Spicer axle wheel bearings on Valtra.

[Dave W]

6 months ago I fitted new wheel bearings on customers 2002 Valtra 6750.
spicer axle as pictured. Type CS17.
old bearings totally shot.
As far as I could see there's no pre load to set. Just assemble the new bearings and bolt the gear faceplate back on.
the new bearings lasted about 400hrs and have failed again. Stripped them down a fortnight ago and on both sides the inner bearing had started to wear badly. Outer bearing looked 99% right.
so new bearings fitted again once everything meticulously clean. This time tried it together without the big seal in to get a proper feel of the load on bearings. Dogged the faceplate up and could barely turn the hub by hand. Not right in my opinion.
took a few measurements (and consulted a couple of engineers) and decided it needed a 0.4mm shim behind the faceplate which left the hub turntable by hand.
Just checked the oil in hubs this afternoon and it's black and full of filings.
tractor does a lot of road work with loader. Tyres are wearing true and I've measured the tracking.

anyone any thoughts?

 

[ACEngineering]

The bearings like to eat in to the faces that preload them, this will distort them as often they dont wear even all the way round.

Also if you didnt use genuine bearing you might find slight variations of aftermarket ones that appear to fit but as you found are not quite right!

I have skimmed manitou carrier gears in the past both back to standard and to add extra preload and in some cases reduce preload.

sometimes you also find a shim on the outer bearings! this is almost always drawn on the parts lists of manitous but rarely fitted from new!

if you ordered a shim from the book thinking it should be in there then its likely it didnt actually have it from factory!

It is of cause not a manitou but the set up will be much the same i would say. Oil does go black after 1000hrs anyway and will get a bit of a silver shimmer to it often, i like to change them every 500hr service imo.

 

[Dave W]

The bearings like to eat in to the faces that preload them, this will distort them as often they dont wear even all the way round.

Also if you didnt use genuine bearing you might find slight variations of aftermarket ones that appear to fit but as you found are not quite right!

I have skimmed manitou carrier gears in the past both back to standard and to add extra preload and in some cases reduce preload.

sometimes you also find a shim on the outer bearings! this is almost always drawn on the parts lists of manitous but rarely fitted from new!

if you ordered a shim from the book thinking it should be in there then its likely it didnt actually have it from factory!

It is of cause not a manitou but the set up will be much the same i would say. Oil does go black after 1000hrs anyway and will get a bit of a silver shimmer to it often, i like to change them every 500hr service imo.

So should there be some preload or not?
After max 20 hours on new bearings there is a mushroom of filings on the magnetic plug

 

[ACEngineering]

So should there be some preload or not?
After max 20 hours on new bearings there is a mushroom of filings on the magnetic plug

The preload is already machined in to it. Like you say its not adjustable with out remachining or adding shims.

But it isn't right if you cant turn hub nicely with out seal.
In dana manual you should find a preload force. Says to put a spring balance on wheel stud and record force to turn it. BUT what isn't clear is if that's with a oil seal fitted pr with out?
I never measured one imo but I do assemble dry with out oil seal as you did and feel it by hand then adjust if required.

 

[Dave W]

The preload is already machined in to it. Like you say its not adjustable with out remachining or adding shims.

But it isn't right if you cant turn hub nicely with out seal.
In dana manual you should find a preload force. Says to put a spring balance on wheel stud and record force to turn it. BUT what isn't clear is if that's with a oil seal fitted pr with out?
I never measured one imo but I do assemble dry with out oil seal as you did and feel it by hand then adjust if required.

There's a theory the non genuine bearing may have a different radius so it's not sitting right up to the shoulder of the stub. only a clutching at straws it once happened to someone years ago theory.
Guess the next step is to fit genuine Valtra bearings. It's too expensive a job to just keep swapping them and hoping for best.

 

[ACEngineering]

There's a theory the non genuine bearing may have a different radius so it's not sitting right up to the shoulder of the stub. only a clutching at straws it once happened to someone years ago theory.
Guess the next step is to fit genuine Valtra bearings. It's too expensive a job to just keep swapping them and hoping for best.

Or genuine Dana.

If you got a part number I can probably get them. May even be same as manitou ones!