T-3 Rear Wheel Binds When Nut is Tightened Down

[stuck amals]

I am working on a long forgotten T-3. I removed the rear wheel which, judging from the rust, hadn�t been disturbed in decades.

When I reinstalled the rear wheel and tightened down the nut on the drive side the wheel becomes tight to the point It is difficult to turn. I haven’t used a torque wrench but I would guess I am tightening the nut to about 60 ft/lbs.

On “This Old Tractor” I read this nut should be tightened to around 100 ft/lbs. is this correct?

Any suggestion?

[guzzinka]

Sure sounds like you are missing a shim or spacer, someone else with more specific t3 knowledge will help shortly.  Compare your set up to a parts diagram?

[Tom]

 :1:

[rodekyll]

Should be some easy detective work.

As you tighten the nut, watch for any deflection of the left swing arm fork.  I'm with the others who think you've missed a spacer -- probably the 'top hat' that goes between the left wheel bearing and the brake carrier.  Seeing the swing arm bend is a sure giveaway for a missing spacer.  Find a parts diagram of the rear axle stuff and make sure you've got all the parts and that the top hat is oriented in the proper direction (I forget what it is -- I look when I remove mine).

Also make sure the rear caliper carrier is properly located at the torque pin and that the caliper isn't binding.  It's a "floating" mount, but it needs to lock onto the torque pin (actually a long-ish bar that looks like a 4mm shaft key) on the inside of the left trailing arm.  The caliper centers with shims between its mounting lugs and the carrier lugs.  If you have a parking brake be sure the pucks are free.

There's an off-chance that the spacer within the rear drive unit has come out and didn't get replaced, too.  If that is the case the wheel will be binding on the rear drive -- also easy to see if you're looking for it.

Hope this helps.

[Tom]

Couldn't have said it better Dave. 

[stuck amals]

Thanks rodekyll! I think you gave me the clue I needed.

I had the top hat spacer installed backwards. I had the flat side against the Bearing. It appears to go the other way around.

I will put it together tomorrow and see.

If that fixes this I will be checking out the bevel Drive next. I see lots of red RTV oozing out of the flange and studs.

[rodekyll]

Get the RTV out of it while you've got the wheel off.  You'll be happy you did.

[guzzinka]

Get the RTV out of it while you've got the wheel off.  You'll be happy you did.

True that, but then it will have to be sealed properly, not gooped  - that's an o-ring on the t3, right?   

[Orange Guzzi]

Did you replace the wheel bearings?  The may not be seated properly putting a side load on the bearings   

[Groover]

Looks like you may have solved this already, and I also had mentioned this in the other post you had in the other forum section (now a deleted thread), but I had this same issue on my G5 and it turned out that the spacer between the two wheel bearings had worn down about 1/2mm causing this same binding issue. Probably worn from running bad wheel bearings for a while. A replacement wheel bearing spacer solved the problem, and if I remember right, that spacer is 80mm long. I have the cast wheels though and the spacer may be different in the spoke type (assuming that is what you have), but the concept is the same.

[stuck amals]

That fixed it! I had the top hat spacerin backwards.

Grover, I have both cast and spoke wheels. The spacer you mentioned seems more snug in the spoke wheel than the one in the cast wheel however I can feel no lateral playin either wheel. I’m guessing they will be fine but the was good information for future reference.

BTW I have not changed wheel bearings.

Thanks for the advise everyone.

[chuck peterson]

One note on the install per Guzziology.....

Leave the four bolts on the bevel box only hand snugged while torquing down the rear axle. This allows the box to orient correctly to the swingarm and axle. The last step is to torque those four. It closes the "box" created by all of the pieces. Left bearing, Left swingarm, axle, then rear drive and everything in it, pinion, right swingarm, bearing, front swingarm between the bearings, back to the left bearing. It's a small thing but helps

Think of what happens when the box is slightly rotated r or left on the arm and then bolted down....cockeyed on the axle is possible

[Tom]

 :1:  Tighten up the bolts front to rear.