bearings going out - for the 5th time.

Hey all,
So a few months ago I changed my front wheel bearings, both inner and outer. The driver's side hasn't had a problem since, but the passenger side is making me want to drench the car in gasoline (if it wasn't so expensive) and set it on fire.
The bearings actually only went out once, but only because I keep stopping and then replacing them. I've tried everything - I've done it like the book says, like John Twist says, got a new spindle, tried different shims, different brands of grease and bearings - still to no avail.

So - the only thing that hasn't changed is the hub. Is there any way that the hub could somehow be damaged and causing all this? My alignment is a little off, but I don't think that would affect it at all... or is there something else I could be doing wrong?
Sorry for the length!
Thanks,
Dominic

Screw the shims. Try this: <http://www.theautoist.com/spacers&shims.htm>

Well, I've replaced my front bearings... twice. The second time was because I realised I did a DPO move the first time. I didn't know that the races could be replaced, so when I did it the first time, I left the old races in. Lucky for me the races were in fine shape (Original Timkien bearings! Good stuff!). But the job needed to be done again to be done right (just to remove the DPO stigma!). Did you replace the races with the bearings?

How are your bearings failing? Seized, burned, pitted, etc.? What's the grease look like when you pull them apart? Any pictures of the bearings, hubs, and spindles? That'd be really helpful.

Aside from that, my wild guess is either too much, or too little torque on the hub nut. Or else contamination of the grease with dirt or something else. Or else somehow you've distorted or damaged the bearings/races when you hammered them into the hub. Or maybe the race sits loose in the hub.

To really provide anything useful, we'd need to know the failure mode of the bearings. And pictures, if you've got them.

Thanks John! The shims will be gone next time!

David, I'll get some pics up soon. When I take the bearings out, they don't look to be damaged. I do replace the races each time (didn't the first time either, though).
Basically, they just make a horrible and very loud noise when driving. It'll make the noise until I slow down to about 45 or so, then go away until I speed up again. It freaks me out every time because it's the same noise as when the bearings went completely out.
Also, it seems to be the outer bearings that go out. Last time they looked a little burned.
The grease seems to be okay, though.

Thanks,
Dominic

I wonder if this is caused by too much toe in. Maybe this time have the alignment taken care of after this set of new bearings is installed.
DW

I have the same problem, did not know what the shims where for, so i put them back in with the new bearings. And shure enough two weeks later " skweek, skweek, skweek " i decided then to simply turn up the radio real loud and ignore it.
But i think this spring i will take the advice above and dump the shims.
Glad i read this thread.

Thanks

Nick

Check and feel your front tires. Run your hands around them, feel and look for roughness or cupping int the tread area. If it's that you'll devinately feel or see roughness or cupping. Don't worry about the tires if they check out to be smooth feeling.

Dominic, this link shows how to repack wheel bearings by getting a handful of grease in the palm of one hand and wiping the grease as you push the bearing into the grease. The objective is to get grease packed around the rollers and under the cage.
http://jalopnik.com/cars/and-you-will-know-us-by-the-trail-of-parts/replace-wheel-bearings-259695.php
I have been repacking wheel bearings more years than I care to remember and like John I've never seen any vehicle use shims other than BMC cars. Many cars that are two times as heavy as the MGB use the same wheel bearings without shims, one example is the Jensen Interceptor.

Whatever method is used the bearings must be correctly packed and adjusted to prevent failure. Always replace the race when a bearing is replaced. Not doing that is about like using old lifters with a new cam.

Clifton

Are you using a dial indicator to set the play in the bearings? If you stick with the factory shimming system that is the way to go to get the clearances right. Otherwise, you could use John's technique. I don't use it, but a lot of people do.

I would think if the hubs were worn it would be fairly obvious.

Are you packing the bearings like Clifton stated, or are you just applying grease around the outside? They need to be packed or they WILL wear out quick.

Clifton, I have been applying the grease like you said. I just replaced the bearings again, and less than a mile down the road they started squealing again. I don't know what to do at this point, but I need to take a break before I beat the poor B to death with a wrench.
The tires look fine as well.

John, does that mean leave the big spacer in the middle out as well? I took out the shims but left the spacer in.

Thanks,
Dominic

" To be in step with the rest of the world leave the spacer and shims out."
The spacer needs to come out as well. How are the brakes?
DW

There was a post here lasat week about driving with a missing grease seal collar (the ring that goes on the spindle first when putting things back together). Do you have them installed? It doesn't sound like that's your problem, but would be good to check.

Is there obvious damage when you take the old ones apart? Seems like if they're squeeling after only a mile something is very wrong. Are the races getting seated against the stops?

Are you sure it's the bearings making the noise?

I've only had one wheel bearing go out in my lifetime and that was on a fwd Toyota. It would make a whirring noise not a squeel. The noise would get louder if I was going around a right hand curve.

Good Luck - Paul

Like David said. Leave the spacer out too. If you study the picture in that article closely and give it a lot of thought you can see why the spacer and shims aren't needed. Even OTR truck or heavy equipment using the same type bearings have no shims, spacers, or anything between the bearings. My MGB was the first vehicle I ever worked on that had them.

Like stated, I wonder if the grease is getting out and you are running them dry. If the seal or grease collar is missing/damaged, the grease will definitely get out. I replaced mine on one side a few months ago and the grease was mostly gone because of a worn seal.

Are you SURE your brakes are completely releasing? After running a while, if you jack the car up do the wheels still turn freely?

I would start with a new grease seal and repacking the bearings. If the outer is going first, the grease seal would seem probably since it would be the first bearings starved for grease. Is the inside of the rim really dirty and oily? Also, even after you back the bearing, I like the stuff as much grease in the hub as I can fit and put the cap back on. The grease cap has a little hole, so all the extra grease will come out of it. I just tighten the bearings all the way tight, give it a little rocking on the hub, then back off and line it up with a cotter pin hole. Not scientific, but it works. Make sure you don't have any play and the hub spins freely. Also, what kind of grease are you using? You need to use a grease designed for wheel bearings, although that shouldn't make much of a difference in such a short amount of time. The grease seals are available from O'Reilly's for 3 dollars (I went with the cheapies since they should be changed any time the hub is removed. http://www.oreillyauto.com/EW3/DisplayTheParts.do?categoryIndex=1&didSearchFor=Wheel+Seal&vehicle=1971MGMGB4-1800%201.8L&bid=1207105029448&cycleCount=1686
Also, if you are really desperate, you may try switching hubs to see if the problem stays with the hub or stays with the side.

Hurst