wheel bearings loose again

[v8vega215]

so im driving down the freeway at about 75 in the brat and all of a sudden the car starts wiggling side to side, i back down off the on/off switch and the wiggle goes away. today i had it up on the lift and found that my rear wheel bearings on both sides are loose for the third time in 6 months, I replaced all wheel bearings when i got the truck but they keep comming loose, i have the cotter pins installed and i torqued the nuts to the factory spec's using the factory manual. anybody know what might be wrong.

[GeneralDisorder]

The rear wheel bearings are held in by a big threaded ring on the backside of the trailing arm. It's got notches in it to turn it by - the outer part of the trailing arm has a thin metal ring that acts as a lock, by bending a portion of it into the notches in the threaded ring. This prevents it from unthreading itself, and loosening the bearing. I would start with that - make sure it is TIGHT, and also has a couple of those notches bent down to hold it in place.

 

Edit - I just saw you have a Gen 1 - so what I just said may or may not apply. If it does, great. Otherwise, you'll need assistance from a Gen 1 person..... hehe

 

GD

[subiemech85]

from doing heavy duty bearings

while spinning hub, tourque nut to 200ftlb, loosen, torque to spec

[v8vega215]

found the problem last night when the wheel fell off. The nut on the outside of the drum has a tapered washer under it that was calapsed, this caused the spindel shaft to wear and then when it finaly got thin enough it just broke. I chased the wheel through a couple of nice lawns in Lake Oswego(ritzy) they didnt like that to much. suprisingly the car never hit the ground. lucky. Tonight i get to install another spindleand brake drum, I was thinking about doing the rear disc conversion now.