At the recent track day tech inspection the tech was a little worried about one of my front wheel bearings. He felt that since there was a very small, but noticable, movement when you push in and out on the top of the tire that I should be thinking about changing them. A few weeks before I had retorqued them per the FSM so I don't think I can "adjust" them to deal with this. The car has over 200k miles.

My question is if changing the bearings is likely to tighten things up, or if the wear might be in the races or shaft? I know it can't be diagnosed without taking it apart, I'm just looking for what others have found on older Z's.

From what I understand the bearing isn't bad until it starts to make noise. Now I'm sure that a bearing will be bad and not make any noise but what I'm saying is, when it starts making noise then you KNOW it's bad.

My guess would be that you need to re-adjust the castelation (sp?) nut, again. I would think that the nut was too loose allowing the play in your wheel. Sometimes after an adjustment the wheelbearings will "settle". I know some mechanics will adjust the nut by feel. They will torque it down then loosten by 1/4 turn, then spin the wheel and do the final adjustment by feel.

Ed, part of me thinks just like you suggested and wants to just tighten it a bit more.

But the other part of me worries that if the bearing is really the problem, it may lead to the bearing disintegrating, or seizing, or worse (if that's possible) and more than likely that will happen as I hit 90 mph on the back stretch...

I guess I'm wondering if others have found that changing just the bearings solved this this, or if the hub and/or spindle are likely to be bad as well.

When in this much doubt change the $20 worth of parts out!

$20 is too cheep to risk that kind of a problem! If the old bearings and races check out, you can alway keep them for the next time-if the $20 is that important.

If this was a more expensive, or difficult, thing to change I could see asking for opinions. but this is $20 and about an hour! Change them out and be done!

Will

Will, I thought about what you said before I posted the question. However, there is a lot of experience in this group, and I'd rather do the job once, not twice. If it turns out that the hub needs to be replaced along with the bearing most of the time, then maybe I'll do it all at one time. That was the type of feedback I was looking for.

No matter what you decide here , do not change bearings and use old races. If you are worried about the old bearings , pull them and wash all the grease from the bearings and races and look at them . If you see any lines or dull spots on the races then replace them , do the seals too. I adjust the bearings on my cars just like Ed said. tighten them , not real tight but about a 1/2 turn past where the final adjustment will end up . spin the wheel and then back the nut off to the point that there is just no loosness when you feel the weel for loosness. Take a close look at the suspention parts for play. Be sure to use wheel bearing grease for disk brake applications.

If it turns out that the hub needs to be replaced along with the bearing most of the time, then maybe I'll do it all at one time.

In 99.9% of cases you do not need to replace the hub. You simply drive the races out of the hub, drive new ones in, and replace the bearings and grease seals. (Of course you also grease the heck out of everything too.)

My thought in my advice was, any way you look at it, unless you just tighten it and go on, you have to dissassemble the hub. If I had the kind of doubts you have expressed, I wouldn't be confident in that fix! If you open it up and the bearings are gone, they have to be replaced. If you open them up and everythingis fine, you still had to get to that point!

For $20 and an hour is it really worth all of that supposition? I opened mine up and found what I thought were nice low wear bearings, juist to be thorough, I cleaned everything spotless. There were a few very small scores on the race, but everything else looked pretty well polished! My first thought was to pack it and put it all back together, but then I thought, really check the bearings. I did. and on one one roller I found a flat spot! out of all of those rollers, everything looked nice and polished-except for that flat spot. I would have missed it, and had to revisit the area. perhapse after galling!

I made the desicion to at least inspect, and more probably replace all of them at that point. Granted, I am already upgrading the brakes all the way around.

No offence intended, just pointing out that when "the other part of me worries that if the bearing is really the problem, it may lead to the bearing disintegrating, or seizing, or worse (if that's possible) and more than likely that will happen as I hit 90 mph on the back stretch..." I would much rather be safe, than sorry...$20 and an hour for piece of mind at 90mph is a purchase I would not even have to think about. Any time alleviating a consergn costs less that the fuel I will be burning, it is like breathing or wearing eye protection. I follow the Nike advice. I just do it.

Will

Is there any trick to driving the races back into the hub, besides the usual "go slowly"? Anyone find a good source for a drift to use?

Harbor Freight! Brass Drift set,$4 on sale, $8 every day not on sale. I have had a machine shop usae a bearing driver on a press, but I am not sure i would feel confident doing that blind with no experience.

Will

Sounds like the doubt has already been put in your mind. Do like Will suggested and replace that stuff. Piece of mind will give you 95 mph on that back stretch.

Is there any trick to driving the races back into the hub, besides the usual "go slowly"? Anyone find a good source for a drift to use?

Local hardware store, though Harbor Freight has a better price if they have a store near you. Shipping cost kills the price difference though.

Be sure you get a BRASS drift and not a steel one.