Had to write about my experience with rear hubs. I had hub bearings go
bad on my 75 TR6 (CF39808U) and decided I could tackle the repair myself,
notwithstanding the fact that I had no garage and only normal hand tools.
I got the hub and axle out, removed the u-joints, and spent a lot of
time and effort trying to pull the flange off with a standard three-arm
puller. Futile, of course. I took it to a local machine shop where they
put it their bazillion ton press. The guy was looking a little scared at
the amount of pressure he was having to put on the thing, but it finally
came apart and it was like an explosion!
Anyway, it was apart and I proceeded to use my TRF bearing kit to put
things back together. Where do you get a wrench for that big, flat nut
on the back of the hub? I borrowed a wrench called a "Ford wrench" from
a heavy equip maintenance shop here in town. It was big and thin and had
a stubby handle you could put a pipe on. Just the right amount of torque
and preload, and I had it made. I felt like a shade tree mechanic hero!
A couple of hundred miles later, I was zipping down the Interstate at
about 70 MPH and exited to go to a sandwich shop. I pulled into the
parking lot and - CRUNCH - the back wheel fell off. I was vvverrryy
grateful that it waited until I had stopped! Turned out I apparently
didn't get enough torque on the outer nut on the stub axle. The flange
had hammered on the nut unitl it broke the threaded end off of the stub
axle.
Undaunted, I got another bearing kit and a junk hub assembly and tried
again. Needless to say, I paid special attention to the torque on the
outer nut this time. A couple of hundred miles later, I pulled to a stop
in another parking lot, and - CRUNCHOLA - the wheel falls off again.
Broke the end off another stub axle!
At this point, I decided my guardian angel was screaming at me - "DON'T
TRY FIXING ANY MORE TR6 REAR HUBS, STUPID!!!!" I have since bought
rebuilt hubs from the Roadster Factory and haven't lost any more wheels.
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