[Vwdiesel] Rear Wheel Bearing Tension

[Gavrik Peterson]

The current 'Golf eating rear wheel bearings' discussions has inspired
me to ask some questions which have been on my mind for years.

The Robert Bentley manual covers the procedure for adjusting the rear
wheel bearings.  They state:

(3) Install the thrust washer and the nut. Tighten the nut until the
bearings just contact their outer races.

(4) Adjust the position of the nut until you can just move the thrust
washer sideways with the tip of a screwdriver as shown in Fig 8-5.

Figure 8-5 shows a hand holding a screwdriver with the index finger
extended and pressing on the shank out near the blade.  It appears
that the trust washer is being moved without the screwdriver being
levered against the break drum.

When adjusting the rear bearings, I always get the impression that if
I am able to move the thrust washer in this way, that the bearings are
too loose.  For this reason I have always tightened the bearing
somewhat more, so that leverage was required to move the thrust washer
with a screwdriver.

What is the proper way to do this??


Gavrik Peterson