Sunday, January 11, 2009

Spindle & Brake Rotor Assembly

I assembled the spindle with new components I ordered from NPD. The bearings and other parts used to assemble the rotor and spindle were produced by National which is a division of Moog/Federal Mogul. The following parts were needed:

Dust Shield Gaskets (NPD#2B160-2A)
Hub Seal (Part# 6815/NPD# 1190-4)
Inner Bearing (L68149/NPD# 1201-4)
Outer Bearing (LM12749/NPD# 1216-4)
Spindle Nut Kit (NPD# 1195-3K)
Hub Cap (NPD#1131-1)

I did not install new races for the bearings as the rotors are practically new and the set the previous owner installed appear perfect. While this does not seem like an expensive project, the parts listed about cost $55.35. This is why projects end up costing more than expected as one does not think about the prices of these small components when installing a brake system. However, I feel good about the parts used as they are very good quality parts.

The assembly of the spindle was pretty straight forward. The image below shows how the entire assembly is put together.



The spindle assembly was not difficult to put together. Instructions are available in most restoration guides. The only part not really covered is the proper way to grease bearings. If not greased properly, bearings will have a short life because of the stress and heat they are under. The following video from YouTube shows the best way to grease a bearing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agxjGtmHV_4

I used Valvoline SynPower synthetic grease for the bearings. The grease protects the bearings from -40 degrees up to 400 degrees. The grease is made for use in disc brake systems and in suspension components. Once I purchase a grease gun, I'll use the same grease for all of my suspension components.

No comments: