GPBox Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 Hi all. I fancy a little winter job of changing all four wheel bearings.....2001 K-Series S3....can I get bearings from a regular 'motor-factors' or do I need to go to CC ?..anyone know the spec + seals? ...is it a pretty straight forward job of knocking old ones out and new ones in...or is a press required ?....cheers Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 Hi Graham. What sort of mileage on the car ? Fronts require regular greasing and adjustment, rears less so. If you do a search in TechTalk for something like 'front and bearing' you should find plenty on this subject. Best to go to CC or Redline for front bearing kits to get the felt seal that you need. It is very easy to damage the fragile shell the felt sits in when trying to fit it 'square'. I found the best way is to lay the hub outer face down on the ground, sit the metal shell of the felt seal on the recess it is going in to, lay a flat piece of wood across it and hit it hard. Job done. Seal does need grease rubbing in to it to make it work as a grease barrier. Do make sure there are no nicks or rough edges on the edge of the face of the upright that it runs against or the seal will peel off like an orange being peeled as soon as you turn the wheel. Been there ! Apart from that, front bearing fitting is run of the mill stuff with bashing cups out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Ford Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 If it's 2001 it's presumably got the old-style hubs with thin stub axles. It's not a cheap option, but you might want to consider a hub upgrade, especially if using it on track. The old thin stub axles can be prone to breaking under stress. No need to worry about felt seals and stuff after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Deslandes Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 whilst agreeing with Ian's method of fitment, I wouldn't grease the seal. If you do, the felt tends to stick to the axle and tears out of its cup, thereby becoming useless. Both of mine failed within a few miles when I tried this but, having replaced them dry, I've had no further trouble. Enough grease is slung out by the hub as it rotates to effect a seal. Its really there to keep the muck out rather than the grease in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPBox Posted November 2, 2010 Author Share Posted November 2, 2010 Hi not sure if I have old of new hubs....I'll take a look is there an obvious differrence ?.....the mileage is 30K and I do a bunch of track days....cheers Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Soper Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 Come along to the Oxford meeting tonight at the Wagon and Horses at Culham A415 to discuss wheel bearing and assorted other topics Brian L7S2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Ford Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 Hi not sure if I have old of new hubs....I'll take a look is there an obvious differrence ? Yes, pretty obvious, you can check by the size of the castle nut at the end of the axle. The old ones have a 1/2 inch inside thread - not sure what the new ones are but it's much bigger. See the comparison of the stub axles here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPBox Posted November 2, 2010 Author Share Posted November 2, 2010 Hi Brian, sorry working late....thanks for invite tho'...Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exmog Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 Just changed our fronts - they are standard Triumph spitfire bearings, cost about £15/side for the kit which also includes the seals, split pin and grease easily available from your local motor factors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted November 3, 2010 Share Posted November 3, 2010 Did that kit include the infamous felt seal ? If you search the TT archives, the jury is split between soaking the seal in oil, greasing it or leaving it dry !! Has anyone managed to source a rubber seal that replaces the felt one ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted November 3, 2010 Share Posted November 3, 2010 If you buy the QH kit, you get the seal. I've greased and and I've oiled the seals - both have worked fine. Cheapo nasty ones will fall apart regardless. Dutton trials car, often up to above the hubs in water, mud, thin sloppy mud, thick stiff mud, mud, mud, mud, uses the same Triump upright and hub - seal works fine. Same idea of a felt seal is used a lot in textile machinery - robust, long lasting and doesn't get knackered at the hint of foreign bodies. Rubber lip seals, especially how they would need to be installed in our application, don't like foreign bodies, and once damaged, you're stuffed. They don't like heat if not constantly lubricated - so again, you'd probably be stuffed in our application once you go over 30mph for any length of time. Integral seals and shields as per a sealed race (ie as per newer design hub) are used in a slightly different manner, and don't get damaged quite so easily. There is still a speed reistriction to do with seal friction and overheating, but the sealed and lubricated nature of the assembly minimises it to some degree. Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobt Posted November 3, 2010 Share Posted November 3, 2010 That's very interesting Roger, never knew about the front hub upgrade. How are the stub axles fixed to the uprights? Will the existing ones be a complete pig to remove? Thanks Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exmog Posted November 3, 2010 Share Posted November 3, 2010 SM25T Yep includes the felt seal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Ford Posted November 3, 2010 Share Posted November 3, 2010 Bobt - I think the stub axle just pushes through the upright and is held by a nut at the rear. See the photo for the uprated brakes here. So should be straightforward to change unless it's welded itself solidly into the upright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobt Posted November 3, 2010 Share Posted November 3, 2010 Ah, I see. So I shouldn't need to replace my existing (2000) uprights. Upgrading this makes sense to me once my bearings are up for replacement. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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