How did you adjust the roller wheel bearings? The procedure is different than the original ball bearings. Many roller bearings require a final preload of 5-7 ft pounds of torque. The original ball bearings do not call for a final preload. They require a tiny bit of slack. In the '51 GMC Maintenance Manual, front wheel ball bearing adjustment on 1/2 ton trucks (he has a '51 axle) calls for tightening the spindle nut to 33 ft/lbs, then backing off no more than 1/6th of a turn and inserting the cotter pin. This will result in some amount of pre-load on the stock ball bearings, not slack. 1/2 ton GMCs and Chevys of this era use the same bearings, hubs, spindles and nuts.
Last edited by Bill Hanlon; 05/31/2025 3:03 AM.
'57 GMC 102, Original 347 V8, HydraMatic, 3.08 rear gear, added A/C, disk front brakes, HEI, AFB carb, '98 Honda Black Currant paint. T-boned and totaled 10/12
'52 GMC 152 Stake Bed, Original 228, SM420, added A/C, HEI, disk front brakes, '67 Chev 3.55 rear gear. Gets used as a real truck.
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