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[J.S.B.]

Hi Guys,

I've noticed the tiniest bit of noise on very hard cornering on the front n/s wheel but otherwise it is quiet. I've checked it and there is a very slight amount of play, you can't see it but you can just feel the clunk. I've taken the dust cap off and it looks clean in there and the grease is still grease coloured, no signs of contamination or overheating.

Is it worth tightening the hub nut, or re-greasing and refitting the hub, or is the only option to buy a new hub kit? Obviously I'd prefer not to spend the money if repacking or just tightening the bearing is an option.

Thanks

J

[Elite Pete]

Try and nip it up a bit but they're tight anyway, around 310nm IIRC. New hubs are available for about £35

[J.S.B.]

Thanks Pete,

Does anyone in the Colchester area have a nice big torque wrench I could borrow for 5 minutes? I can only manage 200Nm with mine clearly bigger is better 

[Andy B]

......... New hubs are available for about £35

....... but don't appear to be long lasting 

[Entwood]

My experience with the cheaper hubs was woefull .. lasted less than 6 months. Even the very expensive replacements in France - serious lack of choice as on holiday when they failed - were not good. Eventually did what I SHOULD have done at the begining ... genuine VX ... which have not caused any problems whatsoever.

Admittedly expensive ... but far cheaper than the cheap ones + the french ones + replacing them....

[fergy]

Before you do anything else, try swapping the front and back wheels and tyres. I too had very slight play in bearings after about 120k and a noise on steering around corners. After replacing both front hubs, it turned out to be tyre noise from cheap tyres!

[feeutfo]

Halfords do a 300nm torque wrench for £70 odd quid. The extra 10 or 20nm can easily be added by judging the extra increments on the dial. A tip from Taxi Al iirc.

Up to half a mill of play can sometimes be removed by over tightening the baring nut. But any more than that and it's time to replace.

Conti tech are cheap enough, but I have had issues with dialling out all the play from new. Often being no better than the old one being replaced. Not sure of its a machining tolerance problem with the inner race, or the new nut being a different material than the old one and not being as smooth on the stub axle thread causing it to stick  could re use the oe nut and see of that tightens up better? Or try another manufacturer, or as Entwood says, cut the losses and get genuine vx hub.

[feeutfo]

Before you do anything else, try swapping the front and back wheels and tyres. I too had very slight play in bearings after about 120k and a noise on steering around corners. After replacing both front hubs, it turned out to be tyre noise from cheap tyres!

Play is play of course, and can knock. But tyre noise is a good point IMO, and this can also be worse in cold weather as the compound becomes stiffer the colder it is. Sc3's do this a bit below 3c.

[J.S.B.]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the replies.

In the end I went for a bit of physics and maths and managed to get the hub nut tightened by about another 5-10 degrees. It's stopped the miniscule bit of play I could feel so I shall drive it a while and keep an eye on it and then test the corners again in a couple of days. I have to change all the bushes on the front anyway, the donuts are starting to go a bit, so I'll probably save up my pennies and do the hubs at the same time if the play is still there.

Cheers all