Torque on installing new brake rotors

[Franky94]

I just purchased a 1994 Ford Explorer 4wd recently and am a first time owner of an Explorer. When driving, I felt a wobble and found a cracked rotor. I replaced both rotors and front pads.

I read plenty of threads on this topic, but the new experience with a local mechanic's shop threw me for a loop:

During the re-tightening stage (when putting the rotor back on), I followed the 'tighten while spinning the rotor for proper seating' step. I then backed off and hand tightened it (with a greasy hand that is). I took the truck in to get a fluid flush and they said my wheels felt loose, and that I probably needed to re-pack the bearings. I told them I had just freshly packed the bearings (a thorough job of about 20 minutes each). They then said I may need to re-tighten the wheel back up. So I went back in and tightened the wheel more. I basically spun it as I tightened it with a ratchet. Once tightening slowed the spin down, I backed off of it until it spun like it did when it was loose. However, when tightening the wheel the second time, it felt as if I tightened the wheel significantly more than the first. I then put the wheel back on. My question is, when tightening the wheel the second time (with the ratchet) and then backing off, did I get it too tight? I realize one of three things might have happened:

1. I didn't really tighten it well the first time.
2. As I tightened the the bearing the second time, the wheel actually moved back onto the spindle as I was tightening, thus when I backed off of it, it was hand tight again.
3. Yes, I tightened it too much.

What do ya'll think?

Also, I greased everything except the inside of the new rotors. Do I need to go back and put a layer of grease in there?

 

[coco944x4s]

i would say either you didnt really tighten them well the first time, or you got them tightish, and then running it fully seated the bearings and they got loose.

 

[arco777]

See attached image; found this in the Ford service manual under the automatic hubs section, but should apply to manual hubs too since bearings are the same. Notice it mentions a more detailed bearing seating procedure, an end play specification, and a final specification of maximum torque required to spin the rotor (bearing drag only, without brake caliper installed).

 

[Franky94]

Great! Thanks. I don't have a torque wrench but I imagine it is about time to get one so I can be sure to adequately seat the bearings and tighten the wheel. I have read a lot of posts dancing around the manual's instructions. The sticky on this site about how to change rotors on this truck is the one I followed step by step in the first place. It was a huge help.

 

[arco777]

Make sure you use two separate torque wrenches for your general car jobs. Note that in the illustration I posted there are specs in ft-lb and also in-lb measurements. In my garage the 1/2" drive very large torque wrench works well for 50-150 ft-lb items, like lug nuts, and a smaller 3/8" drive torque wrench for everything measured in in-lb and under 50 ft-lb. Didn't spend a whole lot on either unit.

 

[Franky94]

Yeah I picked both up yesterday. The in./lb wrench was a bit difficult to use with it being so low and also using that massive 2-3/8 socket. However, I finished the job, thanks to you guys and that other thread in this forum, and it seems to be just fine. I did get a little smell when I put some serious heat into the new brakes for the first time, but I figured it was the rotors and pads hitting a certain temp. because it only happened when I braked for a significantly long time down a 9% grade...