Main gear axle torque

[CharlieWaffles]

For the axle nut on the MAIN gear, how tight should this be? The plans just say tighten until the sideplay is gone and wheel rotates freely. Is this hand tight? Wrenched as hard as possible but wheel still moves?

 

[Phil]

It's all done by feel and not by torque value.

Once the greased bearings are installed, slip when wheel onto the axle.

Rotate the wheel with one hand while tightening the nut. Keep rotating and tightening until you can feel the wheel drag. Once you feel the drag, go ahead and tighten the nut around another 1/2 turn.

That whole exercise seats the bearings.

Then loosen the nut again so there is no drag on the wheel. Then go through the same exercise of spinning and tightening until you feel drag on the wheel. That's where you stop and see what you're working with. If there is still play laterally on the axle, then you need to tighten them up more. If there is no play, then you're done.

It's all a game of touch and feel. You want all the play gone on the wheel, but you want the drag on the wheel to be a minimal as possible.

Phil

 

[CharlieWaffles]

Perfect, think I got it figured out then.

 

[NickAir]

Tightening axle nuts.

When tightening, rotate tire and tighten axle nut at the same time to seat bearings and back off nut slightly, then repeat until tire rotation meets some resistance. Secure axle nut at tire rotation resistance. To check, attempt to wiggle tire while jacked up. If no slop then you are good to secure. Done just like a trailer tire wheel bearing setup. Ask some one to show you. After seeing it the first time it will be understood as it is very simple.

 

[CharlieWaffles]

Got both wheels done and it wasn't that difficult with these pointers. I drilled for the cotter pin and verified it worked, but didnt bend the pin as I still need to balance my wheels. I can only imagine how much fun it is to insert these pins in the field.

 

[Phil]

It's a joy.

IIRC, the plans have you drill 1/8" holes for the pins. I never could get them through, so I drilled to #30 and it was much easier.

Also, consider grinding the tip of your pin down to a point so it will feed through the hole. I had to order several replacement pins because I couldn't get both wheels done cleanly with the two Van's supplied.

But with a #30 and a ground point, you're going to stand a much better chance than I did.

Phil

 

[BobTurner]

Order some spare cotter pins; you never want to go thru the pain of trying to insert a once-bent pin back through these holes.