Front Wheel Bearing. Size of Socket Please

[C J R]

Hi,
I have a little play in my front wheel bearings. Car is an FD3, 1992.
 
Can anyone advise the size of socket I need for the locking nut.
 
I ground out an old Britool open ended spanner tonight to fit, but it was starting to damage the nut so a socket will be needed.
 
I am assuming the bearings are the roller taper kind that can be adjusted !!
 
Any advice you can offer will be appreciated.
 
Thanks
Chris

[David Nock (RIP)]

I\'m amazed that there\'s any real resistance to any open ended spanner on the wheel bearing nuts.
I can only speak for the 1st generation here, but the wheel nuts on that are onto taper roller bearings and any spanner will turn them dead easy. Have you taken the split pins out of the stub axle shaft?

[C J R]

Hi David,
Yes I was suprised also. The nuts are not the castle type held with a split pin, they are a conventional hexagon head type with a washer cast into the side which touches the bearing.
 
The nut has a thiner edge at the open end facing you which is punched into a key way on the stub shaft, so in theory, you prise the punched part of the nut out of the stub shaft keyway and rotate the nut.
 
The spanner I ground to suit has not approx 34mm flats, which could equate to a 34mm socket, but I need to be sure before buying one.
 
Thanks
Chris

[David Nock (RIP)]

Ahh, clear now, thanks Chris. I\'ve never seen an FD front hub but the forum thread didn\'t have any replies, so I put my 2p worth in to try and help.

[C J R]

Hi,
Just to close this thread and offer a conclusion.
 
I tried a 34mm socket on the wheel nut, did not fit, could not locate (in the time allowed) a 35mm socket, so I purchased a 36mm socket which was a little too big, but thankfully the torque required to adjust the wheel bearing was not too excessive, so the socket did its job.
 
Chris