How tight to make front spindle nut?

M

Matt in Alameda

Senior Member
On my '35 with 1940 hydraulic brakes, I finger tightened the front spindle bolt then used a wrench to take it to the nearest opening in the castle nut......when I put my hands at 6:00 o'clock and 12:00 o'clock I can rock the tire somewhere between 1/32" and 1/16". I tightened it to the next opening in the castle nut, it took a fair amount of pressure to do this...... and it no longer moves when it is rocked....Is this too tight or is there supposed to be slop???? Thank-you,.... Matt in Alameda
 
I tighten with a wrench, while rotating the drum, go to firm, then back off and come back on to a very firm finger tight...
Karl
 
Last edited:
I originally assumed you were talking about adjusting the spindle nut/wheel bearings and I see that Karl decided to totally edit out his original post, were he assumed your were talking about the king pin retaining bolts, so I'll totally edit my post as well. The link below contains a lengthy discussion on spindle nut/wheel bearing adjustment. Hopefully it will help, but as you will see, there are a lot of opinions on what should be a fairly simple procedure.


http://fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116795
 
Last edited:
Matt, that sounds a little too tight to me. I usually tighten those front spindle nuts down lightly with a short wrench or pair of pliers, a little more than I could tighten then by hand w/o a tool, then back off just enough to catch the first openning I come to for the cotter pin.
 
1/16th isn't a lot of play, I'd go back to the previous hole. What I would do, though, is make a note to check it again after 1000 miles or so. I had one that was just a little too tight on one hole so set it to the previous one, and could feel a little play. I did not recheck it for a long time, always saying that the next hole is too tight. When I finally did look at it, it went right past the next hole to the one after that! Hence the advice to recheck regularly. I don't use a wrench on the front nuts, I sometimes just use a pair of long nose pliers, end on with the points in the serrations, so I can apply a force just a little tighter than hand tight, but nowhere as tight as I could do it with a wrench.

Mart.
 
If your close to the nxt hole but a smidgen tight,put the backside of the nut on a belt sander and take a little bit off the nut and it will line up just right and not be too tight. ken ct.
 
Snug up with Ford water pump pliers, back off to first castilation to get cotter pin in! Learned that back in the 60 's in trade school,( Saunders T&T High School, Yonkers, NY) have used it ever since, always worked for me!!
 
I was told "more bearings are burned up from being too tight, than from being too loose".

Bruce

Works good
Lasts long time
 
a loose bearing setting will destroy the bearing because it lets the rollers start to run side ways in the cage and race, that being done destroys the alighnment of the bearings causing excessive wear on them and the race, i pack the bearings ,install them, then tighten till there is no play, spin the wheel, then back of till there is no pressure on the bearings, spin wheel, then tighten till all play is gone, it better to have a little pressure on the bearings than none at all, use a high pressure grease that does not stick to the out side of the hub as the wheel turns, you want one that will slowly drain back to the bearing and race, do not use a long fiber grease because it will fly away from the bearing and will not return to lube it
 
The last thing you want is for the inner race of the bearing to spin on the spindle. Tightening the nut wedges the bearing and promotes it spinning on the spindle. You can not take spindle clearance out by tightening the bearing more. It just slides in some more. There is no sholder to tighten against. I just snug the nut up and back it off a little so that it is not tight on the bearing at all.
I just in the last week found a set of spindles with no wear. I had never seen any spindles without wear before. I saved them at a recycler. 40 Ford round backs!
My fix for worn spindles is chisel indentions lengthwise to add to the diameter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top