Victor Tikhonov wrote: > I've tried to inspect and pack with fresh grease front > bearings, but could not undo the nuts!! They are so tight > that with 4 feet lever I cant unscrew them!
> Working on other cars I know you have to tight these nuts by > hand to take up any slack in the bearing and then some, but > no more. Based on giant torque I applied, the construction is > different. No way you'd need to torque bearing like that. > Appears like the nut just holds the assembly but the bearing > adjusted by something else. Probably the other cars you worked on were not front-wheel drive. On all front wheel drive cars I've worked on, the nut you are referring to on the front "spindles" is really torquing the stub axle of the outer CV joint to the brake rotor/hub. This is why it is so tight. The CV joint and axle are 'floating', so this nut does not have anything to do with the wheel bearing preload; the wheel bearings are between the hub and the control arm/etc. that secures it to the vehicle. On rear wheel drive cars, the nut in the center of the front rotors does set the wheel bearing preload as it screws onto the non-rotating spindle that the brake rotor and wheel bearings ride on. Cheers, Roger.
