Hi All , yes i know this is an old subject but really after some advise how to proceed to with a problem i have with my 800 mile old SPF mk1 (2020).
So the symptoms are the usual , the front end has a rotational knock from the front hubs evident at very slow speed and turning. Strangely the knock seems more pronounced when i have a passenger in the car. I have adjusted all the wheel bearings both front and rear with frightening regularity so far, and in particular the front passenger side hub. Each time i am able to move the wheel in the 12 and 6 o clock position and feel and hear the tell tale knock. I make a small adjustment, the play goes and things are good again for about 2-3 hours of running, then the same again.
However recently after i heard the rotational knock i went to check the wheels and felt no play in either of them. However when i rotated the wheel clockwise and anticlockwise quickly i could hear a faint knock sound. On inspection of the bearings i could see grease has begun escaping from the bearing.
As you can see from the picture the grease is gathered in the 9 o clock position. The other front bearing also has grease coming out of it.
Reading lots of back threads on this problem it seems the only real solution is to machine the hubs to fit a different bearing, an internal spacer and seal and to potentially plate the spindle to build up any worn surface finish to lock the inner bearing. Having spoken to a well known GT40 engineering company , they have said they have done exactly this to a couple of SPF cars but the work is labour intensive and costly , Up to £1,000 for a pair of hubs with new bearings.
So my questions are:
1, Does the leaking grease confirm the seal is destroyed and internal damage likely ?
2, Am i wasting my time requesting replacement bearings and seals from SPF on the basis they seem to regularly fail anyway ?
3, I know an excellent local machinist, if supplied with new bearings how do i calculate the correct spacer size ? is it possible too get this done myself with a local engineering shop or is it a bit more involved and best left to the specialist?
4, I've checked all suspension bolts, brake clearances and shock absorber clearances. Anything obvious i need to try before investing a lot of effort into this re-engineering ?
Many thanks
So the symptoms are the usual , the front end has a rotational knock from the front hubs evident at very slow speed and turning. Strangely the knock seems more pronounced when i have a passenger in the car. I have adjusted all the wheel bearings both front and rear with frightening regularity so far, and in particular the front passenger side hub. Each time i am able to move the wheel in the 12 and 6 o clock position and feel and hear the tell tale knock. I make a small adjustment, the play goes and things are good again for about 2-3 hours of running, then the same again.
However recently after i heard the rotational knock i went to check the wheels and felt no play in either of them. However when i rotated the wheel clockwise and anticlockwise quickly i could hear a faint knock sound. On inspection of the bearings i could see grease has begun escaping from the bearing.
As you can see from the picture the grease is gathered in the 9 o clock position. The other front bearing also has grease coming out of it.
Reading lots of back threads on this problem it seems the only real solution is to machine the hubs to fit a different bearing, an internal spacer and seal and to potentially plate the spindle to build up any worn surface finish to lock the inner bearing. Having spoken to a well known GT40 engineering company , they have said they have done exactly this to a couple of SPF cars but the work is labour intensive and costly , Up to £1,000 for a pair of hubs with new bearings.
So my questions are:
1, Does the leaking grease confirm the seal is destroyed and internal damage likely ?
2, Am i wasting my time requesting replacement bearings and seals from SPF on the basis they seem to regularly fail anyway ?
3, I know an excellent local machinist, if supplied with new bearings how do i calculate the correct spacer size ? is it possible too get this done myself with a local engineering shop or is it a bit more involved and best left to the specialist?
4, I've checked all suspension bolts, brake clearances and shock absorber clearances. Anything obvious i need to try before investing a lot of effort into this re-engineering ?
Many thanks
