safedriver

iTrader: (1)

My axle was replaced 5 months ago, on my 2000 LS

I was rotating my tires last weekend and noticed that I could wiggle my drivers front wheel bearing (hands at 3 and 9 o'clock).

I undented the axle nut and determined that the nut would begin to move at 105 ft/lbs of torque.

I re-torqued it to125, then 134, and finally to 140 ft/lbs and the wiggle is gone.
The nut moved, almost 1/8th of a turn, before I redented it.

Prior to this weekend I did not have any roar or grinding sounds and the car did not drift.

Is it ok to retighten an axle nut or must I replace the wheel bearing, before it shows normal wear symptoms?

B serious

iTrader: (1)

Either the nut was left loose and that damaged the bearing...or the bearing is wearing and it left a gap, which loosened the axle nut.

Either way...safe bet is a new bearing.

fcm

Ditto the above^^^ better safe then sorry. 94

TheRealTegger

Has the bearing always been quiet, and is it quiet now? If so, you can leave it alone. A quiet bearing is generally a happy bearing.

Front wheel bearings fail slowly, and make lots of noise as they deteriorate. This means you'll have lots of time (like weeks) to react if they do start making noise on you.

Re-tightening and re-staking the axle nut is OK too. Your new stake is in a different place than the old one, which is good.

By the way, I wouldn't go back to the shop that did your axle...

safedriver

iTrader: (1)

The bearing has always been quiet.
I drove next to a 3 foot high concrete hwy divider, at 40 - 50 mph, with my window down and heard nothing, today.