[Healeys] Shims

[Mirek Sharp]

For sure a Fairchild A10 would be a blast, but I would need a bigger garage.

 

There should be no perceptible end-float in the front hub assemble.  Follow
the factory workshop, or Norm Nock's guidance if you have his tech tips.
Set the end-float without any grease in the bearings (and therefore leave
the oil seal off).  I spray a little WD-40 or equivalent on the bearing as I
can't bear to spin them when dry, but the WD-40 does not interfere with the
feel you need to get no end-play.   On first assembly, leave the shims out
and tighten the nut while spinning the hub until there is noticeable drag.
I like to get quite a bit of drag, but without locking it up.  This seats
the bearings. Then disassemble and reassemble, adding and subtracting shims
until there is no perceptible end-float, but no drag.  For those of us who
do not do it for a living, be patient and go over it several times until you
are convinced you have it right.   Then, take it apart, pack the bearings,
put the seal in and re-assemble it.  The nut gets torqued to between 40 and
70 lb/ft (at least for a BT7).  I always spin the hub while tightening.
This will lock the inner bearing races, spacer, and shims in compression to
the swivel axle (I think I mis-spoke and said hub in my previous text).  The
oil seal does not get affected as it is in the hub and turns on the polished
boss on the swivel axle, not the spacer (which would tear it to bits in a
few miles).

 

Now I want to go searching for Warthog videos.

 

Cheers,

 

Mirek

 

From: Healeys [mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Bob
Spidell
Sent: August-22-17 10:43 AM
To: healeys at autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Shims

 

Couple things:

1) I'm too lazy to fetch my Bentley (manual), but I think the spec is
0.003"--i.e. just a smidge--of end float on the stub axles, to allow for
expansion of the bearings when warm.  Please correct me if I'm wrong as I'm
going into my axles soon.

2) putting all in compression--a lot of compression--also locks the inner
spacer--the one the seal rides on, lest it spin

3) I would love to have a Warthog (A-10)*

Bob

* Many years ago, I was preparing to depart Burbank airport in my Cherokee,
there was a couple of spotless, sparkling Warthogs, resplendent in an
(almost) BRG paint, parked on the ramp, with canopies up and flight ladder
extended (pre 9/11, of course).  They must have been coming from or going to
a nearby airshow.  I'm thinking, 'Gee, I wonder if they left the keys in
...'



On 8/21/2017 9:03 PM, Mirek Sharp wrote:

"Only" somewhat technical packing pieces?  Don't under-estimate their
importance.  When fully tightened with zero end-float,  the "tube" created
around the stub axle created by putting, inner races, spacer, shims, washer
and nut into compression against the hub act as a structural member and take
some of the load off of the stub axle, which is prone to cracking if the
correct procedure is not followed, as we all know.

 

If I do not have the correct new shim that I need to hand, I will re-use old
ones providing they have not been battered or creased.  Also, I try to use
the combination of thickest shims I can to remove end-float.  It should not
matter as they are in compression, but I had a crank shim in my BSA Road
Rocket break up once with dire consequences.  In that application,  the
engineering, in my opinion, is a bit dodgy as the shims were used to set
end-float on the crank, which I seem to recall was 0.002".  I had included a
thin shim in the combination and that small amount of movement, at engine
speeds, was enough to pound the thing to pieces.  When I rebuild it I worked
out the thickness of shims needed and had a machinist surface grind one
thick shim for me.  Not necessary for the Healey wheel bearings, but if any
of you have an A10 ..

 

Mirek

 

From: Healeys [mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Simon
Lachlan
Sent: August-21-17 6:49 AM
To: healeys at autox.team.net
Subject: [Healeys] Shims

 

Hi,

With reference to front wheel bearing shims, I shall be replacing the
bearings in my MkII's front RHS when winter has set in. (Won't be long!)

Anyhow, I've half a pack of unused shims left and there will be others in
the hub. Is there any reason why I can't reuse some/all of the old ones &/or
mix and match them with some of the new ones?

As I see it, we use the shims to get the correct end float so, provided the
shims' metallurgy(?) was correct in the first place, the old one will still
be good to go??? They're only somewhat technical packing pieces???

As ever, I stand ready to be corrected.

Simon





 

 

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