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Jul 21st, 2025 | | | | Joined: Jan 2016 Posts: 264 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2016 Posts: 264 | Put new seals in the hubs and have them on, just need to torque everything.
Anybody know the hub retaining nut torque, axle shaft nuts torque, and even the wheel nut torque?
1952 1700 3 ton. (Canadian truck) | | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,877 . | | . Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,877 | Do you have a service manual for your truck, it will have this info and more?
Or you might find an online version if you don't have a paper copy.
What is the US equivalent model to your truck? | | | | | Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 331 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 331 | Put it together - run the first nut down until you eliminate all play in the wheel bearing (weight off the wheel, brakes backed off). The drum/hub should spin freely with no play in the bearing. The nut should be just hand-snug. Next install the jam nut - run it down until you feel a sharp increase in torque and stop.
You'll go blind trying to figure out how to do this with a torque wrench. My gut tells me that you probably shouldn't even be messing with it if you have to ask this question though. Good luck.
1950 4100 - unrestored and driven weekly for almost no reason at all.
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,877 . | | . Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,877 | mechanic58, In my experience that will result in bearings that are overly tight. Here is a manual for the next model years of trucks, I expect your axle is covered, still used in the newer truck. (click "contents" at the bottom for the whole manual) http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/gmc/5559mm/5559mm663.htmlLook here for other useful manuals. http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/Read the manual, but it explains basically hand tight while turning and back off 1/8 of a turn. More detail in the manual.. Grigg | | | | | Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 5,096 Crusing in the Passing Lane | | Crusing in the Passing Lane Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 5,096 | Yep, overly tight, when the second nut or jam nut is tightened, it takes up all the slack from the first nut, making it overly tight.
Ed
'37 GMC T-18 w/ DD 4-53T, RTO-610, 6231 aux., '95 GMC running gear, full disc brakes, power steering, 22.5 wheels and tires.
'47 GMC 1 ton w/ 302, NP-540, 4wd, full width Blazer front axle.
'54 GMC 630 w/ 503 gasser, 5 speed, ex fire truck, shortened WB 4', install 8' bed.
'55 GMC 370 w/270, 420 4 speed, grain, dump bed truck from ND. Works OK.
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 331 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Oct 2013 Posts: 331 | mechanic58, In my experience that will result in bearings that are overly tight. It would if the inner nut continued to tighten when you tightened the jam nut. This doesn't always happen, but obviously you should pay attention to that. Sometimes you have to note the degree to which it tightened, then back off and reposition it and start over - taking into account how much further it 'wants' to advance when you torque the jam nut against it. I have only done this about 9,000,000 times.
1950 4100 - unrestored and driven weekly for almost no reason at all.
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,877 . | | . Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,877 | Not arguing with your experience.
Just stating that the safe bet for the inexperienced is to follow the service manual.
Additionally I've had tapered wheel bearings heat when adjusted as you describe without backing off any, or not enough, just snug enough to remove any play.
There usually is slop in the threads, a few thousandths, When the second nut is run up tight against the first it pushes the first nut that much further in. Ed described this above and you hint to the same by noting how much snugger the bearings are after tightening the outer nut, going back to the first one and compensating. This is same principal/reason as guess and check with lock nut on rocker arms while adjusting valves.
Grigg | | | | | Joined: Jan 2016 Posts: 264 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2016 Posts: 264 | OK, thx for advice so far.
As for experience, I'll be first to admit I haven't worked on any vehicle of this size before, just smaller. I'm used to having a shop manual to go from. However, my maintenance manual after an exhaustive search only gives up the axle hub flange bolt torque at 85 to 90 ft lbs. Nothing for wheel lug nuts and nothing at all for hubs. Ive always done lug nuts at 120 ft lbs, but haven't done dual before, thus the question. As for hubs only says to reinstall "retaining nut, then lock ring and jam nut".. not how or torque.
As the truck is sitting in a barn, I doubt I could get a heavy truck mechanic to observe it without paying big bucks, was hoping for help here.
Equivalent American model, not certain, because they stop at 2 ton,I would think they'd be very similar for this info though.
| | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,877 . | | . Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,877 | GMC does not stop at 2 ton.
You were hoping for help here, did you follow the links I provided to applicable shop manual pages? Were they not helpful?
I've not seen a torque listed very often for the outer lock nut on rear spindles. I run them up gently/snug by hand and a little bit more. | | |
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