 
     |
| 1988 Fiero rear wheel bearing upgrade for durability (Page 2/6) |
|
Gall757
|
JAN 26, 08:59 PM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by Steven Snyder:
Racers on the Fiero Racing List documented numerous scary failures of aftermarket hubs (including higher-end brands like Timken). These failures included the hub flanges breaking off completely and the wheel assembly separating from the vehicle. The original GM parts are no longer available, and with the age of these cars, junkyard parts are pretty high up there in miles.
|
|
There are a lot more J body hubs than Fiero hubs available in yards.[This message has been edited by Gall757 (edited 01-26-2015).]
|
|
|
|
Steven Snyder
|
JAN 26, 09:13 PM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by FTF Engineering:
So this modification allows you to fit the J-body front bearings into the rear of the Fieros, right?
And the advantage that the J-body bearings have over the Fiero bearings is that the J-body bearings are still available from the OE manufacturer while the Fiero bearings are not.
Did I get that right? If so, that's pretty cool. While it lasts! |
|
Correct.
The J-body hubs flanges are thicker (stronger), the bearings have a larger diameter (more load capacity), and the donor cars are much newer so low-mileage used parts and also durable new parts (from GM) are still available at this time. You can probably go to one junkyard today and get enough hubs to last you a decade of racing.
|
|
|
|
FTF Engineering
|
JAN 26, 09:22 PM
|
|
Nice. And while it does require some machining, it's not nearly as extensive as some of the previously presented options of stuffing larger hubs into the Fiero knuckles.
Now if you could just come up with a modification of similar difficulty for the 88 fronts, you'd be a rock star. 
|
|
|
|
Steven Snyder
|
JAN 26, 09:44 PM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by FTF Engineering:
Nice. And while it does require some machining, it's not nearly as extensive as some of the previously presented options of stuffing larger hubs into the Fiero knuckles.
Now if you could just come up with a modification of similar difficulty for the 88 fronts, you'd be a rock star. |
|
I'm working on the fronts, but it's not going to be a DIY solution.
|
|
|
|
theogre
|
JAN 26, 11:38 PM
|
|
You can use same hub w/ same milling etc on older cars too. All Fiero uses same rear hub. Milling and any other issues are very likely same for 84-87.
OE Axle seal might get loose now or over time after hole is bigger... Race only cars might care but driving on street could let allot of road crap get at the back part of hub. Axle seal helps preventing salt etc attacking that area.
I wonder if can ream out the hub section on knuckle and save the small part where axle seal lives.
That could use OE seal from TFS etc...
Mill shown could likely do that easy.------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)
The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top and bottom of every forum page...)
|
|
|
|
Steven Snyder
|
JAN 27, 12:14 AM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by theogre:
You can use same hub w/ same milling etc on older cars too. All Fiero uses same rear hub. Milling and any other issues are very likely same for 84-87.
OE Axle seal might get loose now or over time after hole is bigger... Race only cars might care but driving on street could let allot of road crap get at the back part of hub. Axle seal helps preventing salt etc attacking that area.
I wonder if can ream out the hub section on knuckle and save the small part where axle seal lives.
That could use OE seal from TFS etc...
Mill shown could likely do that easy.
|
|
I test-fitted the J-body axle seal, SKF 18765. It fits the machined knuckle and the Fiero axle perfectly (I sized the bore to match the spec from SKF for pressing in the seal). I just need to select the right size spacer for between the CV axle and the hub, since the inner race has a different offset than the Fiero part.[This message has been edited by Steven Snyder (edited 01-27-2015).]
|
|
|
|
FTF Engineering
|
JAN 27, 09:42 AM
|
|
Yeah, I've mulled a few 88 front solutions, but the project has never bubbled far enough up on my priority list to actually spend real shop time on it and make chips. Someday...
BTW, what you've done to your rears isn't a "DIY solution" for most people either.
|
|
|
|
nosrac
|
JAN 27, 11:24 AM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by FTF Engineering:
Yeah, I've mulled a few 88 front solutions, but the project has never bubbled far enough up on my priority list to actually spend real shop time on it and make chips. Someday...
BTW, what you've done to your rears isn't a "DIY solution" for most people either. |
|
Yeah, please offer it as a service. I would buy if price was reasonable.
|
|
|
|
Steven Snyder
|
JAN 27, 01:35 PM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by FTF Engineering:
Yeah, I've mulled a few 88 front solutions, but the project has never bubbled far enough up on my priority list to actually spend real shop time on it and make chips. Someday...
BTW, what you've done to your rears isn't a "DIY solution" for most people either. |
|
The solution itself is a DIY mod, just not with the tools I used. My future development plans for the rear knuckle necessitate keeping a parallel bore, but that's not relevant to this mod.
The only critical dimension is the bore for the axle seal. If you leave that portion of the bore untouched you can still use the Fiero axle seal, as Ogre suggested. You can grind out the rest of the bore using a die grinder to fit the J-body bearing. You only need to remove 1.25mm of material on each side of the bore and not even over the whole bore. It doesn't take too much time with a die grinder. A dremel will work, it'll just be a little slower. Some members of the Fiero Racing List mentioned doing it this way.
You can slot the J-body bearing flange holes with a grinder or file too.
I added the notes about DIYing it to my original post above.[This message has been edited by Steven Snyder (edited 01-27-2015).]
|
|
|
|
FTF Engineering
|
JAN 27, 08:15 PM
|
|
DIY or not, I think it's a neat mod to solve a nagging problem as long as suitable replacements are still available. Cool. 
|
|
|
