torque tighting specification

[Elbswrx]

Hay Guys

does anyone know the rear wheel bearing nut torque tighting specification
for a ford festiva 1988 model.

cheers

elbs

[GenevaDirt]

Hello...welcome to the site....please take a second to add your location to your profile....helps in the long run....in the meantime, take a look at this thread....

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18036

[WmWatt]

Haynes manual says:
1. tighten to 12 ft-lbs.
2. spin while tightening further to 18-22 ft-lbs to seat bearings and
remove grease or burrs.
3. back off 1/4 turn, then finger tighten until slight resistance (3-7 lbs)
4. check that spins freely with no looseness or play. adjust by hand if needed.

When I did mine, never having done wheel bearings before, I pulled over the first couple of times I was out driving and felt the rear hubs to make sure they were not heating up and pulled on teh wheel to make sure it was tight. After doing this 2-3 times I decided everything was okay. No problems since. You could also jack up the car after a few days and tug on the wheel to see if there is any play. I probably did that but can't remember.

[sam.1956]

The Festiva Shop Manual lists a rather convoluted procedure involving an inch-pound torque wrench. Try to find one of those at a reasonable price. However, the Haynes procedure seems to be completely sufficient.

I don't completely trust that rear spindle crush-nut and so little torque, so I'm drilling holes in my rear spindles to accommodate a cotter pin.

[Levitan]

"3. back off 1/4 turn, then finger tighten until slight resistance (3-7 lbs)"

I believe that is inch pounds not foot pounds. In other words, a good fart has more torque than 3-7 INCH pounds.

"The Festiva Shop Manual lists a rather convoluted procedure involving an inch-pound torque wrench. Try to find one of those at a reasonable price."

$150 is the cheapest I have found.

[Icedawg]

I agree, that is inch pounds.
I tighten it just past snug with a 1/2 drive socket wrench, spin the wheel a few times, tighten it a bit more, spin again, etc for 3 or 4 times. I make sure it still spins and when it starts to get harder to spin I stop. At that point back it off, and do it finger tight. Spin a few times, then put the socket on so you can just see the hex nut edge. Turn it so the hex nut moves between 1/24 and 1/12 of a rotation. The hex nut edges show you 1/6 of a rotation quite easily, since the rotation of one facet of the nut is 1/6, so you are turning it to get just a small amount of rotation: 1/4 to 1/2 of a facet of the nut, that is why you need to see it. It sounds a bit flaky but it works quite well. The front wheel bearings on my RX7 are the same style as the rear on the Festiva, and I do both of them that way all the time. The bearings have never loosened or come apart while road racing the 7, and they do not overheat. Same for the Festi ice racer.