HELP STILL NEEDED

When I removed the caliper mounting bracket (in order to replace the wheel bearings), I did not take note of the gap between the bracket and the rotor.

Now I am putting everything together and the gap between the bracket and rotor seems awfully small; i.e. 0.039 in / 0.991 mm (see below).

Is this an appropriate gap?

Thanks!

Mike

 

I honestly never paid attention to that gap you mention, I just made sure the rotor was not hitting it. You may want to ensure the rotor is pushed all the way against the hub (since you are just re-assembling everything). If the rotor is not pressed against the hub (as it would be when the wheel is up against it), then the appearance of that gap will differ. Just a thought.

 

Maniac,

I anticipated the rotor not pushed against the hub. Although not shown in the photo, I placed approximately 1/4 inch of washers on each stud and tighten the lug nuts to 60 ft-lb (not the 100 ft-lb spec since I was not assembling things they way they were designed).

what do you (or anyone else) think about this...

The hubs I removed were on a 1997 MC that spent its entire life in mid-Michigan until April 2013. Needless to say, the salt has taken a tremendous toll on the car. My point is... after removing the four bolts and pushing back the driveaxle, I needed a chisel and hammer to detach the hub. I checked for burrs, etc., that I may have caused and found none. Now, the only prep I did before installing the new hub was to lightly brass brush where the hub would be installed and I do recall seeing a fair amount of rust around the perimeter of the old hub. If the after market hub has longer flanges, might that account for the hub "sticking out to far"?

Does this possible or do you think it might be something else?

Thanks to you and anyone else who has a suggestion for me.

Mike

 

Hypothetically, it could be a poor aftermarket design. I've grown to stick with Timken wheel hubs (made in the U.S.A., been very reliable and price is about middle of the road compared to others). I've used the cheapest ones I can get on these w-body cars before and about 1.5 years later, ripping it out again.
Hypothetically, if the old hub was severely rusted, the rust could have thinned something out?? Not sure.

As for your washers, not sure why you added them. If you are changing things about the factory design, then some of this could account for the issues.

Personally, if it's not fitting right and something is rubbing, I'd take it out and have it exchanged, explaining something is not right about how it fits.

 

I've never measured it, but the gap between the rotor and bracket is quite small. Is the other side assembled for comparison or did you disassemble both sides?

I think he means he put the washers on the wheel studs to replicate the thickness of the wheel then put the lug nuts on to hold the rotor in place.