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MG MGB Technical - Fron Wheel Bearings

I have a 74 MGB which I have owned since 86, every year or 2 I have repacked the from wheel bearing. I recently developed a slight shimmy felt through the steering wheel, alignment was done about 1 year ago. I was wondering if the front bearing, if properly maintained, ever need replacing and what would be the symptoms?

Bruce

Wow, Bruce, you repack your wheel bearings regularly? I don't know of another soul who does this. I'm sure it's a good idea, but I'm much too lazy. In my experience wheel bearings show their wear by growling or rumbling, not by inducing steering shimmy. The problem with the MGB front suspension is that so many points of wear could be the cause. How's the wheel balance? Jack it up and give everything a good shake trying to feel any looseness anywhere. Use a lever to show up movement between components. On my car the shimmy disappeared when I replaced a leaking shock absorber.

Mike
Mike Howlett

As Mike says the most likely symptom of a bad wheel bearing would be a growling noise, but a slightly loose bearing could give you some shimmy and not otherwise be noticed. As a cautionary tale - when I bought my B it had not long had a "professional" suspension rebuild so I kept clear of the front bearings. This year a passing comment during the MOT made me take a closer look and I found that the bearing nuts weren't even finger tight and on one side the shims were missing. So I'd covered 30k miles with loose bearings and always wondered why there sometimes a very slight shimmy. Since I properly adjusted and tightened them I've felt no shimmy. So is it possible that one or other of your nuts has loosened? Another possibility might be worn steering column bushes.
Miles Banister

This thread was discussed between 18/12/2001 and 19/12/2001

MG MGB Technical index

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