The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Front wheel bearings

Is there a trick to loading the front wheel bearings.( ball bearings) I've loaded a ton of tapered front bearing but not ball bearings. Thanks all

If you are referring to a 42-47 truck, you tighten the spindle nut slowly while rotating the front wheel until it is hard to turn by hand. Back off as described in the Shop Manual.

If you are referring to a different front end, identify it (or, the procedure should be described in your Shop Manual).

I'm workin on a 39 1/2 tonm with ball bearings on the front spindle. Thanks for the help. noel

1938 is about the same - except tighten the nut as much as possible, before backing off 1/12th turn.

1941 is same as 1942 and later (above). The 1939/40 Shop Manuals are not on The Online Chevy Manuals website.

Does anyone have an exploded view of the ball bearings, races, seals, etc...for a '50, 3100??? I have looked everywhere and can't find one. Here is why I ask...

When I removed the drumm/hub assembly from the front passenger side spindle, a portion of the REAR (inside) seal stayed in the inner race, but the felt pad stayed on the spindle. Having never worked on a truck this old before I didn't think too much about it but I DID make a mental note.

It became evident that something was up when I removed the drum/hub assembly from the drivers side...on the drivers side, that inner seal assembly stayed seated in the race and when I removed it I oticed that the felt pad was securely sandwiched between the two pieces of the inner seal.

This clued me in to the fact that the inner seal on the passenger side was missing half of that seal...RIGHT?!

Here's the NEXT kicker...I went down to NAPA and ordered the inner seal and when I opened the box, what I was looking at was what appeared to be only one half of what made up the original seal that I have...no felt pad or nothing...

I'm puzzled as all hell now and since I can't find an exploded view anywhere I need some help.

Yall may ask for pictures but this FNG hasn't figured out how to post pics yet so I hope that my description will suffice...

I thought I would be able find it in the "Assembly Manual" that I spent a freaking fortune on...what a freaking waste of money THAT was...but that's for a different forum...

Link
The felt and inner and outer retainers should be one assembly.

So when i bought the part from NAPA, I got what you refer to as the 'outer retainer.'

So what do I ask them for now?

I think you got the deflector 6.323.
You should be able to order just the seal 6.326.

The replacement seals are Neoprene.
Jim Carter lists them. I could not find them on NAPA online.

I thought that at first too...

What I got was NAPA Part #NOS 18772...wheel seal, front wheel

Just have to figure out where to get the inner ring for that part...

Is it possible that with the new technology (neoprene sealing ring on the inside edge of the "donut" instead of the felt pad sandwiched between two pieces) that the only new part is just what you are calling the "outer retainer"?

UPDATE...

I answered my own question. The answer is YES. The original inner seal had an outer retainer, an inner retainer and a felt pad sandwiched between them.

The new inner seal is, in essence, only the outer retainer piece of the original setup. The new seal drives into the back of the hub with the flange facing the inner workings of the hub. it drives down flush with the adge. The inner edge of the 'donut' is neoprene rubber and seals against the spindle when you mount the hub to the spindle...

KLS