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42 THE FORD MANUAL THE RUNNING GEAR 43
What about the
Wheels? Answer No. 88
The wheels should be jacked up periodically and tested, not only for smoothness
of running, but for side play as well. If in spinning a front wheel a sharp click
occurs now and then and the wheel is momentarily checked, it is probable that
there is a chipped or split ball in the bearing which should be removed, otherwise
it may necessitate the removal of the entire bearing. A wheel in perfect adjustment
should, after spinning, come to rest with the tire valve directly below the hub.
Undue wear of the hub bearings is usually caused by lack of lubrication and excessive
friction, due to the adjusting cone being screwed up too tight. It is a good
plan to clean the bearings frequently and keep the hub well filled with grease.
Sectional view of I-Iub showing Roller Bearings. (Cut No.
17) flow are the
Wheels removed? Answer No. 89
Front wheels: Take off hub cap, remove cotter pin and unscrew castle nut and
spindle washer. The adjustable bearing one can then be taken out and the wheel
removed. Care should be taken to see that the cones and lock nuts are replaced
on the same spindle from which they were removed, otherwise there is a liability
of stripping the threads which are left on the left spindle and right on the
opposite as you stand facing the car. Rear wheels: They should not be removed
unless absolutely necessary —in which case proceed as above, then with a wheel
puller remove the wheel from the tapered shaft to which it is locked with a
key. In replacing rear wheels be sure that nut on axle shaft is as tight as
possible and cotter pin in place. The hub caps of the rear wheels should be
removed occasion-ally and the lock nuts which hold the hub in place tightened
up. If these nuts are allowed to work loose, the resulting play on the hub
key may eventually twist 2ff the axle shaft.
How does the setting of the Front Wheels
differ from that of the Rear Wheels? Answer No. 90
It will be observed that the front wheels are "dished;" that is,
the spokes are given a slight outward flare to enable them to meet side stresses
with less rigid resistance —while the spokes of the rear wheels are straight.
The front wheels are also placed at an angle —that is to say, the distance
between the tops of the front wheels is about three inches greater than between
the bottoms. This is to give perfect steering qualities and to save wear on
the tires when turning corners. The front wheels should not, however, "toe-in" at
the front —at least not more than a quarter of an inch. Lines drawn along the
outside of the wheels when the latter are straight in a forward position should
be parallel. All wheels should always be kept in proper alignment, otherwise
steering will be difficult and tire wear greatly increased. Adjustment can
be made by turning the yoke at the left end of the spindle connecting rod,
to draw the wheels into a parallel position.
What about installing Roller Bearing Cups? Answer No. 91
Whenever it is necessary to install roller bearing cups, either in changing
over from ball bearings to roller bearings or in replacing worn cups, the work
should be done by a Dealer or Garage which has the necessary equipment for
this work. In order to avoid excessive wear of the bearings it is essential
that the cups be fitted absolutely true and this is practically impossible
without the use of special equipment.
How are the Roller Bearings installed? Answer No. 92
First, pack the hub full of clean good quality cup grease. Take the inner
cone with its rollers and pack it with grease, filling all of the space around
and between the rollers. Then place the inner cone in the larger cup. Next,
drive the dust ring with felt washer into the inner end of the hub so that
it is flush with the end of the hub.
Place the wheel carrying the inner bearings with dust ring on the spindle.
The inner cone is a one-thousandth fit, or, in other words, a slip fit on the
spindle. (See Cut No. 17.) It is never necessary to force the cone onto the
spindle as the cups are forced into the hub. Pack the outer or threaded cone
and rollers with cup grease, filling all the space between the rollers, as
was done with the inner cone. The cones are made up in right-and left-hand
threads to correspond to the threads on the spindles. Care should be taken
that a right-hand threaded cone is not forced onto a left-hand threaded spindle.
The right-hand thread is on the left-hand side of the car, while the left-hand
thread is on the right-hand side of the car. Place the cone on the spindle,
running it up tight enough so that the wheel seems to bind; give the wheel
a few turns to be sure that all the working parts are in perfect contact; then
back off the cone % to % a turn which will be sufficient to allow the wheel
to revolve freely without end play. To determine if there is end play, grasp
the spokes and shake the wheel. Do not mistake loose spindle bushings for loose
bearings. Insert a cold chisel between axle and spindle to take up any play
while testing the bearings. Next, put on the spindle washer and nut, drawing
the nut to a firm bearing. Make sure that the cone has not been forced out
of adjustment. This can be determined by giving the wheel a few turns. Insert
the cotter pin which locks the nut on the spindle, fill the hub cap with grease
and screw it in place on the hub.
How often should the Bearings be lubricated?
Every three or four months the wheels should be removed, the old grease taken
out and the hubs and bearings thoroughly cleansed with kerosene. Then repack
the hub and bearings with clean grease and readjust the bearings.
Bearing Cup
L(Outer) Front Spindle Washer –Front Spindle Nut
Front Spindle Cotter