arghhhh bloody front wheel bearings!

[norma]

MKII escort front hubs are bloody useless.
I'm eating an outer front wheel bearing every other track day at the moment.
I do know how to fit them and how much play to have and how much grease etc etc
It just seems they're too small (they are tiny!) to take the abuse.
I notice that Burton do alloy hubs that incorperate a bigger outer bearing, so this is one possibility - the other is to get a hub from another car (with modern cartridge type bearing) and modify it to fit in place of the chopped 'scort strut.

I'm sure I'm not the only one - how does every one else cope? (Rob????!!)

Thanks
Alex

[Antnicuk]

im not sure what rob is running with his new hubs but i have never had to replace my bearings and i use sticky tyres. I did buy a set but ive still got them as mine are still tight. If you can get grp 4 hubs/uprights, you could use the bigger bearings. The group 4 hubs wont fit the stock hub. I tried......... and i couldnt get a bearing to make up the difference in size.

[stylussprinter]

MKII escort front hubs are bloody useless.
I'm eating an outer front wheel bearing every other track day at the moment.
I do know how to fit them and how much play to have and how much grease etc etc
It just seems they're too small (they are tiny!) to take the abuse.
I notice that Burton do alloy hubs that incorperate a bigger outer bearing, so this is one possibility - the other is to get a hub from another car (with modern cartridge type bearing) and modify it to fit in place of the chopped 'scort strut.

I'm sure I'm not the only one - how does every one else cope? (Rob????!!)

Thanks
Alex

H'mmm , I'm surprised you're having so much trouble with them , mine were fine when I was using the spec ' uprights that you're using. Having said that , I used to pack each bearing , pushing as much grease as possible into it , before fitting into the hubs THEN before fitting the outer I loaded the the cavity too ----- it gets squeezed out when you tighten up the nut so over filling isn't an issue . The other point to mention is that I use ZX1 EXTRALUBE in every place I can stick it ----- engine , gearbox , diff , water PLUS the grease they make for my hubs

Finally ---- what ever the book says , I've always tightenened mine up so the wheel can't be turned THEN loosened so it only just turns using gentle hand power NOT arm leverage. I do exactly the same with my alloy hubs that have been fitted since changing to alloy uprights in 2005 . Since finishing building the car in 1999 untill now I've used 3 sets of bearings . Of course my mileage is low being track only since 2003 , at under 8000 miles but it's been hard mileage.

You may think it a tad fussy but I also jack it up after sprints for cleaning etc and try rocking the bearing , holding the tyre top and bottom , then if movement's felt I'll adjust.

[norma]

thanks rob - its interesting how many different ways there seem to be to setup a hub!
This video on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iMyhEPdP3Q&NR=1
is pretty different to your method and states no play whereas I was taught to leave a small amount of play...?
anyway, i'll take out the slack and see how I go.
thanks

[Antnicuk]

i use rob's method for tightening them if it helps

[flipper123]

i always tighten all the way up too and release until they run smooth with no play. all taper roller bearings are done this way. i havnt changed mine yet thanks for reminding me.
cheers
craig

[norma]

cheers for all the advice boys - i'll remove all slack and see how it goes!

[stylussprinter]

cheers for all the advice boys - i'll remove all slack and see how it goes!

How's that Dunnell engine performing

[norma]

great - done about 2k miles now and 2 track days, its great actually having some oomph over 5500 rpm at last!
The guy who remapped it for me said he'd never seen a zetec make that much power!
He measured 198 bhp at the wheels, which equates to 236-240 at fly.
However Paul reckons that his r/road maybe a bit optimistic, reckons its probably closer to 230bhp.
personally I don't care, its enough! (Or at least it was until I drove a 300 bhp atom at cadwell - that was just plain scary........ )
Still a bit rattly top end though, I re shimmed the inlet cam from dunnell spec to ford spec which made a massive difference, but i think exhaust cam needs doing too.
Main projects for this winter will be new ally fuel tank and one of your arb's I think.......

[stylussprinter]

great - done about 2k miles now and 2 track days, its great actually having some oomph over 5500 rpm at last!
The guy who remapped it for me said he'd never seen a zetec make that much power!
He measured 198 bhp at the wheels, which equates to 236-240 at fly.
However Paul reckons that his r/road maybe a bit optimistic, reckons its probably closer to 230bhp.
personally I don't care, its enough! (Or at least it was until I drove a 300 bhp atom at cadwell - that was just plain scary........ )
Still a bit rattly top end though, I re shimmed the inlet cam from dunnell spec to ford spec which made a massive difference, but i think exhaust cam needs doing too.
Main projects for this winter will be new ally fuel tank and one of your arb's I think.......

Well , maybe I'm getting long in the tooth but once you learn to put all the 230 horses on the tarmac , wanting more seems pointless . If I had more I'd have great difficulty in cornering flat --- Having it is no good unless you can use it

[Ned]

At VW tapered wheel bearing are tightened till you can slide the washer between nut and bearing with a screwdriver, so pinch the nut up then back off till washer just slides
Phil

[norma]

At VW tapered wheel bearing are tightened till you can slide the washer between nut and bearing with a screwdriver, so pinch the nut up then back off till washer just slides
Phil

cheers Phil - never heard that one before!

[norma]

Well , maybe I'm getting long in the tooth but once you learn to put all the 230 horses on the tarmac , wanting more seems pointless . If I had more I'd have great difficulty in cornering flat --- Having it is no good unless you can use it

I totally agree Rob - the atom was scary and didn't give any warning of letting go, whereas the stylus is just so chuckable and you get time to correct. The only thing I really wanted off that atom were the brakes, they were amazing. As a passenger I couldn't honestly believe that we were going to slow down in time for the bends, they were phenominal!