Pulling a Hub

[Joe Camper]

I spent the day Wensday in Elkhart having an Issue resolved on a bus at a IMO very competent service center.

While there a guy rolls in in a 5th wheel who had his hubs pulled bearings checked packed and replaced the day before.

The LR hub was installed wrong he had another receipt for emergency service latter that day.......yada yada not good. They got him in did the right thing turned out OK.

Point being some stuff I have learned to do when I pull any hub.

After I remove the hub cap or axle before I go any further I index everything. I count the exposed threads on the spindle and mark the outer nut before loosing it. After I pull the lock washer I do not move the inner nut until I count the exposed threads to it as well.

Before I will loosten the inner nut and after I have noted the exposed threads on the spindle I will turn it in, bottom it out and note the results. This is important and there is no better way to check. IMHO it should be 1/8 turn by hand to tight if it is correct. Prevo show .001 to .005 and again IMO that's real close to 1/8 turn on that inner nut off of tight by hand.  It is a big  part of my decision on weather it is correct it needs to be a bit tighter or looser.

Usually they are good or very close that is what I usually encounter so if you check it all before you pull things apart you will be confident you got it right going back together. You simply count the exposed threads of the spindle.

When reassembling sometimes the inner bearing gets cocked on the spindle just before its seat and when you think you have run the inner nut tight it really is not. If you can count the threads you know its right.

When reassembling and after I have first cranked down the inner nut as tight as I can with a major breaker bar. At that point I will give the entire assembly a good wack with a sledge and drift to be sure that inner bearing is seated. Then I back it off just enough to let the nut loose and If correct I can re tighten that inner nut by hand to where it needs to be

The outer nut that needs tight but the inner if coming apart you can not turn it by hand it is too tight..but again usually they are very close if anything most are usually JUST SLIGHTLY LOOSE but not much. That inner nut often will be closter to 1/4 of a turn than an 1/8

Hope this helps. I know when you are someone who does not remove a hub very often its nice to know you got it right.

Count the exposed threads on the spindle before loosening either nuts and mark it all that's the ticket.

P.S. on a floating hub ALWAYS fill the small cavity at the bottom inside the hub with oil before installing the outer bearing