Rear Wheel Bearings

[psdenno]

My '71 Z is currently in the shop having the rear wheel bearings replaced.  I found some good advice in various threads on this site and gave my mechanic a copy of the FSM section on replacing the rear bearings.  I also gave him an illustrated parts breakdown sheet showing all parts and order of assembly,

Now for the problem.  The bearings need to have shims and the old shims are not filling the space.  He's checked the usual sources, dealer, MSA, and no one has shims.  It was suggested he try a junk yard.

Anyone have experience or suggestions with rear wheel bearing shims?

Dennis

[Zed Head]

The Rear Axle chapter gives the dimensions that need to be matched for the hub and the spacer.  John Coffey has suggested that a piece of metal pipe could be machined and used in place of the factory spacer.  If that's where the shimming needs to happen.  The "Distance Piece".

[zKars]

I would be very curious why the mech. thinks it needs shims. Ask him to explain how the measurements were made. There are no shims in the stock factory configuration, just a choice of three different "Distance Pieces" stampled A, B and C. I've personnally never seen anything other than 'B"'s.  

If shims are needed, you either find a different strut housing or make shims. Or have a new piece of pipe made to make a distanct piece that is the right length as mentioned above. This is basic machine shop stuff. Shim stock is nearly free.

Another thought, for 240 stubs, you will often find a copper "shim" on top of the inner bearing between the inner axle flange and the bearing.This is not a spacer, it is (I've heard it here!) a noise reducing trick. It has nothing to do with positioning the bearings in the races.

[Zed Head]

Forgot to say, if you mean the bronze noise reducing washer, Nissan got rid of that later.  It's described in the Technical Bulletins section of the How To Restore book.  All you really need to do is match the dimensions.  Ideally, they should be verified anyway.  Who knows who's been in there?

[CanTechZ]

Anyone else notice the error in the FSM for the Mark "A" Distance piece, could potentially be a very tight fit between the bearings.

[Zed Head]

I missed that.  It does kind of hit you in the face though when you see it.  In GDT terms it's kind of an odd spec.  With both parts on the low end. the piece is .030 mm smaller, but on the high end it's .070 mm smaller.  It's also possible for the piece to be bigger than the hub dimension.  But it looks like Nissan wanted it smaller.  Besides that, how big is .030 mm?  30 microns isn't much.

Didn't realize my post overlapped zKars.  I don't really know where that noise-reducer sits.  Just remember reading about it.