L2ILL

Please post the correct axle nut torque for front wheels.
I was replacing the driver side hub/bearings recently and discovered the axles threads had been stripped....I was trying to torque it down to 139 lbs but it would not even take 100 lbs...before just spinning out. When I backed the bold out...sure enough the threads had been stripped.

I pretty sure it was like this before I tried to tighten. Is it possible the axle nut being too loose would cause this bearing to fail within 2 years? (20K miles).

Either way I have another hub this time...and a whole other bearing.
And now im forced to buy a new axle also.

So im wanting to confirm 130-140 lbs is the correct range for my year.

Fitz Williams

iTrader: (1)

The shop manual for a 94 calls for 181 lb. ft. I believe it should be the same for 90-97 ? This is for the FRONT axle nut.

92 civic ex 4dr

You are correct. 181 ft lbs is the proper torque for the front axle shafts.

OP to answer your question. Yes under torqueing will cause you're wheel bearings/hub to prematurely wear and go bad.


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L2ILL

Yes this is for the front....and I would think the 94 specs would be the same...altho this is the trapped rotor kind of setup and I don't know if they abandoned that by 94.

Thanks for your replies...181 seems like a lot..but hey if that's what the books says.



Yes this may have def been undertorqued the last time this bearing was replaced....the air pistol choked on the nut right after it passes the stripped area and one would think OK if the air gun stopped thats good enough for sure....except this time around...I knew the gun was set to it's weakest setting(1-6 masterblaster gun) and this time I had a torque wrench waiting to do it right...as soon as I hit it with the torque wrench the nut went loose.
So I know the last time I did this I did NOT have a torque wrench....and used a different gun not as strong as this one that has no settings...so for sure the likely story is I tightend it down with that one and left it at this point....which is basically a turn or two away from going loose due to the stripped threads.
This may be why this 1st replacement bearing has gone bad.

92 civic ex 4dr

Yeah. If its under torqued your hub/bearing will separate/loosen causing, like I said, premature wear. The half shaft and nut is what HOLDS the hub and bearing together and keeps them from separating. Trust me been there fucked that up.


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TouringAccord

nope, not until 98, all 90-97 Accord had the hub-over-rotor setup.

hondamark35

more specifically, the bearing is designed to have negative clearance in the axial direction when the hub is installed and the axle torqued to spec. if not torqued to spec the clearance will be positive allowing the ***** to rattle, vibrate and shift side to side. this can cause flaking of the race, fretting and more and more noise and vibration until catastrophic failure.

bearings are fun!

L2ILL

well my quest for a real valid reason as to why this bearing failed so quickly is finally found. on this new bearing i noticed it had some play almost as if it represented it needed to be crushed a little so your explanation fits the separation that can be observed in the center of the damm bearing. with proper torque it sandwiches it all correctly...both to little or too much will kill the bearing.

U guys think I should tighten down the other one? (pass side)...which luckily has absolutely no play. I feel like leaving it well enough alone since it is far far from suffering this ones symptoms....but then again I wouldn't want it to develop it 2 yrs from now......truth be told Im comparing them to how long the stocker OEMs lasted which is 20 yrs. You think I should bring the pass side to proper specs or maybe a little more or less to make up for how long it's been out of specs?

Definitely the left side axle stripped on my watch the last time I changed it..although I dont remember perfectly...I got the feeling of dejavu this time and I really had not applied a lot of pressure......and if I hit the bad axle with the lowest setting on this gun it will tighten up and max out that setting which would leave it tight..but nowhere near 181 lbs....but if I stripped it and saw it overpower my other gun.(2yrs ago)..I would have wanted to leave it well enough alone since I knew I stripped part of the threads and was just happy it got as tight as it does.... then i just forgot I went thru that...and wondered why the f that bearing went bad again. Im really a chevy guy and the mechanics can be a lil different.

There is a chance though that the previous owner had the axles swapped...and whoever installed it stripped the threads on this side and left it alone same as I did later once it got tight....which would explain the OEM first set going bad on just this same side......while the OEM pass side was fine and ended up getting swapped becuz I replaced them both in pairs. If not for this axle or its prev.installer...the oem bearings prolly would have gone another 20 yrs.

hondamark35

i don't like leaving things like this to chance. i would torque the other side. if it strips like the other one, it was already damaged/insufficiently clamped anyway. it can only improve the condition overall if it doesn't strip.

and as reasurance, i've never had one strip that wasn't previously cross threaded or damaged in some way. i've torqued cheap axles over and over on many vehicles without damage.

L2ILL

went around to the other side and checked on it...it had the 181lbs...possibly more...I didnt mess with it after the torque wrench clicked.

Drivers side is now with new axle...different hub...another new bearing....all torqued to 181lbs....i strongly suspect it's been undertorqued becuase someone stripped the axle threads likely before me.....possibly during an axle swap which is what ruined the oem bearing...i probably didnt have to replace the oem hub on it this time around....but I did anyway...a takeoff from another honda.

Lets see if this all stays put now. Time will tell.
Thanks all.