TheSamba.com :: View topic - Front Wheel Bearing will not stay adjusted

Fri Aug 01, 2025 4:15 pm

I have a front wheel bearing on my 68 Autostick Ghia. Car is an April 68 build.

Some how the front right bearing keeps getting loose. Today is the 4th time I've had to tighten it in the last 800 miles. I first noticed it was loose a year ago. Later in the summer I had to adjust it a 2nd time so I adjusted it and made sure I tightened it enough. Put another 300 miles on the car after that. This spring I drove it another 100 miles and checked it. Sure enough it was loose again. I adjusted and this time made sure it was properly tightened. I aslo took a picture of the nut and made a mark on the spindle (not sure if that's the proper name) so that I could see if the nut is actually moving or not.

Checked it today after 200 miles driven since then and again, my wheel is loose. the nut has not moved from where it was so it's not the nut that is loosening up. I'm thinking the bearings are going bad? Anyone else had this happen in this way.

Fri Aug 01, 2025 4:22 pm

Sounds like the inner bearing was not seated up to the shoulder. You tighten the nut while slowly turning the wheel until the wheel won't turn then back the nut off 3/4 turn and tighten the lock screw.

Fri Aug 01, 2025 4:46 pm

You might want to remove the wheel and remove the bearings and check them. Like the 1st person who replied to you said check to make sure the inner seal and the bearing are fully seated on the spindle when put back together. Good luck-Bob

Sat Aug 02, 2025 2:32 am

I will take it apart and see what's going on. When I got the car 4 yrs ago, it had been mostly parked for over 20 yrs. It had a lot of mechanical service done in preparation for the sale including all new breaks so its possible it has replacement bearings? I read that 68 has 2 different front bearings depending on early or late in the model year. The left side isn't having any trouble so I would think the car has the correct bearings? I've put 2500 miles on the car since buying it.

Thank you for the replies.

Sat Aug 02, 2025 6:16 am

I had a similar problem recently with a 74 bug that I put Ghia disc Spindles on. The inner bearing was new and would not go all the way onto the spindle. I cleaned and repacked the old German bearing from the drum brakes and it slid right on. I checked the markings on the new bearing and it said made in China. Oh well.

Sat Aug 02, 2025 9:48 am

Marcdeb wrote: I have a front wheel bearing on my 68 Autostick Ghia. Car is an April 68 build.

Some how the front right bearing keeps getting loose. Today is the 4th time I've had to tighten it in the last 800 miles. I first noticed it was loose a year ago. Later in the summer I had to adjust it a 2nd time so I adjusted it and made sure I tightened it enough. Put another 300 miles on the car after that. This spring I drove it another 100 miles and checked it. Sure enough it was loose again. I adjusted and this time made sure it was properly tightened. I aslo took a picture of the nut and made a mark on the spindle (not sure if that's the proper name) so that I could see if the nut is actually moving or not.

Checked it today after 200 miles driven since then and again, my wheel is loose. the nut has not moved from where it was so it's not the nut that is loosening up. I'm thinking the bearings are going bad? Anyone else had this happen in this way.

If your front axle with spindels is still original, the inner seat for bearing has 27 mm dia. only. (till around May 1968) The newer spindels have 29 mm dia., as the inner bearing. The seals are also different. So I guess, there is a wrong inner bearing with 29 mm installed. If your nuts for track rod joints is 17 mm instead of 19 mm, you need the old 27 mm inner bearing and seal. (8´65 to 5´68

Sat Aug 02, 2025 11:33 am

wagen19 wrote:
If your front axle with spindles is still original, the inner seat for bearing has 27 mm dia. only. (till around May 1968) The newer spindles have 29 mm dia., as the inner bearing. The seals are also different. So I guess, there is a wrong inner bearing with 29 mm installed. If your nuts for track rod joints is 17 mm instead of 19 mm, you need the old 27 mm inner bearing and seal. (8´65 to 5´68

Yes, you are correct that this car should have the older (66 to May 1968) inner bearing. And I 'm pretty sure the spindles are the originals since new. The nuts on the tie rods are 17mm. I don't think I could have been driving the car for 2500 miles with the wrong inner bearing? I would think I would have had much worse problems by now? Yes?

Looks like the outer bearing is the same as for later models. I took the outer bearing out today and cleaned it up. The race and bearing feel ok to me but the grease was visibly old so I repacked it temporarily until I have more time to work on it. I believe it has all the right parts and I even wonder if it might still be the original bearings since new as the car has such low mileage (24,000)?? In any case I am going to order new bearings and seals. Once the parts arrive, I'll take it completely apart and do a closer inspection. When I reassembled it today, I ended up 1/3 turn tighter than where it was. For some reason, it's needing to be adjuster tighter again??

thanks for the ideas.