More wheel bearing problems. I have an theory.

"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
10/30/2017 at 12:00 • Filed to: RallyMetro

The RallyMetro front wheel bearings are driving me crazy. While prepping for the Gambler 500, I noticed the driver’s side bearing had a ton of slop in it. I took it to a shop and had a new one pressed in.

During the Gambler the passenger side front wheel bearing began to make its unhappiness known. After the rally, I took that spindle off and a buddy of mine pressed a new bearing into that one.

As I was putting that knuckle back on, I noticed the driver’s side had a bunch of play again. I took that spindle back off, and brought it back to the shop. My mechanic said the inner race worked its way lose, and pressed it back into place (no charge).

As this was happening, I realized the passenger side still had some slop in it. Yesterday I brought that one back to my buddy. The diagnosis is that the hole in the knuckle has gotten wallered out. The race is moving around with bearing.

I guess the tiny adorable suspension components are having a hard time dealing with the tremendous beatings I have been hurling upon them.

Clearly the only solution is to torque the every-loving-crap out of the axle nuts, and just send it until the wheels quite literally fall off. That, or, you know, another set of knuckles. Maybe over the winter. Maybe.

We’ve got a week and a couple days to get five more drivers registered for the final !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! of the year. Come on area Oppos!

DISCUSSION (19)

Nibby > shop-teacher
10/30/2017 at 12:09

when will you wheelize your wheels are off its bearings?

benjrblant > shop-teacher
10/30/2017 at 12:19

so new knuckle or hub?

shop-teacher > benjrblant
10/30/2017 at 12:21

New knuckle.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > shop-teacher
10/30/2017 at 12:22

Loctite the bearings into the knuckles!

shop-teacher > Nibby
10/30/2017 at 12:22

I’ve come this far, why bother wheelizing it now?

Urambo Tauro > shop-teacher
10/30/2017 at 12:32

I’m still confused. So the knuckle is gone, too wallowed out to hold the bearing. But the inner race had worked its way loose? From what? Is it not holding a press-fit to the hub, or is the bearing itself coming apart?

shop-teacher > Urambo Tauro
10/30/2017 at 12:34

It’s not holding a press-fit into the hub. The bearings themselves are still fine.

Urambo Tauro > shop-teacher
10/30/2017 at 12:35

So new knuckle, and new hub?

shop-teacher > Urambo Tauro
10/30/2017 at 12:39

Yeah, I suppose it does need both. Not being the one who put those parts together, I don’t understand 100% how it all works. If I decide to buy them, I want to be there next time they get put together.

Urambo Tauro > shop-teacher
10/30/2017 at 12:49

Yeah, basically the outer race presses into the knuckle, and the hub presses into the inner race. You have to be careful to focus the pressing force on the appropriate race when seating them, so that the rollers (or balls) inside don’t experience several tons of sideways force. That’s a good way to ruin a brand-new bearing. (I’m sure that your mechanic is well aware of that, though.)

shop-teacher > Urambo Tauro
10/30/2017 at 13:39

Yeah, my bearings themselves are fine ... for now. It’s the entire race with the bearing in it that’s wobbling around.

shop-teacher > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
10/30/2017 at 13:40

Right! The obvious answer is obvious after-all!

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > shop-teacher
10/30/2017 at 14:18

Loctite makes various retaining compounds, and probably have one just for this application. Loctite 660 looks like a good bet for you. Amazon has it and your local parts store may have it.

http://na.henkel-adhesives.com/industrial/product-search-1554.htm?nodeid=8797714251777

XJDano > shop-teacher
10/30/2017 at 17:54

https://stlouis.craigslist.org/cto/d/geo-metros/6355450705.html

shop-teacher > XJDano
10/30/2017 at 19:04

CP.

I learned from the forum that the knuckles changed in ‘97. The newer ones like in the RallyMetro are actually the superior ones. The older ones had two smaller bearings separated by a spacer washer, instead of one big bearing.

XJDano > shop-teacher
10/30/2017 at 19:20

The 5 parts cars...... make offer.

shop-teacher > XJDano
10/30/2017 at 21:01

Yeah, but none of them have the parts I need.

Someone from LaLD offered me an ‘01, but it’s in New Hampshire.

XJDano > shop-teacher
10/30/2017 at 21:30

The whole car? Is it drivable?

shop-teacher > XJDano
10/30/2017 at 22:09

Yeah, the whole car. Not drivable though.