Mark Kikta Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 After taking the acorn nuts off all around my wheel hub, I was able to slide the axle out of the axle housing. Then I bent the tabs down that were holding this big nut on the housing so I could take the wheel off. It did not slide off as it should have at all. I ended up using a puller to get the wheel off. I am wondering about getting it back on but I’ll worry about that later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 After taking the wheel off, I noticed how clean the backing plate was and also looked like the brake linings looked brand new. There is almost no wear on the linings. The drain hole under the axle was very clean too. As far as the wheel goes, it looks like there is a large cone that must be a slinger for grease and oil. It looks like there is a seal of some sort also. My questions are : How do I get that cone device off so I can get the bearing out? I must say, that is a serious wheel bearing in that wheel. Then I assume I will need to press that bearing out. I don’t have a press so I wonder if anyone has taken it out with a hammer and socket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMicheletti Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 It looks similar to my E-45 (1918). This last year I had to replace one of my bearings. It is a monster. I knocked it out with a hammer and punch with no issues. Just cruddy. That is an expensive, but very common bearing. I got mine on E Bay for about $30.. You'll kiss goodby to near $300 froma bearing supplier. Check that first. Depending on make, the bearing number will end with 310. (Fafnir, SKF, New Departure & others #53310). At least for the '18. My seal was riveted in. I made up a new seal carrier and used a modern seal. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 Do you have any pictures Don? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian_Heil Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 The bearing is a snug slip fit to the wheel inner hub Once you have the wheel assembly off the axle housing nose, the big bearing will tap out of the inner hub. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 I just ordered these on line: VXB 5310-2RS Double Row Angular Contact Sealed Bearing 50X110X44.4 Our Price: $47.77 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibarlaw Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 Mark: Yours looks a lot better than mine on my 1925 Standard when I first opened it up to take care of a leak. Then found that all the outside linings had been installed with split rivets! The E-brake lining was shot so I had to scrub all with gasoline and redo all the linings. Plus new felt seals. I learned a new skill on riveting the linings. No one would do the job for me locally. A local True Value has a riveting machine which had not been used for years but let me use it. They were not interested in selling it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 Larry, Where did you get your new seals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMicheletti Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 I have a few photos, what do you need, or are you OK. That is a great price for that bearing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 I was thinking you might have a photo of the seal you put together. Also how do you get that oil slinger off without bending it all up?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMicheletti Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 I made this modification many years ago and I have only this one poor photo.. It was riveted together and I used screws to reassemble it. I made an adaptor to carry a modern seal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 5, 2020 Author Share Posted February 5, 2020 Don, Looks like you took the cone shaped oil slinger off. Am I seeing that correctly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMicheletti Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 The slinger is there. Looking straight at it, it isnt obvious. Kind of bent at about 7:00 position. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 6, 2020 Author Share Posted February 6, 2020 I received my bearings already today and yes they are monsters! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMicheletti Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 The nice thing about a sealed bearing like that is you dont ever have to grease it. If you look for the bearing applications, there seems to be hundreds. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian_Heil Posted February 7, 2020 Share Posted February 7, 2020 Buick Engineers used a standard common bearing that is still widely used today. Thank goodness. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian_Heil Posted February 7, 2020 Share Posted February 7, 2020 For others reading this in the future. That big thin nut that holds the bearing and wheel assembly to the axle housing nose is a left hand thread on the left side of car and right hand on the other. The star eared washer with a keyway tang in good shape is a must. Lose that nut and the whole wheel assembly and axle shaft walk right out of the axle housing like a bad cartoon. No need to loosen the nut under the hub cap. Remove the six acorn nuts and the outer hub and axle shaft come out as an assembly. Its a heavy greasy 4 foot long affair. Be ready. I've also found running the rear axle lube about 1/2 inch below the fill hole greatly reduces the amount of gear oil getting down the tube to make its way to the park brake and get slung on the wheel too. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 7, 2020 Author Share Posted February 7, 2020 Thanks for that input Brian, I was wondering what the best fill level is for the rear since I hope to clean that out soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibarlaw Posted February 7, 2020 Share Posted February 7, 2020 Mark: Sorry for the delay we were out to Western PA to attend a funeral and just returned Friday afternoon. Your slinger would be closer to what Don shows. Mine for the 1925 Standard just unbolted. I made a new gasket for behind it to the drum. The felt seals are available from BOB's (for my car). Possibly a more modern lip seal may be adaptable for yours. I know Hugh did research and has newer style seals for his 1925. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubert_25-25 Posted February 7, 2020 Share Posted February 7, 2020 Mark, Attached is a link to the process to do a lip seal conversion on a 3/4 floating axle (as used on the 4 cylinder cars and later small 6 cylinder Buicks). The Larger 6 cylinder models used a full floating axle so there are some differences as it is a very different design at the wheels. Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 8, 2020 Author Share Posted February 8, 2020 Today I knocked the bearings out of the wheels and they came out with a big hammer and a punch as advertised.Then took the seal retainer out with seal and the back side retainer. I'm off to see if I can find a modern day seal instead of the felt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 11, 2020 Author Share Posted February 11, 2020 While waiting for rear wheel seals I decided to put the old girl on 4 jack stands and send all 4 wheels off to the blaster’s. I ordered a couple different spring loaded rubber seals and a set of felt seals in case I am not able to make the rubber ones work. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 19, 2020 Author Share Posted February 19, 2020 Last week I took my 4 wheels to the blaster to get them media blasted and cleaned up. They covered the wooden spokes with different tapes and blasted all metal parts first. After they completed that, they then uncovered the wooden spokes and blasted them with the mildest media they had. I'm very happy with the way the wheels turned out at the blaster. After I got them home, I sprayed all metal parts with a self etching primer followed by a primer sealer. After that dried well, I sprayed all metal with Acrylic Enamel Black paint. I used a satin black because it will be years before I get around to painting the car and this will protect the wheels until then. I left the wooden spokes natural since they will not be in the weather at any time either. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Wiegand Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Mark, The spokes look to be in good condition. We will all hope that they are as tight as they look. Terry Wiegand South Hutchinson, Kansas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 20, 2020 Author Share Posted February 20, 2020 I was quite pleased that everything seem verystrong and joints very tight. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AussieBuick Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 Hi Mark, I wasn't looking forward to wheel disassembly cleanup ,paint and reassembly, your approach is a time saver, the gray paint on the spokes , the original colour.? Same colour on my 23 spokes,. Norm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 20, 2020 Author Share Posted February 20, 2020 I think my spokes were black originally and what was left was some paint and grease mix that looked like a faded black. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubert_25-25 Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 (edited) Norm, Your 1923 model 35 would have been black originally. A little conflicting, but I have seen no stripe listed, and gold strip listed. Being a model 35, the wheels would have been painted body color. Natural finish was on the Expensive Buicks only. I would also agree with not disassembling wheels. Hugh Edited February 20, 2020 by Hubert_25-25 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AussieBuick Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 Thanks Hugh, all good info ..Regards Norm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 21, 2020 Author Share Posted February 21, 2020 Although I found a modern spring loaded seal that fit inside the hub quite well, since I am going to install the permanently sealed bearings, I decided to install new felt seals. There will be no lubricant for these seals to control, so I thought rubber seal running on a dry shaft wasn’t a great idea. But here are a couple pictures of my hub waiting for installation of a seal and the seal I found to fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 21, 2020 Author Share Posted February 21, 2020 (edited) Here you can see the oil shedder washer back in place and my new felt seal fit in place Edited February 21, 2020 by Mark Kikta (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 21, 2020 Author Share Posted February 21, 2020 After I oiled the felt seal and put it back in the hub, I placed the water on top, staked it in a couple places and then pounded the bearing in place. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 21, 2020 Author Share Posted February 21, 2020 The bearing fit like a glove. The oiled felt seal behind it will keep any dirt out hopefully. Don’t really need that seal but to fill the gap I guess. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 23, 2020 Author Share Posted February 23, 2020 I decided to invest in a vibratory tumbler to clean small parts better than I can using my wire wheel. Got this at Harbor Freight for 59 dollars. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 23, 2020 Author Share Posted February 23, 2020 These acorn wheel bolts were just solid rust and they came out of the tumbler very clean 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 23, 2020 Author Share Posted February 23, 2020 Also made new gaskets to put behind the driving flange. Hopefully they will keep the oil and grease from being flung out. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted February 23, 2020 Author Share Posted February 23, 2020 After seeing what a great job Hugh does putting what he learns into great documentation for his 1925 Buick, I'm giving the same a whirl here for my 1922 Buick six Cylinder. There is not as much documentation around for the early 20's models as for the mid to late 20's. I tried here to show how to upgrade rear wheel bearings and seals. A lot of resolution of text and photos are lost in the conversion to JPG docs but I can't figure out how to avoid that. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted March 16, 2020 Author Share Posted March 16, 2020 Before putting my rear wheels back on I decided to replace the lubrication in my rear differential. This is the last fluid I need to remove and replace. After sitting for over 60 years I was expecting the worse. After cleaning the rear axle and doing some re-painting, I removed the differential cover and the gear oil just ran out. After the transmission was full of asphalt like gear oil, I expected the same here but was pleasantly surprised. This will be much easier to clean and refill. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted March 16, 2020 Share Posted March 16, 2020 Looking good. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kikta Posted March 22, 2020 Author Share Posted March 22, 2020 You can definitely see where the fluid level has resided for many years inside the differential!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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