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Front Wheel Bearing Spacer


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These are basically a sleeve that is compressed between the two front wheel bearings, not really compressed but when the bearings are correctly adjusted the sleeve sits up hard between the two bearings supporting them and reducing flex. There are adjustable ones around? It's for my race Z31 project but any info on one that suits a S30 would be a help.

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We have the same situation on 1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen Camaro's. Fortunately there are some aftermarket companies making spacers for these. As you mention, they help stiffen the spindle. Effective with big sticky race tires, but the S30 spindle is just as Large as the 3 rd Gen Camaro spindles.  And the Camaro's are a much heavier car. I think you're in the Custom fabrication situation. 

 

Not sure if you really need it on an S30.  Z31 is a heavier beasty though...

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I don't expect to feel a difference. I can say that if you spin the wheel without the caliper mounted it just goes and goes, which is part of the idea. The other part was to try and use both bearings when turning. I figure I'll reduce drag and maybe just get a little longer life out of the bearings. There was a thread on another forum where Jack Hidley (guy I used to autox with and an engineer for Maximum Motorsports - they make some of the best road racing Mustang parts) was saying that he had a pretty strong preference for steel hubs over AL because the expansion properties of the steel hubs keeps the bearing loads more constant. So next time I'll go steel hubs and keep the spacers.

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Thanks muchly blokes, I'll order a pair of those Legend spacers, if they don't fit the Z31 exactly it looks like they could be machined to fit. The S30 rally cars used to use something similar but individually machined to fit. 

 

On wheel bearing lubrication I'll be looking for something light like the Slick 50 grease that has previously been used successfully. I suspect that a light grease can keep the bearings cooler, using conventional heavy grease can result in the bearing faces over heating.

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Thanks muchly blokes, I'll order a pair of those Legend spacers, if they don't fit the Z31 exactly it looks like they could be machined to fit. The S30 rally cars used to use something similar but individually machined to fit. 

 

On wheel bearing lubrication I'll be looking for something light like the Slick 50 grease that has previously been used successfully. I suspect that a light grease can keep the bearings cooler, using conventional heavy grease can result in the bearing faces over heating.

 

For wheel grease use a Top Line Synthetic. Amsoil, Mobile 1, Pennzoil Synthetic, Motul... are all good. I've raced big Pony cars where we've seen 1,000 F rotor temps and believe me, Synthetics are the only thing that will stand up to the heat produced by Track Days. Don't worry about the thickness. It has little " bearing " on the friction. ( Pun intended ). You don't want a thin grease because it is meant to stay in place... inside the cages. 

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Not to sure about those threaded spacers. What we used on our heavy Pony cars, and what I have seen Circle Track racers use, is a Custom made spacer that fits Tight and precisely over the spindle. The main purpose is to reduced flexing of the spindle. Bearing adjustment is done with very thin shims.

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Dan, that is the one. Legends spacer. 

 

Thanks muchly blokes, I'll order a pair of those Legend spacers, if they don't fit the Z31 exactly it looks like they could be machined to fit. The S30 rally cars used to use something similar but individually machined to fit. 

I just looked it up and the 300ZX has the same bearings as the 240Z in the front, so the real difference, if there is one, is going to be the length of the spacer. I suppose there might be a difference too if the taper on the spindle was incompatible with the legends spacer. I would guess they're damn close, as people can run 300ZX hubs on 240Z, as we saw with the old Modern Motorsports 5 lug conversion kit for the front.

The threads are super fine so you can adjust to just exactly the size you need. I thought I had a thread where I gave the actual length that I adjusted to, but in looking wasn't able to find it. Anyway if you adjust it like it says in the instructions, should be good to go. 

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Have ordered a pair of those Legend spacers, my understanding of their function is that they act as a bridge between the two bearings and so reduce axle flex between the two and help maintain inter bearing alignment. Being adjustable eliminates the need for individual fitting by machining or shims. Whatever, they are a good idea and can only help.

 

For one of my unavoidable engineering comments, I noticed that BMW use a tubular instead of a tapered solid stub axle which has to be a inherently stiffer arrangement. For once German engineering > Japanese engineering :)

 

For anyone using Z31 hubs, mine is a '87 turbo which are different from earlier models, the bearings are different too. 

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Jon,

 

Are these the part number that you ordered?

 

http://store.drpperformance.com/bearing-spacer-legends-front-adjustable-steel/

Yep I have them on my S30.  I kept wearing out the hubs as the outter race wallows out and last year actually the spindle itself was work down to the point the inner race was wobbly.  I'm hoping these spacers improve that.  The other thing that drives me crazy with tapered roller bearings is there will always be slop where you can slightly rock the wheel back and forth unless you really preload them which is not good.  These spacers allow you to make them tight without preloading the bearing.  As you play with them you will notice they are VERY sensitive - like rotating them a mm or two on the outer diameter makes a huge difference when you are down the the final setting.

Edited by heavy85
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heavy85, there is another way to look at the treatment of tapered roller bearings ie in the diff they are preloaded so that is an acceptable practice, providing the lubrication is is up to it. Which is why I mentioned lubrication a few posts back. On the S30 I found that by using Slick 50 grease the front wheel bearings could be slightly preloaded, the factory prescribed adjustment procedure is just too loose for racing. That was 10+ years ago, as Chickenman mentioned there are some excellent synthetic greases around now, Slick 50 grease seems to be no longer available anyway. Never had any problems with the slight preload procedure, the adjustment held which indicates no wear plus the front end felt tighter.

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If you really want to push the boat out on wheel bearing grease you could try some Kluber Isoflex Topas NB 152

 

This was recommended to me by the UK Kluber technical department as it has a slightly higher temperature rating that the NB 52 sold by DRP

 

Its not cheap though but I found a place that would sell me one 400g tube

 

I'll report back on it when I get my ass in gear and replace my front wheel bearings, fit the bearing spacers and low drag seals

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