I'm finishing up installing new rotors and wheel bearings on the front of my RS. Everything has gone smoothly until one of the very last steps. I installed the spindle lock nut, adjusted it (tightening it down to 12 ft. lbs., loosening it, tightening it down hand tight, and then back off a little as possible and inserting the cotter pin). But when I insert the new cotter pin and bend it over, I can still move (as in tighten and loosen movement, not in and out) the spindle lock nut just a little. Is this normal, or am I just not bending the cotter pin correctly? I've tried bending it up towards the spindle and out towards the nut itself, but both ends in the same thing.

I am using new cotter pins when I try this, size 1/8" X 1 1/2", which should be the correct size. I've installed plenty of parts that use castelated nuts and cotter pins before, but most castle nuts are torqued down so they don't move by the time you install the cotter pin, but this is a little different for me.

 

tighten it to the next possible rotation slot. It should not rely solely on the cotterpin to hold that castle nut on, it should be more snug than you are discribing, the castle nut should not have movement by hand when slightly snugged onto the bearings. It will lossen as age goes, not tighten so err on the snug side.

 

Eh, that will be fine. The nut can't back off at all with the cotter pin through it...that's why its there.

 

If the castle nut is moving, it can wear into the cotterpin and weaken it over time were it can completely fall out. You DO NOT want the castle nut moving back and forth loosely by hand on the cotterpin.

Dean

 

Its only going to be hand tight anyways, so your hand should be able to move the nut back and forth a bit with the pin in there. However, like you said it shouldn't really FEEL loose. Should still feel snug, but with force, your hand should be able to move it back and forth.