to work.
If I have it in gear am I likely to do any damage to the gearbox?

[Dan]

You can't torque it without the disc and flange. Use the brakes. It's fine to leave it in gear but if the whole front of the car is in the air it won't do anything other than turn the diff.
Or..
What I do is rebuild everything with the driveshaft nut tightened as far as I can, with the flat washer under it having made sure the CV is as well seated and aligned as possible. Then take the centre cap out of the wheel and refit it, drop the car onto it and use the weight of the car to turn against. Torque once, remove the nut and replace the taper washer and re-torque. You have to remove the wheel again to fit the split pin and the centre cap but it works well. You can only do that if your flat washer and socket will fit through the wheel centre though.