Hello Im in the middle of my bogye pin bearing replacement. (I can do a write u on it if people desire) myvquestion is what people are doing for tighten the axle nuts on the rear bogyes. The book says 25-30 ft pounds. Some people I hear just do that, other I hear torque to spec then back off a hair. Others says they torque to spec and back off then hand tighten. So just seeing what is working for others. I know there can be a difference in options Im just seeing what can work. thanks
Rear bogie spindle nut
- Thread starter BWOODS360
- Start date
Regarding people leaving it at the torque spec, that should never be done to the wheels bearings. That's way too tight. There may be some "bogie nut" confusion here. Just to clear things up...
Spindle nut for wheel bearings: tighten 25-30 ft-lbs, back off one half turn, then hand tighten until cotter pin can be inserted.
Lock nut for bogie pin: tighten until top hat bottoms out, removing slop between arm and thrust washers and bracket. Then back off, then tighten to spec and leave it. I think the spec is around 30 ft-lbs.
OK thanks, Bogie not bogye, ok got it on the spindle nut and I was going to ask about the bogie pin and you covered that so thanks again......While I'm thinking of it if anybody is looking for replacing their flexible brake lines, I have a DOT approved place in northern Illinois that made mine. https://www.lakecountyhose.com/ at the time of this writing the quote was $180 for rubber and $250 for Teflon steel. This was for all four.
After removing, cleaning and regreasing bearings (and of coarse checking for bearings that are worn) when assembling it is best to tighten the axle nut to 25 ft lbs as mentioned. BUT, you MUST be spinning the hub while you tighten the nut. If you don't, you run the risk of denting the races where the roller bearings contact the race surface, creating dented surface that the rollers have to run against. Now as you can imagine, the bearings will then wear out very quickly putting you on the side of the road. After tightening to 25 ft lbs, loosen, spin the wheel and retighten finger tight and look for the nearest hole to assemble the cotter pin. Do not tighten to the nearest. That is to tight. Back off the nut. to the nearest hole. Better to have a little loose than tight. Just the way I was taught and the way I've always done it.
On the bogie pins, I'm betting they made the torque spec for new-ish parts. The assumption is that tightening the nut has the ability to move the top-hat bushing, thereby clamping it down onto the control arm. However, those top hats are notorius for seizing up in the bracket. If your thrust washers have a few thousands of wear, you want to adjust the top-hat to take up that slack.
For me, it made the most sense to just completely remove the top-hat from the bracket. I then cleaned it up with a wire wheel and greased it. That made adjusting it very easy, and I have confidence that my torquing sequence was able to accomplish the desired effect. I don't know if you've busted your top-hat bushings loose yet, but it might be worth the extra effort.
For me, it made the most sense to just completely remove the top-hat from the bracket. I then cleaned it up with a wire wheel and greased it. That made adjusting it very easy, and I have confidence that my torquing sequence was able to accomplish the desired effect. I don't know if you've busted your top-hat bushings loose yet, but it might be worth the extra effort.
Here is a link to a diagram of the rear wheel spindle with nut tightening instructions.
PLUS... note that the seal must be left slightly proud of the hub to prevent the seal from hitting the inner bearing.
www.gmcmotorhome.org
PLUS... note that the seal must be left slightly proud of the hub to prevent the seal from hitting the inner bearing.
Rear hub seal & retaining nut proceedures
Diagram of the rear hub showing how the seal must be installed slightly proud of the hub. The housing of the new seals is deeper and curves slightly inwards such that they could rub on the inner bearing race. Also proper procedure for...
www.gmcmotorhome.org
Do they have the GMC motorhome hoses on file, or you send them your originals and they copy them?
I'm going thru the front brakes, just replacing front hoses and thinking I really need to replace those rear hoses.
I just had to cough up $163 for rubber hoses for the rear. Ouch.
I did see those, but add in shipping, the fact I can't check out as a guest, and how fast I knew Applied would satisfy my order, I ended up going with applied. I may try Golby down the road sometime when I have more time.
In my shopping cart right now
And a pinewood derby kit I made the mistake of perusing the Applied website looking for other things I 'need' , that can get expensive! Gotta keep my wife away from there
Just for posterity….
As Larry described, the point of tightening to 30 ft-lbs is to ensure that the bearings and races are seated square. Turning them while tightening ensures squareness—more than just avoiding denying the races.
At that tightness, the bearings would quickly overheat and seize. The Maintenance Manual instructs one to loosen the nut after seating to allow an end play of 0.001” to 0.005”. Eric Tanner demonstrated how to do that with a cheapie dial indicator on a magnet mount just this last weekend. We placed the magnet holder on the face of the hub and indicated the tip of the spindle while pushing the hub flange back and forth.
That amount of play isn’t easy to “feel”. “Finger-tight” is probably a reasonable approximation. But Chinese dial indicators on magnet mounts are pretty cheap these days, and plenty adequate for this purpose.
Rick “with a whole drawer full of indicators” Denney
As Larry described, the point of tightening to 30 ft-lbs is to ensure that the bearings and races are seated square. Turning them while tightening ensures squareness—more than just avoiding denying the races.
At that tightness, the bearings would quickly overheat and seize. The Maintenance Manual instructs one to loosen the nut after seating to allow an end play of 0.001” to 0.005”. Eric Tanner demonstrated how to do that with a cheapie dial indicator on a magnet mount just this last weekend. We placed the magnet holder on the face of the hub and indicated the tip of the spindle while pushing the hub flange back and forth.
That amount of play isn’t easy to “feel”. “Finger-tight” is probably a reasonable approximation. But Chinese dial indicators on magnet mounts are pretty cheap these days, and plenty adequate for this purpose.
Rick “with a whole drawer full of indicators” Denney
Could you reference where this is located? The section I was in just said 30 ft-lbs, back half a turn, then forward with fingers until you can line up the cotter pin. I'd prefer the dial indicator spec as it's less vague, but I definitely didn't see that in my GMC manual.
Heh. I was afraid someone would call me on that. I’m trusting Eric Tanner for that one. I’ll dig around, but probably not until later.
The MM might have had to accommodate dealership mechanics unwilling or unable to use a dial indicator for a routine bearing repack.
Rick “who has always used the finger-tight method before now” Denney
The MM might have had to accommodate dealership mechanics unwilling or unable to use a dial indicator for a routine bearing repack.
Rick “who has always used the finger-tight method before now” Denney
Wow 30 ft-lb seems like a lot. I always do a lot less, just to get all the lash out of the bearings. Then without wiggling or turning the hub, back the nut off until it's loose, then turn it in by fingers until it just touches and you can't turn it with fingers, then back off to the first place you can get a cotter key in. That will give you the least amount of lash in the bearing without actually putting force on the bearing with the nut. All the force will come from the load it carries.
That 0.001 to 0.005 rear hub clearance is in a PDF I posted in resources. Here is a link to the resource. Press the Download button to get the PDF.
www.gmcmotorhome.org
Rear hub seal & retaining nut proceedures
Diagram of the rear hub showing how the seal must be installed slightly proud of the hub. The housing of the new seals is deeper and curves slightly inwards such that they could rub on the inner bearing race. Also proper procedure for...
www.gmcmotorhome.org
Last edited:
The 30ft. lbs. on the wheel bearings is to be certain that the races are completely seated and in numerous GM bulletins it is to be done while rotating the wheel. Yes, I know the service manual does not state this, and for some strange reason I don't remember ever having seen it in a service manual on other makes/models.
Concerning the nut on the Bogie pins: Our entire housing had to be replaced, along with pins, etc., because someone backed off the nuts at one time. This allowed the swing arm to bang back and forth which finally mushroomed the the steel around the pin on the inside (next to where it mounts on the frame).
I know it is not in the manual, but for me, backing off the bogie pin nuts and re-torquing is now annual maintenance. There is no need for lash in the Bogie because it is surrounded by brass thrust washers.
I know it is not in the manual, but for me, backing off the bogie pin nuts and re-torquing is now annual maintenance. There is no need for lash in the Bogie because it is surrounded by brass thrust washers.
