Rear axle keeps developing play, is it fixable or time for a new wheel?
5 min read
Asked by: Ronald Oberlander
Why does my bike wheel have play?
If you’ve got play in one of your wheels (probably the rear), both the bearings, the cone and bearing races within the hub are more prone to accelerated wear. And play is also an indicator the wheels internals are more exposed to outside elements.
Can you replace just 1 wheel bearing?
If bearings go bad at one wheel, it is unnecessary to replace the bearings at the other wheel on the same axle. Don’t let someone talk you into work that is not needed. Get the price estimate for wheel bearing replacement for your make and model of car.
How do you tighten a rear hub?
Quote from video: Screw the cone in or out to tighten or loosen the bearing on the freehub. Make small adjustments and check the bearing between. Each.
Which wheel bearings wear out first?
The most common failure pattern for bearings is for those on the passenger side of the vehicle to fail first. The passenger side bearings are exposed to the most standing water in the gutter.
How much play should a wheel have?
For context, the tolerable end-play for truck wheel bearings is the same: 0.001 to 0.005 inches, also expressed as 1 to 5 mil or 0.025 to 0.127 mm. In other words, it’s perfectly acceptable to adjust wheel bearings so that they are just a little bit loose, but not too loose.
Should wheel hubs have play?
As a rule, there should be no perceptible play in the wheel bearing if you are pulling and tugging on a wheel 12 and 6 o’clock, but up to . 010 inch of. play in the front bearings may be acceptable on some old vehicles cars and trucks with adjustable bearings.
How much does it cost to replace a rear wheel bearing?
The Average Cost for Rear Wheel Bearing Replacement is Between $100 and $347, Depending on if You Go to the Mechanic or DIY. This price range is based on national averages for all vehicles and does not factor in taxes, fees, or your particular make and model.
How do you check rear axle bearings?
Quote from video: If the oil level is low there may be a warrant axle bearing and a damaged seal remove the rear brake drums and inspect the axle for leaking oil move the axle hub from side to side to check for play.
Can I just replace the wheel bearing and not the Hub?
Your mechanic is correct in that the only repair for the bearing is to replace the hub. It is a sealed unit and cannot be disassembled without destroying it.
How do you tighten an axle hub?
Quote from video: And then locate the threads and screw it in now if you if you are struggling to locate the threads on the far side of the hub. Then you might just want to give it the wheel a slight wiggle.
How can you tell if a wheel bearing is loose?
The symptoms of bad wheel bearings include:
- Noise: A humming, rumbling or growling noise that increases with acceleration or as the vehicle turns. …
- Looseness, excessive play in the steering wheel (vague steering);
- Steering wheel vibration which changes with the vehicle speed or as the vehicle turns;
- ABS malfunctioning.
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 do you diagnose wheel play?
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.
What does play in wheel mean?
June 14, 2018. Excessive play in the steering system can be defined as: where the steering wheel can be turned more than one to one and a half inches without the wheels rotating.
Can a wheel bearing cause play?
Quote from video:
How do you fix a play on a bike wheel?
Quote from video: And what you need to do is you need to tighten the nut uh in such a way that the wheel uh does not show any more play. And the but but uh spins freely. So first off i'm going to tighten the nut.
Why does my rear bike wheel wobble?
So, what causes these wobbles? The two main causes for side to side wobbles in a bike wheel are loose bearings and the wheel not being true. At the same time, damaged hubs and cones could also make your bike’s wheel rock sideways.
What does it mean when you can move your tire side to side?
If you have side to side movement of the tire and no movement when you grab it from top to bottom it usually indicates tie rods. The strut will turn with the play. Each side has two tie rods, an inner and outer.
Why does my cassette wobble?
A wobbling cassette can be caused by missing spacers or incorrect spacing. You especially need spacers when your cassette speed is less than your hub speed. For example, if you’re fitting an 8-speed cassette on a 10-speed hub. You would have to remove your cassette and pay attention to the spacers when reinstalling it.
How tight should a rear cassette be?
You’ll need a great deal of strength to turn it and get your cassette lockring tight enough. Turn it clockwise and keep turning until you feel it is right enough. You will usually hear clicks as you turn. After 4 or 5 clicks, your cassette lockring should be tight enough.
How do you tighten a loose rear cassette?
Quote from video: By hand then using your lock ring tool this is key tighten it down as tight as you can get it with your fingers. Next either with vise grips or pliers.