Dropped nut syndrome

I have bought a reconditioned hub as I wasn't fully happy with the situation after last week.

That meant another wheel bearing kit as well of course but it certainly proved right to do as fitting the inner race needed inserting with a previous race and large hammer - rather different to last week when it just "fell in".

I was even more convinced it was the right thing to do when I took the old hub off the car and found the oil seal pushed out and the inner bearing complete with race now stuck onto the stub axle. In a few more miles it would have been like that time it failed and be welded on to the stub axle.

After swapping the brake disc over to the reconditioned hub and fitting the new wheel bearing kit it was put back on to the car. Along with adjusting the other side wheel bearing that was close of play for the front end.

To the rear now and replacement of the shock absorbers as one of them had leaked last week after I had replaced the springs! All of this went along nicely until a very unfortunate mishap.

Yes, dropped nut syndrome. I dropped the nut for the top of the nearside shock absorber and try as I might I cannot find it. Of course the old ones aren't the same size grrr!

Which means the job isn't finished and I can't test the car after all that effort.

So that's "dropped nut syndrome"

11 miles and counting

After a lay off from all things Triumph due to my daughter getting married (Michelle to Bryce) and then us going on holiday, I at last got back to working on UNJ.

A steady process on a very hot day but rewarding so far.

Removed the nearside front strut, stripped it down so that I could fit the new spring insulators and the roller bearings. Once it was refitted to the car which was easier now I am using the jack technique I moved on to replacing the wheel bearing that had broken up.

I took care to clean every bit of swarf out of the hub and then replaced the bearing and refitted the hub, brake caliper and wheel.

3 1/2 hours work and it was time to give UNJ a test run.

First thing - no "clonk" as I set off and turned the steering wheel. I am sure this is where fitting the spring insulators have paid off as the front springs are now snugly located.

Then almost immediately I realised how light the steering now was - wow, those roller bearings really make a difference.

Following completing the usual test circuit I use of local roads which are a combination of town roads, local lanes (good for suspension and ride testing) and the A59 where a decent amount of speed can be built up it seems all is well.

That's why it's 11 miles and counting!

I am a bit paranoid though so I am thinking about getting a spare hub and building it up with a new wheel bearing. I can either fit this and keep the one just repaired as a spare or keep the new one as a spare - might be useful to have on the trip to Nice.

Meanwhile, I'll check the wheel bearings again in about 100 miles and adjust as needed.

Good to be out in UNJ though with the top down in the sun.

A tale of 3 weekends

On Friday May 10th Deana and I drove down to Tintern to stay over with relatives and then next day took part in Club Triumph's "Taith O Amgyclh Cymru" which was a two day tour of Wales starting near Ross on Wye.

Here we are at the start - and that was the best of the weather!

Mind you , we kept the hood down all day despite plenty of rain and even hail just before the halfway overnight in Aberystwyth.

It's a shame the weather was so bad but we both enjoyed the event and will be back for more.

Then last weekend I was at the North Yorkshire Triumph Weekend at Runswick Bay. Again the weather wasn't great but it was by no means as bad and I was there with a number of Club Triumph friends.

In addition as a sort of stag do for Bryce (no pun intended) my brothers, Bryce, my brother in law and two other close family friends came along too and we went karting which was great - shame Bryce was on the losing team!

On the way back to the campsite tho there was definitely a dodgy moment or two with wheel vibration and the brake pedal going to the floor :-(

I got UNJ back to the campsite as we were only about 5 miles away and then checked it out next day - loose wheel bearing which I tightened up, job sorted.

Setting off home though it was clear the job was not sorted - the same symptoms re-appeared and by now I felt it was really dangerous. I pulled into a layby near Guisborough, jacked the car up and checked for play in the offside front the wheel which felt like it was about to come off!!

There was nothing for it then but to call for the car to be recovered home which turned into a 6 hour epic but anyway, at least we got home safe.

So to today when I have investigated further.

This is what I found when I took the wheel off - scoring on the inside of the wheel which is probably due to contact with the brake disc as the wheel hub assembly floated about!

Once I had the hub off I could check the bearing and found there wasn't much of the inner part of it left. See below for the gory details with bits of it all over the place.

Meanwhile, on the stub axle there were bits left there too

I'm by no means an expert but I didn't like the look of that stub axle either. I think there's some serious heat been present and part of the bearing welded on to it perhaps?
So I got out of my stock the original stut that came off the car and compared them.

The stub axles look very different so to make sure I stripped off the nearside too and that also looks like the spare off side one so I think there's a bit of work to do here.

I think I'll be refitting the original strut and as I have not been happy with the ride height I'll get new springs front and rear, new inserts for the front and of course new wheel bearings.

So the car is going nowhere for some time whilst I sort it out. It will take priority over PMW as I plan to do the  Alpine Roadtrip in UNJ.