The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Lesson Learned

If some else works on your truck, check the nuts and bolts.

While in for paint, the front wheels were taken off for paint. Well, one wasn't tightened enough to seat the bearings properly. While driving yesterday I started hearing a intermitent "clanking" noise, under different driving circumstances. Lond story short newer bearing were shot and the source of the noice.

Thank goodness I caught it early.

I have learned many things from the threads on this site. Thanks for all the postings on kind replies.

Regards

How did the wheel not being tight make the bearing loose?

Its my daily driver and somehow there was enough play to cause the bearing to bind in the raceway and break apart. When I pulled the wheel off the outer bearing was broken and some of the ball bearings were loose in the wheel.

Regards,

Robert,

Are you referring to the wheel/rim lug nuts not being tightened properly, or the spindle nut not being tightened properly on the brake drum?

Years ago, Sears did not tighten the lug nuts on my wheels when they replaced the front tires. That really messed up my wheel studs.

If you are referring to original style front end parts, it is hard to undertand how loose stud nuts would mess up the wheel bearings.

Had anyone adjusted the wheel beaings recently?

he has the integral wheel/spindle quick release setup. (for racing)

I am referring to the spindle nut. The bearings were only 6 months old (and properly lubed). The carrier for the bearings was noticably bent. The wheel had a lot of play in it, even before I lifted the truck and pulled the wheel off.

This what happened...am I missing something? What else can cause this scenario?

Robert,

Sorry about he misunderstanding. The spindle nut holds on the drum.

Nonetheless, this is unfortunate, to say the least. It is a good thing you caught this before the wheel came off.

that had nothing to do with taking the wheels off for paint, unless they took them off with the spindle nut and left the brake drum attached to the wheel. What would cause this is improper installation of the wheel bearings.