inthe workshop manual it gives instruction for wheel bearings to be adjustedand then slackening off by a half turn i have found this leave to much lateral movement in avaxahall book using similar wheel bearings it gives different inf o on wheel bearing pe load would like inf o from others thank you regards peter shurven
Right, half a turn is too much.
Here is what the Mark V and XK120/Mark VII Manuals have to say on the subject in the Chassis Sections.
“Rotate castellated nut clockwise until there is no end float in the hub. Turn nut anti-clockwise one castellation and secure with new split pin. Recheck end float which should…”
Here the Mark V manual continues “just be perceptible by hand.”
The Mark VII/XK120 manual says “be .005” (.13 mm.)."
Without remembering any exceptions across all brands of cars, my owner-maintained amateur technique is to pull the nut tight to no end float. Then the nut is backed off either to first split pin fit point or one more flat further loosened depending on when I can just feel float. I can’t recall ever going a half turn. I can’t justify my technique by a quantitative engineering means, I can say no undue bearing wear has occurred on my watch after using my method. I can’t offer any anecdotal results on what would happen turning back a half turn since I have never tried that method, but I’m not inclined to try it.
There must definitely be perceptible movement . Remember these are fairly big diameter wheels so the movement at the rim may seem more than on some more modern cars
Too tight and they will/ can sieze , rip off you stub spindle along with the wheel . It has happened , and NO not to me.
Mk IV stub axles are quite prone to having cracks . Some times they snal . more often bend. { that;s when the owner is ‘lucky’
Someone here came up with an ingenious solution
MG wheel bearing aren’t adjustable , they have a tube between then with an exact length that gives the right amount of free play . This solution [ on an SS100] was to make similar tubes but tapered to allow for the different size of the inner and outer . Pressing between the inner part of the race on both it transmitted at least some of the load away from the leverage it had from outer to inner as the inner part of the inner bearing sits up against the vertical face of the stub axle.
I haven’t done it myself , As reward for living a good life , I was fortunate enough to find a stack of NOS stub axles at Beaulieu one year. : >)