Rear Wheel Bearings - 1993 T&C Van

Greetings;
What is the proper pre-load for rear wheel bearings on a 1993 T&V Van?
Should there be any play after it is assembled?
One book I read said tighten to 14 ft-lb, then back off and set the
spindle nut finger tight. Apply castle cap and cotter pin.

Why do you think Chrysler decided to use taper roller bearings for
the rear on 1993 (Gen 2, I think) vans, when the rest of the world
seems to have gone to sealed hub assembles?

Regards.
Gary --- Atlanta

 

I have a 94 GC with rear wheel assemblies pretty much the same as
yours. Before I purchased the van I had it inspected. One thing noted
was that the rear bearings needed to be re-packed.

I am by no means a mechanical genius, but even I can re-pack bearings!
And with all the important work that needed to be done by a qualified
and properly equiped mechanic, there was no way I was going to pay one
to do something that simple.

I have owned many vehicles over the years, and most of them used the
kind of tapered bearing we both have in our vans. My bet is that these
are used beacuse 1) they are inexpensive, 2) they are realiable, 3)
they are common, and 4) while they require servicing, the service
interval is extremely long, and service is exceedingly simple.

I have NEVER liked "sealed" assemblies of any kind! I had an old Nova
years ago. The stearing components needed to be greased and had
nipples on them. Well, I made sure that the proper items were greased
every time I did an oil change, which I did at 5000 mile intervals.
You know what? Other than "normal" wear for what was then a 22 year
old car, I NEVER had a problem with them! Assemblies that are sealed
and have "lifetime" lubrication are putting the definition of
"lifetime" length of service squarely in the hands of the
manufacturer. And based on my experience, many OEM parts seem to be
designed to last just past the warranty period, and not much longer!


With the tapered bearings, you can inspect and service the assembly
easily. If there is a problem with a bearing, it can be easily
replaced BEFORE there is damage to the race or the spindle, and taped
bearings are very inexpensive, and available just about anywhere. That
is a combination that it pretty tough to beat. This presupposes, of
course, that the owner of the vehicle is not a cheap or inept bonehead
who refuses to maintain his or her vehicle.

As to the proper pre-load, I can't say. All I did was pull the things
apart, clean, dry, and inspect. I re-packed the bearings, put them
back into the assembly, and installed new deluxe seals. I then put the
hubs back on, and tightened them down until "snug". I them backed them
off, and tightened finger tight. I then loosened to the nearest point
where the nut would align with the pin. I did play with the wheel
reinstalled to make sure it felt right - that is, enough play to
rotate freely, but no lateral (back and forth) slack. I also drove it
like this for a week, and then pulled the wheels to double check that
the adjustment was still "good".

Been driving it for years now, no problems as all.

hth

 

--

SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org

 

--

SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org

 

I always just tightened them while spinning the hub till there was noticable
drag then backing off enough to put in the cotter pin on our 92 dynasty. I
agree that repacking bearings is extremely simple and for me it was fun.