Just replaced axle on rear wheel. It is loose at first but as soon as I ride it, it tightens and wheel no longer rotates. Help! - Project Sports
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Just replaced axle on rear wheel. It is loose at first but as soon as I ride it, it tightens and wheel no longer rotates. Help!

5 min read

Asked by: Marta Bird

How do you fix a loose rear wheel?


Quote from video: The little spring here i want the large diameter part facing onto the outside here. And this smaller diameter towards the wheel. And then screw this on.

Why is my back wheel loose?

If it’s wobbling side to side, there are two problems that are possible; Your cup-and-cone bearings could be loose or your wheel could be out of true (slightly buckled.) Take your wheel off and hold the axle. Wobble it up and down a few times.

How do you fix a wobbly rear hub?

Quote from video: So I'll go ahead and start removing this lock nut and in fact it's already loose. So I'm gonna remove the lock nut. And then I'll work on removing the cone. There's the lock nut I'll put that aside.

How do you tighten a wheel hub?

Use one hand to turn the wheel slowly in its normal forward direction of travel, and tighten the hub nut to the correct torque with the other. Turn the wheel slowly while you tighten. Lower to tighten finally.

How can you tell if a wheel bearing is loose?

Quote from video: And we tilt it in and out of the vehicle. Oh. Can you see how that moves. That means that this wheel bearing is loose.

Can I ride with a wobbly wheel?

You really do want to make sure your brakes are not hitting the tyre or falling off the bottom of the rim. If you have the slightest doubt then you can ride the bike using the other brake as your primary, using the brake on the affected wheel for ’emergencies only’.

How do I know if my car needs wheel balancing?

When to Get Tire Balancing Done:

  1. You feel vibration in the steering wheel, the floorboard or your seat.
  2. You get them rotated, generally every 5,000 miles.
  3. At the very least every two years, once yearly if you drive rough roads.
  4. You get a flat and repair a tire.
  5. You buy any new tire(s).

Why does it feel like my tire is wobbling?

If the tires and wheels spin true and you still have a problem, then you should have a mechanic look at the vehicle. The most common cause of vehicle shakes at 50 mph or higher is tire balance. Again, transmission or drive lines can cause this, but the tires should be the first thing to have checked.

What happens if you over tighten axle nut?

No. Over tightening won’t put more of a strain on the bearings in this sort of design. You should’ve torqued those nuts down quite a bit.

What happens when you over tighten a wheel bearing?

“Excessive preload will cause excessive friction and the bearing will run hot, compromising lubrication and eventually leading to flaking (material coming off) at the large end of the rollers/races,” he says.

How do you check rear axle bearings?

Quote from video: But when you're driving down the road. And you got a loud howl like that I'm pretty sure you folks should be able to hear that. If you take the car and you turn it left to right and the pitch changes.

How do I check my wheel bearings?

Quote from video: So what we're going to do is we're going to grab the tire at the three and nine o'clock positions. We're going to shake it back and forth. And you can see right there you see that little play.

Can you tighten loose wheel bearing?

Yes. You can tighten a loose wheel bearing by tightening the adjustment nut if the bearing is loose or by loosening it if the bearing is too tight. Before doing this, lift the vehicle and play it by wiggling it up and down to confirm the wheel bearing needs adjustment.

How do you check wheel bearings while driving?

You can test this by gently swaying your car while driving slowly. If the noise lessens when you sway right, then the damaged bearing is likely on a left wheel bearing. If it lessens when you sway left, a right wheel bearing is likely broken.

How do you diagnose a wheel bearing noise?

Wheel bearing noises become louder with speed. That is one of the best ways to tell whether the noise is coming from the wheel bearing or if it’s originating in/around the engine. RPM induced noises can be diagnosed while the vehicle is static. Speed-dependent noises usually indicate tire or wheel hub problems.

How do I know if my rear end bearings are bad?

The main indicators of a rear axle bearing failure are noise, play and leaks. Using noise from a rear axle to diagnose a wheel bearing can be difficult. Typical bearing noise that you hear from a front-wheel bearing is dampened by the mass of the axle assembly.

How can you tell if a rear wheel bearing is bad?

Signs your wheel bearings are worn out include:

  1. Shaky Steering Wheel When Driving. When you drive, you may notice that your steering wheel and, in more extreme cases, the entire car feels as if it is shaking.
  2. Reduced Acceleration When Driving. …
  3. Grinding Sounds. …
  4. Unevenly Worn Tires. …
  5. Vibrating Steering Wheel.