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After replacing my front wheel bearings I still noticed that my inner locking nut is mostly inside the bearing hub and protrudes out about 1/8" ? . I can not get a wrench on it like the article of the 1932 901. When installed locking ring and outer nut properly installed with cotter pin thair is about 1/32" between nut and cotter pin ! . Locking ring tab is in great shape. In my 1937 shop manual the picture kind of shows the inner nut into the hub . Ok. Thanks. Dave

What you describe sounds right, I don't understand just what your question is. Not familiar with the '37 juniors but I'm assuming you have this type of wheel bearing adjustment and locking device? You shouldn't need much effort to loosen the inner nut (needle nose piers do it for me), it should be nearly hand-tight; it's the outer nut that's jammed against the ring while you hold the inner nut from rotating. Never ever seen one come loose but if you need a comfort level just check to see that the distance from the outer nut to the cotter in is less than the length of the pin on the lock ring.

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Yes Owen I do have the same setup but with no hole in the outer nut that should make no difference thought . Is thair any reason for the hole in your outer nut. This unit was loose and nuts not jamed when I purchased this car last year at this time with close fitting cotter pin. I can grind a 1 5/8" wrench to 1/8"to lock the nuts, .. I might. Yet it has probably been running this way for years! Thanks so much for your replies Dave. I guess my file size is to big to add pic.?

If I understand what you are asking, on my 40 Super, had to put a socked on a lathe and turned down the diameter of the outside wall a bit to allow the wall to be thinner to use for the inside nut, or sometimes I use a large adjustable wrench with thin arms to just barely tighten

Is thair any reason for the hole in your outer nut.

No functional reason, probably just simplifying inventory of parts, it's exactly the same nut, just without having the pin pressed in.

If the assembly was truly "loose" you probably should disassemble and check the wheel bearings and races for wear - it wouldn't take many miles to do damage to them.

Thanks again for the reply, all is new and tight. I just looked through the Packard literature and manuals and found the 1937 condensed shop manual and now I see that two thirds of the nut is into the hub, i will grind a 1 5/8 " wrench to about 1/8" wide to fit in back of the locking tab so I can hold the inner nut in place while locking the two, that should work, what do you think.. Thanks. Dave

Sure, that should work but have you tried a pair of large channel-locks to hold the inner nut? They usually have pretty thin jaws.

Yes I do have a medium size needle nose type that might do the job with a little altering . Good reminder. Dave

In my post "Front Wheel Bearing & Nuts on a '32 901" on the subject, I was able to use channel lock pliers to hold the inner nut. The jaws on the pliers also covered a major portion of the washer. I then used a second set of channel lock pliers on the otter nut. You need to be able to hold the the inner nut/washer combination so they don't rotate otherwise, you'll shear off the small tab on the washer, which is critical to assist in keeping the nut from turning.

The way I usually adjust the nut on bearings like this is tighten the inner nut fairly snug to set the bearings, then to back it off, then to just barely tighten it, then I back it off the minimum to get the post on the nut to align with the hole on the washer. Note that you can flip the washer to give two different positions for hole alignment.

The way I usually adjust the nut on bearings like this is tighten the inner nut fairly snug to set the bearings, then to back it off, then to just barely tighten it, then I back it off the minimum to get the post on the nut to align with the hole on the washer. Note that you can flip the washer to give two different positions for hole alignment.

Marston, that's a really good technique for proper adjustment. I satisfy myself that it's correct when, if I tighten the inner nut one pin position I feel no free play whatsoever and when I return it to the prior position which I intend to lock it up at, I can just barely, almost imperceptibly, feel the smaller amount of free movement. I think the testament to the method is that I've never had to replace a front wheel bearing in nearly 90,000 miles.