Torque settings for 1996 Swift Kontiki rear wheel bearings

[Barryd999]

Van is in the garage getting a service and MOT. Just checked on the progress but it needs new rear wheel bearings but they are unsure what the Torque setting should be and cant seem to find it online. The mechanic thinks they have an idea what they should be but last time they did it when a new rear axle was fitted they were over tightened and burned out after 80 miles and the wheels nearly fell off. Im sure they have been done since then though, maybe not.

 

Im hoping someone can point me in the right direction so I Can point them in the right direction. Its a Peugeot Boxer on an Alko Chassis. Would it be worth contacting Alko?

[thebishbus]

Barry it depends on which bearings you have. I think Alko used at least two different types of wheel bearings. The one piece set bearing 1637 hub, or two taper roller bearings 2015 hub. They will have different torque settings, set using a one shot nut.

Brian B.

[Barryd999]

Thanks. That dont mean much to me. If I Find out which it is who do you think will have that information. I contacted Alko but they might take three days to respond if they respond at all.

[Derek Uzzell]

As (I assume) the AL-KO AMC axle of a Ducato-based motorhome will carry (in the case of a 1996 Kon-Tiki) Fiat brake drums on its bolted-on stub axles, I would have thought that the hubs and wheel bearings will be equivalent to Fiat parts and that the procedure for fitting the hubs to the stub axles and securing the retaining nut will be the same as if the motorhome had an ordinary Fiat ‘dead’ rear axle.

 

This 2011 forum thread

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Rear-wheel-bearing/23707/

 

discussed the issue and the attached photo of the outer end of a rear hub of a Ducato X244’s standard axle shows the deformed flange of the retaining nut as mentioned by Brambles in that thread.

 

(I’m very happy to be corrected if someone who is AL-KO AMC chassis-literate knows that my assumption is wrong.)

[Barryd999]

Thanks Derek. I have no idea and I am just collating information. Ill pass this on to the mechanic dealing with it, see if helps.

[Derek Uzzell]

You could try phoning Fraser Brown Engineering

 

http://www.fraserbrowneng.co.uk/store/index.php?route=information/contact

 

as they specialise in refurbishing AL-KO axles for motorhomes and caravans., and most of their motorhome-related custom will be for older vehicles.

 

https://www.fraserbrowneng.co.uk/index.php?c=al-ko-axle-repair

[Derek Uzzell]

A 2011 MHFun thread related to overheating of the rear wheels of a 2007 X250 motorhome with an AL-KO chassis and the cause was traced to the contact between the brake shoes of the handbrake and the surrounding drum.

 

That won’t be relevant to you, but I note the comment

 

Alko use the Fiat components mounted on to their swinging-arm torsion suspension with a different set-up to the standard X250 chassis...Incidentally, the rear wheel bearings are cassette types and NOT taper-rollers. They are fitted to the stub axles with nuts torqued to 45daNm.

 

So, although brake assemblies may be the same for standard Fiat axles and AL-KO axles, the stub axles, hubs, wheel bearings and how the retaining nut is fitted may be peculiar to AL-KO.

 

(I’m wary of the “45daNm” value given - this equates to 450Nm)

[Barryd999]

Many thanks again. I have emailed the garage this thread so I hope they will pick up on it in the morning. Much appreciated.

[thebishbus]

The one piece set bearing would be 290 Nm I think.

Brian B.

[witzend]

Reading this and someone mentioned 2 taper bearings if they over torqued them that would be why they burnt out in 80 mls unless they weren't greased. Fitting taper bearings is a different method all together. Just do up snug with a short spanner then slacken a little they are usually secured with a split pin or a locking nut and tab

[Barryd999]

Thanks again. Will pick it up in the morning with them.

[Derek Uzzell]

In an earlier posting Brian B said

 

"...it depends on which bearings you have. I think Alko used at least two different types of wheel bearings. The one piece set bearing 1637 hub, or two taper roller bearings 2015 hub. They will have different torque settings, set using a one shot nut”

 

but (based on-line information) an AL-KO 1637 product is a caravan/trailer brake-drum hub, and I think “2015” should read “2051”as that’s another ALKO caravan/trailer brake-drum reference number.

 

SEEMINGLY the wheel bearings for a 1637-type hub are the ‘straight’ sealed variety and the retaining nut is the elliptical’ one-shot type tightened to around 300Nm with no supplementary mechanical locking. Nut-tightening if bearings are taper-roller type will be different.

 

Barry’s Kon-Tiki should have an AL-KO data-plate on it to help identify the axle type, and AL-KO suggests that enquiries be made to an AL-KO service centre. These centres can be found via this webpage

 

https://www.alko-tech.com/uk/service-centres-leisure-vehicles

 

Replacing the wheel bearings of AL-KO axles on older motorhomes must be a reasonably common requirement, so someone must know what AL-KO advises regarding how the retaining nut should be tightened.

[thebishbus]

Barry, one way to identify which wheel bearings, would be to Google a car parts supplier such as EuroCar Parts. Enter your Reg no, this should identify your vehicle,then scan for rear wheel bearings. Once identified, Google again for torque setting.

Brian B.