Worn spindle fix? Tell me what you think.

[Krieger914]

I have a front strut from an 86 Carrera. It has a wear mark on the spindle at the 6 O'Clock position where the outer bearing sits. The bearing did not spin though. The main symptom is that no matter how tight the outer nut is it still sounds like the wheel bearings are loose when the car is on the ground. I bought a feeler gauge set. I found if I curve the .003 blade to the shape of the round spindle I could put wheel bearing back on by hand. It is a snug fit. I believe it is a steel blade. I would just need to trim it and reassemble. What do you guys think?

[80-911SC]

?? are you asking if you should cut down the feeler gauge and then jam it in there ??

If so .. my opinion would be no ...

[Krieger914]

Yes, that's what I'm thinking. The feeler gauge is under the bearing race in the photo. Why not?

[Rich Gas]

Bearing and race are compromised, probably. Costs less than $200 bucks for four bearings, rear seals, and grease. Your idea is ridiculous.

[80-911SC]

Originally Posted by Rich Gas

Bearing and race are compromised, probably. Costs less than $200 bucks for four bearings, rear seals, and grease. Your idea is ridiculous.

Nice to see I am not the only one that did not think that was a good idea ...

We are not taking about your window switch being a hair loose in the door card ...

You are taking about a part that holds one of your four wheels together ....

[Krieger914]

These are new bearing/races. Compromised because inserting the feeler gauge makes the spindle not round? How does that compare to the "flat spot" that my spindle already has?

[Rich Gas]

I guess you won't know until you try it... Give it a shot. That's why they make duct tape and baling wire. Good luck. Pay close attention to wobbling and then lockup. Doubt if the tire will actually come off the spindle.

[VFR750]

The problem with the shim is one bearing is not concentric with the other. Plus you risk the shim coming out and abruptly failing the bearing.

I used an idea previously posted here, to copper brush-plate the axel. Took about 4 hours to build up about .001"-.002" of plate. But it solved the loose inner race fit. So far it is working, with about 1500 miles on it.

One could argue the copper is too soft, but so far it is holding up. Nickel plate might be better.

[Krieger914]

I saw that post, by Burgemeister I think. When you say not concentric with other I think you are referring to inner bearing vs outer. If I am placing that shim where I am missing material wouldn't it hold that outer bearing in the correct plane vs now where it is not?

[175K911]

So you're going to trust your life to a cheap 5 cent piece of metal? If the bearing fails at speed, you could lose the front wheel and crash your car. Long shot? Maybe, but a feeler gauge is a non-heat treated piece of extremely low grade metal. Not designed to take the load of 1/4 of a car, nor the heat of the brakes and bearings. I'm always in favor of finding creative ways to fix things but this is not a place to compromise or experiment.

[80-911SC]

Originally Posted by Krieger914

These are new bearing/races. Compromised because inserting the feeler gauge makes the spindle not round? How does that compare to the "flat spot" that my spindle already has?

in your first post you say has a wear mark on the spindle ....

If the parts are new what brand are they ... I am thinking the general opinion here is that none of use want to be in front or behind you ..

[Jcslocum]

The simple answer is no, you should not do this. Change the spindle to get the proper clearance and geometry.

You say the bearing sounds loose. When it is adjusted properly and the tire and wheel mounted, what does it feel like?? Is it loose? Can you rock it when grabbing the tire at 6 and 12?

What grease is that on the bearing?

The fit of the bearing is not tight on the spindle so the .003 or .0015 per side might be just the normal space.