David Brown 1290 rear wheel bearings.

[Water Wheel]

The rear wheel bearings have a bit of play in them, how do I tighten them ?

Started out to renew the brake shoes, while lifting the final drive off noticed a tiny bit of play in the final stub axle bearings, nothing that serious, can feel the movement and just see it, but I cannot remember how to tighten up the final bearing.
Am I right in thinking its not the tabbed nut inside the final drive ,but shims behind the bolt on seal housing (with the grease nipple in ) ?
And if so how to I tighten the bearing?
Thanks.

 

[John 1594]

Behind the hub you have 8 bolts, 5/8 spanner size. Undo these, and remove the thinnest shim from the pack of shims between the housing and the reduction casting. Do bolts back up, if you still have play, remove another shim

this presses outer bearing cone onto the outer bearing, and consequently the inner one as well

the big C nut inside holds the bull gear, spacer and outer bearing race on the halfshaft, for sake of whipping the rear cover off its not a hard job to check its tight

 

[Water Wheel]

That's great. Just what I wanted . Thanks.

 

[John 1594]

Just had a look in the bok, pre load for the rear wheel bearings is 5 to 7 thou. Official method is to remove all shims, replace half the bolts and nip housing up till it just removes any play, then measure gap between the housings and subtract 5 thou, then use that measurement as shimming

Field method, as i describe, remove thinnest shim first, tighten, feel, maybe remove 1 more

Keep shims in the workshop, if you ever have to fit a new rear wheel bearing(s) you will need them again

 

[Water Wheel]

Field method, as i describe, remove thinnest shim first, tighten, feel, maybe remove 1 more

Seems to have worked like a dream, no play and wheel turning freely.
Thanks

 

[John 1594]

Go easy on the grease, give them too much and it can dislodge the seal from its housing and make them leak. About 10 pumps every 100 or so hours is more than enough

 

[Exfarmer]

With the greatest of respect John, this grease nipple only lubricates the seal. I would suggest 1 pump every hundred hours is more than plenty

 

[John 1594]

With the greatest of respect John, this grease nipple only lubricates the seal. I would suggest 1 pump every hundred hours is more than plenty

If anything, the grease does more to seal the gap than the seal does from what we have seen

often get tractors develop a weep because the seal has dried, stuff it full of grease and the leak stops. In wet weather they need more grease.

Earlier tractors had a baffle between the hub and the housing, this kept most of the muck out, but was also good at trapping debris, string etc and wrapping round the shaft, hence it was deleted on later models