Rear wheel bearings on a big saloon

[Radders]

Where's the best place to buy the rear wheel bearings for a big saloon.?

Also, is there an easier way of fitting them without using a press etc?

I've almost exhausted my stock of spare drive shafts, so I really need to start prepping some more.  :)

[kenv8pi]

Hi radder

No way to get the flanges off but press them. Have you the triumph tool or just a press. I always use chris witor he set the bearings up properley and checks the run out on the flange faces so you have no wheel wabble had no problems with mine in 8 years

Regards Ken

[Lord Sorbington]

I got exchange hubs from Fitchetts, pricey at 90 quid each but as good as new.  I was fed up with second hand ones which were OK for a month or two but then developed play.

Earlpart are a little cheaper, but Fitchetts are on the doorstep so no shipping costs..........

Complete re-con driveshafts are even better.  Nice new UJs, unworn splines, fit and forget.  They are about £125 each on an exchange basis.

The bearings themselves are around 20quid so if you can get someone to press the hub apart for you (taking care not to bend anything) it's not really too hard to reassemble them as per the manual.  

Be wary of reusing the old stub axles from the hub assemblies as there are a few isolated instances of old, weak stub axles breaking. Very unlikely but a lost rear wheel (and no brakes) isn't fun.................

Apparently, 20 - 30 tons of force can be needed to get the old hubs apart.

[mikeyb]

sorbs wrote:

Complete re-con driveshafts are even better.  Nice new UJs, unworn splines, fit and forget.  They are about £125 each on an exchange basis.

I've often wondered how the splines are re-conned on a set of old driveshafts .......... or is that the con?   ;D

[mikeyb]

391 wrote:

Where's the best place to buy the rear wheel bearings for a big saloon.?

I looked into this before last years 10CR, the cheapest price I found was from Essex Motor Factors in Maldon

[Jchris59]

I have destroyed nearly 10 drive flanges before to create an efficient extraction tool : if you haven't got the right tool, buy a reconditionned hub unit from Chris Witor, he is the most serious guy about big sixes.
BTW, the saloon rear hub bearing, flange and carrier are the same on a TR IRS.
Chris.

[Lord Sorbington]

MikeyB wrote:

I've often wondered how the splines are re-conned on a set of old driveshafts .......... or is that the con?   ;D

;D I think they can be either new parts or a mix and match of old exchange bits which give the correct fit.  

Most places have fairly strict criteria about what constitutes an acceptable exchange driveshaft and hub.

[spunkymonkey]

If you have a set of old bearings to measure, the best place is usually from a specialist bearing supplier rather than a motor factors / car specialist.  It's very rare for a car maker to use non-standard bearings - they generally design the hub etc to take an off-the-shelf bearing.  A bearing supplier is likely to have a much higher turnover and is probably supplying whoever puts them in "Triumph wheel bearing" boxes at around the same price as they'll supply you.  

As an example, about a year ago, we needed a front bearing for Betty the Daf in a hurry, which meant going to a local place.  They cost around £16 + VAT for the pair (for unspecified brand ones).  The same pair from the link below would have been £9.70 + VAT (but inc postage) in SKF brand or around £7.50 + VAT, inc post, for the budget ones we got.

If you have the measurements (internal / external diameters and overall bearing width then put them in at somewhere like http://www.bearing-king.co.uk/ and see what comes up.  You also have the benefit of being able to choose between "economy" and branded ones like FAG or SKF.

[Nick Jones]

Work press failed to shift the flange today.  It's a 20 tonner and the relief valve popped before the flange  :(  I don't have a plan B yet.......

Nick

[mikeyb]

keep it loaded up, apply a little bit of heat to the taper area on the keyway if it has one (can't remember!) then a light tap on the end of the shaft should hopefully oblige.

[piman]

Hello SM,

while it is easy to get bearings from bearing suppliers the assembly also requires a collapsible spacer which they will not be able to supply.
I never used a press to split mine, just a good old fashioned puller and a hammer.

Alec

[spunkymonkey]

piman wrote:

Hello SM,

while it is easy to get bearings from bearing suppliers the assembly also requires a collapsible spacer which they will not be able to supply.
I never used a press to split mine, just a good old fashioned puller and a hammer.

Alec

That sounds like a nasty design - a bit like the need to shim the FWD fronts (and I assume GT6 rotoflex as well?) when a slight design change, castle nut and split-pin would have done just as well as far as I can see.  Tempted to try it on mine next time I do a bearing and do away with the shimathon forever  :)

[Nick Jones]

piman wrote:

Hello SM,

while it is easy to get bearings from bearing suppliers the assembly also requires a collapsible spacer which they will not be able to supply.
I never used a press to split mine, just a good old fashioned puller and a hammer.

Alec

Alec, I presume you are not talking about an ordinary 3 (or even 4) legged puller but something more like the "flying saucer" churchill tool used on the swing axle hubs?

Mike, didn't have any heat handy (we are not allowed to play with fire :() and some ejit has pit a guage on top of the ram so you can't wack it......  I was wanting a blast shield once it got past 15 tons anyway  :B

Triumph wheel bearing designs do seem to be rather over-complicated and maintenance hostile, but they do last pretty well if properly assembled.

Cheers

Nick

[mikeyb]

I really did mean a light tap (not a whack!), however this may be less effective on the flange housing especially without heat.  Don't underestimate the power of a small shock though, I'd still give it a try.

Re collapsible spacers, weren't some hubs assembled with non-collapsible spacers?

[Richard B]

Nick if neccesary I have a puller for the saloon hub that is the same design as the club style one for the small cars.

Not sure how to get it to you though?

[piman]

Hello Nick,

it is actually a very substantial Sykes Pickavant two leg puller but bolted to an 1" or so thick steel disc which attaches to the four wheel studs. Screw it up very tight then a good whack or two with a big hammer. You can get a lot of force with a press but I believe the shock is what really releases the taper.

SM,
the spacer principle was also used in the pinions of some of the 2000 differentials. I don't know why the front wheel bearing arrangement wasn't used for the rear hubs but I'm surre they didn't go to all this trouble if it was practical. There is no reason why you ccouldn't use a solid spacer and shims however, but the original was probably easier in the factory.

Alec

[dazzer]

You could always fit the Ford Cosworth/Granada hubs from Quaife and never look back.

Fitted them to the 2000 and now done 12,000 miles of hard rallying, all terrain abuse, sideways delinquent driving... not a squeak, and if you do want to take them apart its easy, they just come apart, no pullers or presses required. Indestructible.

Cons... PRICE they're about £400ish + VAT a side.


Cheers

Dazzer

[Nick Jones]

570 wrote:

You could always fit the Ford Cosworth/Granada hubs from Quaife and never look back.

Fitted them to the 2000 and now done 12,000 miles of hard rallying, all terrain abuse, sideways delinquent driving... not a squeak, and if you do want to take them apart its easy, they just come apart, no pullers or presses required. Indestructible.

Cons... PRICE they're about £400ish + VAT a side.


Cheers

Dazzer

Why do they have to come from Quaife?  Why can't they just come from a Granada?

Got any pics?  :)

Nick

[Lord Sorbington]

Granada = rear discs.................

[dazzer]

Its basically ford bearings in a designed hub which fits the Triumph IRS, specifically for TR but with a little mod it fits straight on the big saloons.

So part Ford, part custom hub I think designed by Duncan at Vessey's.

Cheers

Darren

[dazzer]

Pictures of the 'quaife' hubs attached

[Nick Jones]

Thanks!  Look like very nice parts (and should be for that price).  They messed up though - needs 6 bolt holes on the inboard side and twin lobro CV drive shaft - job done.  I might even pay £400 a side for that!

Nick

[Nick Jones]

Thanks!  Look like very nice parts (and should be for that price).  They messed up though - needs 6 bolt holes on the inboard side to take a 108mm lobro and twin lobro CV drive shaft with adaptor to the diff flange - job done.  I might even pay £400 a side for that!

Nick

[andy thompson]

The Hyundai job uses a Hyundai flange (same PCD) and has a flange welded to the part that would take the CV pot so as to accept a UJ flange - will try and find photo or more details - obviously has a custom bearing carrier too

[Nick Jones]

The bearing carrier is not the problem - fairly small billet and simple machining.  It's the hub and through shaft that are tricky to do at reasonable cost so finding something ready made that doesn't need much adaption is the key!

Nick