Installing New Rear Hubs

[Stevo309 0]

Sorry guys i'm sure these are very basic questions but i can't find the answers anywhere.

 

I now have my new SNR rear bearing kits from ECP (eventually!). I tried to get SKF but couldn't find them, these SNR look very nice quality though and come complete with the bearing inboard protection plate, hub nuts, grease caps etc.

 

My questions:

 

The new hub is a tight fit on the stub axle, i presume a huge amount of force won't be needed to get them on but how is it best to get these on? Is it best to use a piece of wood across the face of the hub and hammer? Or a socket directly onto the inner race and again hammer? I presume this latter method won't damage the bearing as Haynes said somewhere if pressing the bearings in a 1.6 drum not to exceed 5 tonnes!

 

The bearings are pre-greased, is there any need to add any extra grease anywhere? For example to the stub axle, the stub axle thread? The inboard bearing face etc?

 

Thanks for your help

[jord294 89]

using a strip of fine emery paper, give the stub axle pin a good going at, until you can slide the hub on with ease

[Kenno 3 2 Cars]

I would not use fine emery paper as parts are machined to fit! I would stick the the parts in the bottom draw of the freezer for a day, just read up on linear expansion :-) Their are some people on here that have seen my bottom draw of the freezer and there is always parts in there lol

[jord294 89]

the nut is what holds the hub on the shaft, not an interference fit

 

once the nut is tightened to it's specific torque, and the nut is staked, it's very unlikely the hubs going to come off

[Cameron 16]

No the bearing is a press fit on the stub axle, if it wasn't you could get problems with fretting on the inner race / stub axle. Every rear hub I've replaced has been a light press fit on the stub axle.

[Tom Fenton 1,536]

Steve, the inner race should be a light interference, as you say drive it carefully on using a large socket or length of tube that contacts the inner race. No need to add extra grease.

[allanallen 528 2 Cars]

I replaced one at the weekend and although they are a press fit it didn't require that much pressure to get it on. It wasn't even reading 1 Ton on my press.

[jord294 89]

i agree there should be slight interference

 

but they shouldn't need to be hammered on or pressed on with excessive force.

 

as they age on the car, they will become tight on the stub axle pins anyway

[Tom Fenton 1,536]

The definition of the word interference implies that the inner race is not a sliding or hand push fit on the stub axle, therefore to have an interference fit you will have to either press, shrink, or drive the bearing onto the stub axle. Dressing the pin with emery is not the correct way to fit a rolling element bearing, no matter whether the shaft is 1 inch, 1 foot, 1 yard.

[Cameron 16]

+1. It's a light interference fit as with most bearings.

[Stevo309 0]

Thanks for the advice guys. I must say I was surprised to not find this subject covered elsewhere and also to not read it described in Haynes. I suppose I could have missed it but I checked the 205 and 309 books of lies. The 309 one does go into more detail.

 

Anyway I have spent some time today and got them on. Cleaned up the shafts with emery just to make sure of no burs and Then tapped them on using a socket on the inner race, they were a snug fit but didn't require a huge amount of force. I suppose some sort of large clamp around under the trailing arm onto the back of the stub axle would have done the trick too.

[jord294 89]

glad you sorted it

[Stevo309 0]

Funnily enough after being unsuccessful trying to get skf and reading that snr are also French manufacturers oem bearings they actually have skf embossed on the hubs, the bearings may not be but they look nice quality. Not cheap but i guess you get what you pay for.

 

Also had to buy a new torque wrench to get 215 nm