"How many folks follow the manual? Tighten spindle nut to 33 ft. pounds, while rotating by hand with tire off, then back off spindle nut to next hole for kotter pin. This seems too tight - but obviously I put together too loose. The hub should still spin freely per the manual."
Dart,
The answer to that question is that some people use manual-recommended procedure and some do not. The ones who don't think they know more than the engineers who designed the system in question, in this case bearings. In addition to the vehicle service manual, bearing service is well described in publications by the bearing manufacturers.
I'm a geologist, not a professional mechanic. But I have a 1971 Dodge van that I bought new. I have serviced the front wheel bearings at the shop manual recommended 24,000 mile intervals and adjusted them according to the shop manual procedure. That van now has a little over 362,000 miles on it and the front wheel bearings still look like new parts. A few grease seals have worn out over the decades but the bearings still look perfect.
My "Stovebolt" is a restored '36 Chevy PU. It has original type ball bearings like yours adjusted per shop manual procedure. In about 50,000 miles of driving as a daily driver "rat rod" and another about 13,000 miles after restoration the ball bearings are having no issues.
So there is nothing wrong with ball bearings or factory service recommendations in my experience. I hope this helps.
