MGB & GT Forum

if i lift the car up and grab the bottom and top of the tire it can wiggle a little. should i just buy the whole wheel hub to replace or can you buy other peices to rebuild the hub? im a little confused on what i should buy to fix this someone help?
edit: just watched a bunch of videos realizing i just need a bearing set but im still curious and what exactly i should buy.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-04-18 10:45 AM by Adrian Martinez.

Adrian the removable hubs are used on newer cars.
I am sure that John Twist at University Motors has a YouTube video on this subject. But due to the large number of videos I could not find the proper one.
I don’t know if you have a service manual.
I would say at this point check the torque on the bearing spindle nut. It should be 60lbs.
If it around the torque spec it means the bearing spacer shims are still in place.
Generally I leave the brake caliper and rotor in place, remove the nut and washer and slap the rotor so that the bearing moves out a little so you can grab it.
Then do a visual inspection looking for pits on the bearing roller or blue spots indicating over heating.
There is a school of thought that the original parts are higher quality than the new ones made in China.
Do some research and maybe just pop an outer bearing out and post a photo.

Here is the service manual. See section k. Page 236 on my iPad https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UqS97wkgFbKrjVkEzIRuzHDGSq2FZM8u/view
Note. Paraffin means cleaning solvent and clock gauge means dial indicator.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2024-04-18 11:52 AM by Rick Fawthrop.

The MGB wheel bearings are considered over-built for the size of the car. It is not uncommon for properly serviced & adjusted wheel bearings to last for many hundreds of thousands of miles.

To start, I would remove the hub, extract & clean the bearings and examine them closely for defects (wear, pitting, flaking, etc). Do not remove the races from the hub unless they absolutely need to be replaced. They are an interference fit and too frequent removal can destroy the interference fit. With the bearing clean, apply some oil and put them in the hub and assess how they feel when rotated. If they pass a visual inspection and turn smoothly (don't feel notchy or erratic) then repack them with grease and re-assemble.

Your next decision is whether to assemble & adjust the factory way (using the spacer & shims to adjust the free clearance) or doing it the 'American Way' (leaving out the spacer & shims and adjusting clearance with the castellated nut & relying on the cotter pin ot keep it all in place). This decision is somewhat akin to a religious topic so do some searching and make your decision. (I do the factory method.)

Assuming the wheel bearings are in good condition (highly likely) all you'd need to purchase is a tub of grease & a pair of grease seals. Plus a box of disposable gloves if you'd like.

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Eric Russell ~ Mebane, NC
1961 MGA #61, 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV6, 1984 Alfa Romeo Spider, 1991 Honda ST1100

Here's a video that explains the hub setup.

You won't know which part(s) you need to buy (maybe none) until you disassemble the hub.

Ok I'll be honest, alot of that was confusing to me. I'm pretty new to MGs but I think today I'll check the nut and see where's it's at. What should I do if it is pretty loose and the shims aren't in place anymore.

Adrian, If the shims and spacer are not in there, then the nut should NOT be tight. It should only be tight if the spacer & shims are used.

Also, before you proceed further, you need to check to see that the slack you feel rocking top to bottom is between the hub and spindle, because it could be that you are feeling loose king pins. Or, it could be both. You need two people, one to rock the wheel and one to look under the car to see what is moving.

If you rock it by holding at 3 & 9 o'clock, and feel play, that could be the bearings or it could be slack in a steering joint. Again, it takes two people to check it.

Charley

This forum is a good place to learn but it often can't replace having a knowledgeable owner/DIY'er looking over your shoulder. I suggest you contact a local MG or British car club. Offer to supply the coffee & donuts for a club "Tech Session".

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Eric Russell ~ Mebane, NC
1961 MGA #61, 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV6, 1984 Alfa Romeo Spider, 1991 Honda ST1100

This video may be helpful (at 32:00): .
David shows hub internals and how to change the bearings and use shims. I replaced myself old Timkens bearings with Koyo.

Ok so right now I have the caliper and the hub nut off what should I check

I generally skip this step but in your case clean the bearing in solvent. And inspect again for pitting.
On my cart I have two bearing packing tools and a tub of grease.
The bearing looks like there is grit on the washer and maybe some water got in. So clean it.
Let the solvent evaporate for along time. Maybe over night. You don’t want cleaning solvent messing up the new grease.
Then pack the bearing with new grease. With a tool if available. Or take a big glob of grease in your palm and take the bearing and push the edge of the bearing onto the glob. If you do this long enough the grease will start oozing out around the bearing needles. Then put light coat of grease on the bearing race and on the spindle. Install a new grease seal and reassemble. If everything goes right the hub should turn easily and you can torque to spec.
Keep in mind that when the bearing gets hot it expands so you don’t want it too tight. Use a new cotter pin each time.
And if you don’t have a dust cap get one.

Clean everything and regrease.
Look at post #3 in this thread that shows the correct way the inner seal gos on.
https://www.mgexp.com/forum/mgb-and-gt-forum.1/front-hub-oil-seal-install-question.3471563/

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Early 1974 MGB with OD, SU HIF's, 72 spoke chrome WW's, Schlemmer distributor, DuBois fuel pump, Limey's relays, Gerry's column kit.

Most auto parts stores will have the bearing sets if you find them needing replacement. I believe they are referred to set2 and set6. Buy new seals too.

https://www.showmetheparts.com/timkenmobile/

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Ben
1966 MGB Tourer
1973 MGB Tourer

What you describe is more likely a worn lower trunnion.

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Pogo is right.
—————————————————————-
The power of reasons is an illusion. The belief will not change when the reasons are defeated. The causality is reversed. People believe the reasons because they believe in the conclusion.

or you can buy Japan made Koyo bearings with races:
-LM 67048/10
-LM 11949/10