Rear hub nut tightening

[Bob Culver]

Regular checking, esp initially is prudent The fit is important but that is a topic in itself.

[John Mims]

Many thanks to everybody for their helpful responses. 

Now I feel reassured.

[John Mims]

All done and no stripped thread. Being of a nervous disposition, I went for the Camco Solutions torque setting that Gary Edwards mentioned above, and will check after a few miles as Bob recommends.

Interestingly, there was quite a thick washer under the nut, and there is on the hub on the other side as well. No nuts are shown in Woodrow. Presumably these washers mean the hub has travelled too far up the taper to still be within range of the split pin hole, and it has nearly gone too far again on the side I've just tightened.

[Terrytuned]

John if the shaft pulls too far through the hub it will bind on the inner side of the diff housing needing a new or better hub to fix the problem. Terry.

[Bob Culver]

As another contributor recently commented, it is very convenient to leave out the split pin, or redrill just outside the castellations. Can be regularly checked without drama. If too tight dismantling can be a problem, making a welded on flange or somesuch necessary.

[John Mims]

John if the shaft pulls too far through the hub it will bind on the inner side of the diff housing needing a new or better hub to fix the  problem.  Terry.

 
Thanks, Terry. How would I know if the halfshaft has pulled through too far? There is no stiffness when turning the hub, nor graunching noises coming from the diff, so would that indicate that it is OK?

As another contributor recently commented, it is very convenient to leave out the split pin, or redrill just outside the castellations. Can be regularly checked without drama. If too tight dismantling can be a problem, making a welded on flange or somesuch necessary.

Thanks, Bob.

[dickie65]

If the half shaft pulls through to far you will have a limited slip diff effect till wear takes place and the diff fills up with metal swarf.
You need to jack both wheels off the ground and make sure the wheels will spin in opposite directions without binding.
Put the car in gear to stop the prop shaft from turning.
Drain the diff oil and check with a magnet for metal particles.
The old bodge repair was to machine the spur gear on the half shaft to re gain the correct clearance.
You can now buy new halfshafts and hubs which should give another 80 years service life.

[John Mims]

Thanks for the advice. I'll follow the procedure you describe to check if everything is OK

[Alan]

For the joint to work properly, the drive has to be through the taper, not the key. So, the hub and shaft need to fit together properly. If you push the hub onto the shaft, you should need a puller to get it off again. If not, you need to lap the parts together until they do fit. I know this will get howls of protest from BC, but trust me, I’m right. Then you need to make sure the hub isn’t riding up on the woodruff key. Fit the parts together with no key and count how many flats the nut turns to be finger tight. Take it apart and when you assemble with the key in position you should get the same number of flats. At the same time check that the nut is bedding on the hub and not the shoulder below the thread in the half shaft. The gear fouling inside the casing has already been mentioned. If you do all of this , 120ftlbs is perfectly ok on the spanner and you won’t be wrecking halfshafts.

[Steve Jones]

Agree 100%, Alan, and have re-fitted the hubs to my trials car in exactly this way this afternoon just as I always do.

Steve