Front Wheels Play

[Tops1e]

Hello
I have finally completed and took out for a first time my 1964 Cooper S for a test drive. I was having problems with the brakes. When applying them they sometimes got stuck and and released themselves after a few seconds. I have got new discs and new pads so I cannot understand what the problem is.
One other problem is that the front wheels have some play (left to right and top to bottom ) I have installed new Timken bearings and changed all bolt joints.
Is it normal to have some play on the front wheels and if not what could be the cause.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Regards
Anthony Bartolo

[LarryLebel]

No. It could be the ball joints.

[Peter Laidler]

Play in the WHEEL BEARINGS is caused by the spacer being too wide and holding the two OUTER parts of the taper roller bearings (called the CONES) to be ...... anyway. The spacer has to be correctly set and Timken technical bulletin say the endfloat of the wheel hub, with correctly adjusted bearings, should be no more than .003" with the hub nut tightened.

Alas, it's difficult to elaborate on this figure without specialised measuring kit. So it's based on experience. It was described to me early in my apprenticeship as '........ a gnats knacker of rock.....'. I machine my spacers, front and rears, a gnats knacker at a time until it's correct

I often thought that it'd be a good idea to hire a workshop and classroom from a tech college for a day and hold a classroom tutorial type seminar on this very subject for those enthusiastic amateurs (of which I proudly consider myself to be) AND ESPECIALLY those that firmly believe, WRONGLY, that the spacer in the kit is always correct

[whistler]

If the flexible brake hoses are old then they can collapse, the brakes can work but the pressure does not release properly because of the hose collapse.

[Alex]

I'd suggest that the spacer as supplied is normally correct for the matched bearings - the hubs on the other hand are usually the culprit if it's all to cock.

[Peter1071]

The servo could be the cause of the brakes not releasing.

[Peter Laidler]

Alex is right......, sort of..... if you don't mind me saying Alex. If the hub spacer (as opposed to the wheel bearing spacer) is slightly out of spec....., slightly too wide or narrow, then you have to adjust the bearing spacer to suit. But NEVER blindly assume that the spacer in the bearing kit is correct for YOUR hub.

I learned the hard way. My brand new 2000 Rover RCSport with some 4000 miles on the clock failed its first MoT for worn front wheel bearings. At 4,000 miles and wobbling about like a sausage in the High Street!!!!!! Nope. Stripped and the spacer was far too wide. Skimmed it off, a gnats knacker at a time, inspected the bearings at the same time, assembled it up and its been perfect ever since.

I'd say that another likely cause of the sticking brakes is that the double lipped 'slipper' seal (the outer one, held in by a steel retaining collar) isn't doing its job of drawing the pistons back again immediately after the brake pressure has been relieved.

Interesting thread. Getting the brain cells ticking too

[Herbert]

I would look first at the callipers. If the brakes stay on it has to be either that, the servo or the master cylinder. Good luck! R

[imack]

I had a problem with my brakes staying on for a second or so after releasing the brake pedal.
Turned out to be the air valve piston in the servo sticking.

[gogsymac]

I had a problem with my brakes staying on for a second or so after releasing the brake pedal.
Turned out to be the air valve piston in the servo sticking.

I had exactly the same problem on my car too. It turned out to be the servo so my guess goes with that being the problem. I would try disabling the servo, running the car with no servo to see if that solves the issue.