Rear hub nut

[gammakeith]

This car seems determined to keep me occupied     I thought I'd treat it to some nice new driveshaft boots as the leak was getting worse from the box.  It was a nice straightforward job until I noticed the drivers side rubber block thing was loose on its splines.  Turned out the hub nut was loose.  That probably accounts for the "knock" I could feel coming off the throttle sometimes.  Hopefully the splines have survived OK.

The nut was nice and shiny and un-staked so seems its had some new rear wheel bearings recently and probably not torqued up correctly.  However, consulting the manual indicates that there is a crush spacer in there somewhere and there is no simple torque figure. Rather, you are supposed to tighten until you get a specific turning drag on the hub.  Has anyone who has done this job got any advice on how critical this all is or should I just do it up "tight" and stake?

Thanks,

Keith

[michaelodonnell500]

It's just as you said.
Tighten it until the hub drags, then back it off a fraction.
It's just like servicing cup and cone bearings of a bike if you've every done that.
Stake it well!
I've had the wheel come off because I didn't stake it well.

[gammakeith]

Thanks for the confirmation.  I've done a fair few cup and cone bearings so no worries for me there.

I had not considered that the only thing holding the rear hub on the car is, of course, that nut.  Perhaps as well I checked as I don't think the missus would have been too impressed to see that wheel bouncing off down the road without her 

Keith

[rick]

It's just as you said.
Tighten it until the hub drags, then back it off a fraction.
It's just like servicing cup and cone bearings of a bike if you've every done that.
Stake it well!
I've had the wheel come off because I didn't stake it well.

Sorry to disagree with you, but you do NOT back off on the hub nut once you have reached the 1lb pull to start it rotating. The system contains a CRUSH spacer NOT a spring, any backing off and you immediately lose the pre-load which the spacer is supposed to exert on the bearings.

Ref. Haynes 126 manual chapter 7
      

[michaelodonnell500]

Sorry to disagree with you, but you do NOT back off on the hub nut once you have reached the 1lb pull to start it rotating. The system contains a CRUSH spacer NOT a spring, any backing off and you immediately lose the pre-load which the spacer is supposed to exert on the bearings.

Ref. Haynes 126 manual chapter 7
      

If the crush washer is new that would be correct.
I don't think I have ever fitted a new crush washer although I have changed a few bearing sets.