Half shaft end float and torque setting

[PaulN]

1996 D1 300tdi

Hi all,

Pretty new to this sort of thing but can follow a Haynes Manual and inclined to have a go and learn so due to poor condition of brakes and leaking shocks I waded in and did a bit over the last 3 weekends and an entry on this forum was really useful - "Replacing front brake discs, By Les Henson"

Have just replaced 4 shocks, 4 discs, 4 callipers and pad sets and would like to ask a couple of questions of those more capable mechanics out there if I may:

I was rather concerned at the half shaft end-float check that one is supposed to carry out before permanently bending and locking the hub nuts.

For my late model and according to the manual one should torque hub nut to stage 1, to then back off and torque to stage 2 which is only 3lbs!.

I only possess an old 20-120 lbs wrench and have never seen one that goes less than 5lbs anyway so I rather went forward on the basis that a setting as low as that can only be just over finger tight.

(All 4 when undoing were variable but loose-ish!).

How important is the near impossible end-float check value of 0.08mm that in no way can I do?

(Have done a search on Disco Forum for "half shaft end float")

Thank you.

Paul.

[landmannnn]

An adult may be along soon, but in the meantime:

Tighten the nut up (turning spanner by hand) until the wheel is hard to turn, then back it off a bit, then tighten again while turning the wheel until I can feel the bearing binding. Back it off a fraction making sure I can feel a small amount of play when rocking the wheel.

[TheRecklessEngineer]

I tighten gently while rotating wheel to settle bearings until the wheel gets tight, then back off until I can feel a little play, then just nip up until the play is taken up.

You can't go too badly wrong. It is obvious if they are overtight, and if the wheel is wobbling around then it's too loose!

[PaulN]

Thanks Guys for the reassurance.

Sounds like I may have under tightened if anything but there did not seem to be any play but I will double check the wheel assembly now it's all together again.

Paul