Rear wheel bearing

[alanengineer]

The back wheel bearing assembly needs to be right. The cutaway photo indicated by Spriddler is worth printing off , using and hanging in the workshop. Not a difficult job, just one to take time in getting things back in the right order and way round.
Best of luck with what you find

[Rosy]

Confidence restored I shall be attending to the two items mentioned, the wheel, and the oil tank thread for which I have taken a few old rat tail files and ground the ends to several different shapes, fine points, 45 degree, and so forth of which I hope to recut the damaged threads by hand. It will be a week or two, but I'll give an update when done.

[bitza]

Quite correct Rob, I should have pointed out that the wheel needs to be mounted on the bike to check the bearing play at the wheel rim, my error.

[Andy51]

Hi, I have non qd wheels on my '54 machines, but taper rollers are taper rollers, so principles should be the same for all wheels, back and front. The book says tighten adjuster until all slack taken out, then back off half a turn. There should be about 1/64 in play at rim, equals about 2 thou at axle, i.e. just discernible play. Check in the manual for your particular model. Hope this helps, Andy

[56G80S]

AMC Classics, cheers Steve, sold me the "C" spanner for adjusting the tension on Girlings. With care it will do the adjusting ring on the taper bearings, if the threads are good.

Andy, I've never had as much as 1/64" at the rim. I've adjusted to discernable play at the rim all the time I've had the Matchless, since mid 1970's, and still running the same bearings. Although they do get cleaned and repacked occasionally in addition to a couple of jolts from the grease gun.

Biscuit's cutaway, as posted as a link, is an essential and clear guide. Great guy.

Johnny B

[Rosy]

Got there in the end with the aid of that super cutaway drawing, just a perceptible about of movement at wheel rim.

[bitza]

RESULT.Time to grab a beer.

[Rosy]

RESULT.Time to grab a beer.

Cheers, thats exactly what I did.