Wheel bearing fits right side but not left

87GTVertDude · Jun 25, 2011

I bought new rotors, pads, inner and outer wheel bearings, and seals all at the same time from NAPA. I did spec it was for a 5.0. I have the right side together fine, everything went smooth. I was assembling the left side and when I put the other rotor on I noticed that it wasn't seating all the way. I pulled it apart and the inner bearing wouldn't slide on. I had to finesse it a bit to get it to seat. I grabbed the old bearing and had the same experience, just not as bad. I think the spindle may have worn and caused this? Does that sound right? Is it possible for wear to cause this? I want to be sure before purchasing a new spindle. Are they still available from Ford? If not, any suggestions on where to obtain one? Thanks guys.

ID89GT · Jun 26, 2011

If you are gonna swap the spindle, I would suggest using this time to go 5 lug.. if you don't want to go 5 lug I'm sure you can find another used spindle from someone who has already swapped to 5 lug for cheap

87GTVertDude · Jun 26, 2011

I just got a good deal on some 4 lug Cobra clones, so I'm not looking to swap. The tough thing about this question is that when I put in the word "spindle" in the search, pretty much all that came up was the 5 lug swap. If the bearing wears on the spindle over time, could it cause it to make the bearing not fit? In looking at the spindle, I think I feel a small lip on it, and it definitely shows signs of wear. I just don't want to replace it and find out it's something else. Thanks for the input.

87GTVertDude · Jun 27, 2011

Anybody have a little more light to shed on this subject? I don't wanna buy a new spindle and have the same problem. Thanks

Noobz347 · Jun 27, 2011

Not being there and not having pictures, I could see the potential for a couple of causes:

The spindle as you said, may be buggared

--or--

The bearing race and/or hub is out of round or not seated correctly. If the race is not aligned correctly then it can make the space between the race mounting face and the spindle too narrow in one or more spots.

You might try replacing the race and putting a micrometer to the spindle before swapping a bunch of parts.

bigvino · Jun 27, 2011

post pics!

87GTVertDude · Jun 27, 2011

There's no lip or anything, but as you can tell by looking there is definitely contact. I don't know if that's normal or not.

View attachment 185294

mob · Jun 27, 2011

Have you tried matching up both bearings to see if they are the same size and part numbers match on them? From my experience working at a parts store, when people return parts, stuff can sometimes go in the wrong box.

87GTVertDude · Jun 27, 2011

Yah, I pulled the assembly off of the right side (which fit no problem) and it wouldn't properly seat on the left side. I did check on the bearings, and the numbers are identical.

stang&2Birds · Jun 27, 2011

Take your hands and feel the different spindles. See if you feel a bur, bung, etc on the tight spindle.

FWIW: As long as the bearing fully seats all the way back, then you should be fine. The inner part of the bearing is stays stationary on the spindle while outer ring rotates along the bearings.

Otherwise, get another spindle. The local junk yards will likely have one. But, that could means ruining the ball joint cover, etc. And, you would need a new alignment.

87GTVertDude · Jun 29, 2011

I got this AWESOME new tool. It's called "patience". It's replaced my large ball peen hammer. I take small actions, and when they don't produce results I walk away. When I return, the other new tool I picked up, "tolerance", allowed me to start all over again, like I'd never faced the problem before. Oh yah, when I went to pick up the new decklid for my car, the guy I got it from was kind enough to give me his spindle (he did the 5 lug swap). After taking all of your suggestions, thank you VERY much, I found that the problem was not the spindle. Down to parts store, new wheel seal, more patience, wala! I gotta slap the wheels back on and take it for a ride. I think due to all that's happened I'll pull the wheels off after the test ride and make sure everything remained tight. I was so pleased I didn't even get upset when I scratched the hood! Life is great. Thanks everyone.

Wheel bearing fits right side but not left

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