<VV> Late Rear Bearing Spindle Nut Threads

[Robert K. Henry]

I decided it was time repack the wheel bearings on my '65. I think that
every few decades that the bearings ought to be inspected and the grease
replaced. I got them apart and the bearings were fine, so I cleaned and
repacked them. When I was wrenching the rusty old spindle nut back on
(original), I found that the torque wrench was getting easier and easier to
pull instead of harder and harder. I pulled the nut off and found that the
threads were gone from the inside of the nut. I was able to peel them off of
the spindle as a coil of wire. 

 

So new spindle nuts arrived this morning and I'd like some guidance on how
to install them without the same thing happening. I tried spinning one on to
the spindle and it's a tight fit at first. I think the outer threads are a
little bulged out. Should I try to clean them up somehow? I can't imagine
how much a die to do that would cost, or what it might ultimately do the
part. A light touch with a triangular file might help. But while you can
remove metal, it's a lot harder to put it back on. Or can I just accept a
tight fit until the nut gets screwed down to the threads that really
matter-where I'm putting some torque on them?  Maybe a little grease or
anti-seize?

 

An observation: I have a homemade tool to pull the inner bearing onto the
spindle. It consists of a brass sleeve I machined that threads onto the
spindle and adapts a piece of threaded rod that does the work of forcing the
inner bearing into place. I think the fact that my threaded brass sleeve
fits the spindle threads, though tightly, is encouraging, making me think
that the spindle threads are ok. But then it's not getting threaded on with
100 Ft-Lbs of torque.

 

I really hate that sickening "soft  wrench" feel when a fastener is failing
and I'd like to avoid experiencing it again.

 

Robert Henry

'65 Corsa Convertible

Knoxville, TN