Replacing Rear Wheel Bearings or CV upgrade.... Must read!!!!

[Corzette]

I have found the answer about doing the flange CV swap and that nasty rear flange bolt removal...please read:

Replacing Your Rear Wheel Bearings

Replacing rear wheel bearings on your '70-'78 Z car is something
you may have not yet undertaken, as it is not part of normal
maintenance and usually only needed on very high mileage Z cars.
Although some backyard mechanics may seem intimidated by the this
project, there's no reason that you can't accomplish it with some
guidance.

First, securely support the rear of the car and remove the rear
wheels. Now you don't have to remove the rear struts off the car.
Although arm room is limited and having the car on a lift will
help, I have accomplished this just with jackstands. This saves you
some time and you don't have to re-bleed the brakes. However, if
you're a first-timer, you are probably better off removing the rear
strut, as it gives you more access space.

Remove each strut by unbolting the rear halfshafts, the brake line,
the parking brake cable and the inner lower transverse link mount
from the car. There is no need to remove the transverse link arm
from the strut, as this can be more difficult than changing rear
bearings!

After removing the strut, you will see a large 27mm nut on the back
side of the stub axle. This nut has a "staked" or "peened" top,
which means it's top lip has been bent over on two flat surfaces on
the stub axle threads. This technique securely locks the nut in
place, preventing it from loosening, but it makes removal somewhat
difficult.

To remove the peened stub axle nut, first chisel all the way around
the top of the nut, not only just where it is flattened. Try to
bend the entire top lip of the nut away from the shaft. Do not try
to remove the nut until you have done this! This prevents any
damage to the stub axle shaft threads as the nut is unscrewed. In
addition, the peening greatly increases the amount of torque needed
to loosen the nut. Don't worry about damaging the nut, you'll
replace it anyway.

You can also us a high speed cutting wheel (even a Dremel) to cut
away the top of the nut--just go slowly and be careful not to cut
the stub axle threads where the nut has been peened over.

Now, the easiest method to loosen the nut is to use an air impact
wrench. However, if you don't happen to own one, then you will have
to resort to a 1/2 inch drive breaker bar (usually along with a
"cheater bar") and some arm muscle as the nut is tightened down
with some 200 foot-pounds of torque!

To keep the wheel/tire from rotating as you loosen/tighten the stub
axle nut: Go down to your local scrap iron yard and get a 1" by 1"
rectangular (hollow) metal bar about five feet long. Should cost
you about $5. Drill two holes in one end and bolt it to two of the
four holes in the flange that surrounds the stub axle nut. Leave
room for your 27mm socket.

If the nut is stubborn you can use a torch to heat up the nut. This
expands the nut a little and makes it easier to get the nut loose.

After the nut is [finally!] removed the stub axle can be removed
from the strut housing. The stub axle is pressed into place so it
must be driven out. There are two methods: "pushing" or "pulling".
Pulling requires using a hub puller that is bolted to the flange
where the wheel is mounted using lug nuts. A hub puller looks like
a large dent puller with a sliding weight and can be rented from a
tool rental place. You then use the sliding weight to pound the
stub axle out. It takes a lot of effort, but it is the safer method
as it will not damage the stub axle threads.

Pushing is easier, because you don't need to have access to a hub
puller. Using a large brass hammer the stub axle is hammered out
from the backside of the strut. Extreme care must be used so as to
not damage the threads of the stub axle! After removing the inner
splined flange piece, reverse the 27mm nut and re-thread it back on
the first several threads to protect the shaft and use a piece of
wood or hard plastic between the hammer and the top of the shaft.
Several strong blows will force the stub axle out of the strut.

Once the stub axle is has been removed from the strut, examine the
splines. Wear here is not unusual and this can cause a "clunking"
noise during gear shifts.

One of the rear axle bearings (there are two per side), the outer
one, will come out with the stub axle. To remove this bearing
requires what is called a "clamshaft puller". Again, you can rent
one, but I recommend taking the stub axle (along with a new
bearing) down to your local automotive machine shop and have them
remove the old bearing and put the new one on.

There is a hollow tubular "spacer" piece which can then be removed
and then the inner bearing can be removed with a brass drift and
hammer, after the seal has been pried out.

The bearings cost around $15 to $20 each. Aftermarket ones are OK.
You will need a new seal as well.

Installation is the reverse sequence. Tap in the new inner bearing
and then a new oil seal. Lube the lip of the oil seal with wheel
bearing grease and force some grease into the new bearings. Re-pack
the inner portion show by an asterisk in the below figure with
grease. Don't forget about the spacer piece. Install the stub axle
and tap into place.

During re-assembly, I like to use the '82-'83 280ZX stub axle nut
(Nissan part number 43262-W1200). This is a true "lock nut" type,
so you do not have to flatten or "stake" it's sides. This will make
(dare I say it!) future disassembly easier.

When retorquing the new 27mm nut, apply some anti-seize compound to
the threads to prevent galling, and torque to the recommended value
(which involves monitoring the force required to spin the axle,
measured at the wheel stud). The torque required is somewhere
between 180 and 240 ft-lbs. However, most people just re-torque to
200 ft-lbs. For this, use a regular Craftsman torque wrench (good
to 250 ft-lbs).

[JMortensen]

One thing not mentioned on that site. If you want to push the stub axles out, get an air hammer with the pointy tip. Stick the tip right into the divot on the inside of the axle, and lean into it. Hit the air hammer, and the vibrations drive it right out. Less chance of damaging threads too.

 

Jon

[Corzette]

JM, good info....my compressor tank from Lowes will be coming soon! I cant wait to get the air tools...

 

CZ

[Synlubes]

Be careful not to over touque the nut.

My Nissan manual says 94 to 123 foot lbs on the rear axle bearing lock nut.

My recomendation is,

Tighten/torque nut to 100lbs then take a hammer and tap on both the outer stub flange and the inner flange LIGHTLY (to seat everything), then retorque the nut.

Then steak the nut on both flats.

If you find any shims inside , I put them back in.

[Corzette]

Wow! Thats a huge variation. I might have to call NISSAN and verify before proceeding. Anyone else want to verify???? Terry you out there?

 

CZ

[Dp351zcar]

My father in law brought a lead hammer out to drive the stubs out with. It worked great to drive them out but the hammer did not look very happy after it as it did not look like it did before doing it. Threads came out looking great.

 

Don

[Synlubes]

Others please ring in. . .

I was a tech for 13 years specializing in Datsun/Nissan.

I never had any problems with these specs.

As I said before Don`t Over Torque the Nut !

The torque spec previous is from a Nissan Factory manual.

 

If you can roll the car around before doing the final torque, I would do it.

It all just helps seat everything in.

[Guest 240hybrid]

My 75 280z FSM says that the recommended torque setting for the rear axle bearing lock nut is a very healthy 181-239 ft lbs. The haynes agrees with a recommended 180-240 ft lbs. on the rear hub bearing locknut. I believe I put about 160-170 ft lbs. on mine when doing the LSD swap, no problems yet.

 

Chase

[datzun240]

I was wondering if the wheel bearings vary from year to year. B/c when i saw in this thread, whoever wrote it, said the wheel bearings were 15-20 dollars and when i ask @ the parts store for wheel bearings for my 72 240z, the cheapest they can find is 40 for the outer and 25 for the inner, which is a pretty significant variation in price. Even online, prices aren't much better, maybe 2-3 dollars difference. I only ask if they are the same b/c if you look up wheel bearings for an 80s 280zx, they are 20 dollars cheaper, just wondering if anyone knew of a way to tell if they were interchangeable. hope to hear from someone.

 

david

[JMortensen]

They are just freakin expensive. All the S30s from 70-78 take the same bearings and seals. You can verify that at the Timken website. http://www.timken.com/industries/automotive/autoaftermarket/timkencatalog/PartCatalog.aspx Just use the pull down menu and you can compare the 240, 260 and 280Z. Beware though, they do show 75-78 280Z, ZX. The part numbers are correct though, RW116, RW117, and seal number 224270.

 

Also, when I was replacing mine the quality of the bearings came into question, and it was stated that Timken or NSK bearings were the way to go. I had already ordered mine, they came in a Federal/Mogul box and I was about to send them back, but when I opened the box they were NSK bearings inside.

[datzun240]

Yea I just checked a few parts houses, and its all the same deal. And i did some research myself and had them cross reference part numbers and you're right. So only the years stated above are the same, the other part numbers are different. Just thought i might check to see if they were the same, if so it would save everyone a lot of money if they could be purchased under a different year and model. But no such luck.

[blueovalz]

In summary, this is good. The cost and the torque on the axle nut differences are the two things I think we could all agree on (I spent easily $100 for the last set of bearings, and I torqued it to 180 lb/ft of torque.

 

Some sets have a copper washer between the bearing's inner race and the companion flange, and some do not. The copper washer has not been shown, in past threads, to be a significant part from what I've seen. Lastly, if you do foul up the threads on the axle, a 20mm X 1.5 die will allow a new nut to start correctly.

[Michael]

Refreshing messed-up threads with a die can be problematic. I tried this on a particularly bad example (did not grind off the stakes on the retaining nut; unscrewed it with brute force, consequently destroying all threads at the stake location and further outboard), but could not get the die to cut into the same helix as the remaining, good threads. The "solution" was to first grid off the half dozen or so of the most outboard threads, then resume rethreading with the die.

 

I ended up installing the 280ZX-style nuts, torqued to 240 ft-lbs. Car hasn't hit the road yet, so durability has not been verified.

[zcarnut]

According to Nissan, the torque of the rear bearing nut depends on whether or not you have the copper washer. If you use the copper washer the torque is 95 to 125 ft-lbs. If you do not have (or choose not to use) the copper washer, the torque is 180 to 240 ft-lbs.

 

This topic has been discussed before:

 

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?p=546309#post546309

 

 

 

P.S.

 

BTW, I am the author of the “Replacing Your Rear Wheel Bearings” article which can be found at my Z car club web site:

 

http://www.automedic.org/smzcc/tech_tips.htm

[ezzzzzzz]

When sourcing bearings and seals look at the local industrial parks or power transmission parts suppliers. You'll typically get good bearings at a lesser cost. I never by my bearings at the auto parts stores unless it just isn't available otherwise.

[Dayz]

Ezzzzzzzzzzzz is right, just call your bearing shop !!! You pay around 1/4 of the price. Just keep your bearing so you have the number, same thing with the seal.

 

Remember, they make the part to fit around the bearing, they don't make the bearing to fit around the part.

[Dayz]

Just finish taking everything out...

 

1- I had to drill both side of the nut so I can hammer it out. They were stuck like $%^&. I will re-tread them, i havent damaged them to much.

 

2- My Hydraulic press save me a lot of time. 2 hours for both struts out and back in. Not bad

[DaleMX]

I had to use a hydraulic press to remove the Stub axles too, my air hammer just shook the snot out of it and me, but would not budge the shafts. Brass hammer didn't work either. The hydraulic press just pushed it out with no problem.

[srgunz]

FYI. I purchased the Timken bearings for mine and they are not made by Timken. The paper inside the box said something like ; Made overseas to Timken's specifications. Which means they just repackage someone else's bearings and are not really made to Timken specifications.

[regina]

"My Nissan manual says 94 to 123 foot lbs on the rear axle bearing lock nut."

 

You should scan the pages related to this change and post on here.