[DeTomaso] Axle Nut Torque

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/10/07 18:00:18, tonydigi at optonline.net writes:

<< A remaining question for me:  What was the purpose of the 450 ft-lbs in the
original bearing set up? >>

>>>I can't find the original reference, but I seem to recall that the 
original torque was 275 lbs.  Panteras started to develop "loose axle nuts", so the 
fix was to make them tighter.

What was actually happening was NOT that the nut was loosening by itself.  
Instead, the spacer between the bearings was fretting and wearing as the axle 
wore.  The spacer effectively became shorter, which reduced the preload on the 
inner faces of the two bearings, and the nut then became loose.  That's why 
it's critical that when the axles are replaced, that the face of the spacer is 
restored to a perfectly flat condition (or it's replaced with a new one).  A 
spacer that doesn't have flat surfaces touching the inside of the bearings won't 
do its job properly, which is a contributor to axle wear (or is the axle wear 
a contributor to the spacer going bad?  I don't know for sure, but know that 
if you are taking the time to take everything apart and rebuild it, you need to 
take the time to look after the spacer too).

The actual length of the spacer isn't really that important.  There is plenty 
of room in the hub carrier to support the inner bearing in a variety of 
locations (and in fact, some people fit the so-called "GTS" bearing which is 
actually a double-row bearing; this is easily accomodated by shortening the spacer 
to account for the added width of the bearing).

Mike<BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> See what's free at 
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