Rear wheel bearings. How much play is ok?

Every MOT I get a bollocking for too much play in my rear wheel bearings. In the Haynes it says to tighten the nut and then back it off until you can move the thrust washer with finger pressure. I do this and my MOT inspector don’t like it. I must admit that with the Haynes method there is a fair bit of play and have noticed some premature wear in the bearing cups. So, how do you guys judge it? Ta!

 

I would have them tighter than that for sure. But they're ALWAYS loose after a spin. I'm definitely putting Lupo/Polo ones on when I recommission my GTI.

 

Yeah I agree. The way I’ve done it now is remove the cap, the split pin and the crown locking washer, knock out the logo centre cap from the wheel and then tighten the 4 wheel studs onto the car. Can then get my 24mm socket through the hole left by removing the centre cap and nip up the nut until there’s no play in the bearing felt through the wheel. Then back the nut off just until I feel the slightest play. Then, remove the wheel and reinstall the crown washer, split pin and dust cap. I’ve been told, or read somewhere that you need some play so that when bearing heats up with driving the expansion won’t then leave it too tight.

 

I agree, pushing with a finger is not tight enough. The way I do it is tight enough that you can just move the washer with the tip of a screwdriver with quite a lot of effort but NOT levering the screwdriver against anything.

 

Thanks P, I’m going to have another look at them this week and I’ll give that a go. Do you feel any play in the wheel with that method?

 

Every Golf I have had has always attracted the testers because of rear wheel bearing ,they say they are loose,I have found the amount needed to snug them up and the lock nut and pin don't line up,this play has never caused me an issue and IMO its done for a reason being heat transfer from the brakes.
Our inspection is called WOF and in the UK you have MOT which on research is very similar to our test,I have reminded the testers in my country that unless the bearing is noisey it's not an issue which they did agree so its only a comment on the test sheet.
Cheers.

 

IMHO you should not be able to feel any play while wobbling the wheel by hand.

 

I've always followed this method (step 26) and never had any issues.

http://faculty.ccp.edu/faculty/dreed/campingart/jettatech/rearbrakes/index.htm

 

Cheers chaps! Taken it all on board and think I’ve nipped em up right. “Hand pressure” seems to have taken out all the play so next MOT should be a breeze.

 

I tighten mine to medium resistance and then back off 1/4 turn.always works for me.
If wrong nip up a bit more.

 

Thanks. Sounds like a good method. I’m going to try to incorporate all these techniques into one.

 

Also make sure before you do your final tightening, get them TIGHT, spinning the wheel backwards while you do it. then loosen them off. Just makes sure they're actually seated properly. But mine also have slight play, I go for the move the washer with a screwdriver with no levering approach, and then make sure the locking crown washer is set so that the nut can only tighten and not loosen at all. Have to keep trying it in different positions to get that.

And yeah the races in theory expand inwards when they heat up removing any tolerance, I imagine if you went for a fairly high speed drive, stopped and quickly jacked the car up there would be no play at all in the bearings

 

Yeah, that’s where to arm for, thanks bud.