So I have a 1990 FC and I have been fixing it ever since I bought it from my brother after he curbed it(bent control arm and f'd up suspension). So I got a new control arm, sway bar end linkage and BC racing coilovers. Then I decided to upgrade the brakes as they were quite worn. I bought new slotted & drilled rotors and new pads. Both rears are fine and the passenger side front is 100% perfect but the drivers side is grinding on the caliper (as far as I can tell). It'll be fine for about 85% of the rotation but then grind against somethint. I took the bearing out and then replaced the cover thing(goes over the nut on hub before bearing) as mine was bent and that fixed it for a week but now it's just as bad. Also the car needs an alignment as the drivers front has super positive camber on it(counter acting it with full negative on the coils so wheel is straight). Sorry for the long story but this is stumping me. Any ideas at all what could be wrong?

 

when the caliper is not installed and you rotate the rotor by hand, does it appear to have a wobble? Do you have both the washer and lock washer on both front caliper bolts? I noticed I did not yesterday when reassembling and the bolt was making physical contact with the rotor itself. The PO was driving like that! omg..

 

Like he^ said. I suspect a bent hub. Also, the camber problem suggest there are other bent parts of the suspension or unibody from tagging the curb.

 

^ what they said. Related - you want the bearing to be tightened per spec. There are a few steps.

Less likely, but possible. Make sure the mating surfaces of the rotor and hub are clean. If there's debris, the rotor will wobble.

But def. make sure any original parts involved in the curbing aren't bent.

 

So the main nut that holds the bearing in is loosening off as it is driven. I torqued it to spec and then when examining it, it was no where close to what it was torqued to. Any ideas to what could cause this?

 

There's a reason for the cage and cotter pin. If you don't put them on then the nut will become lose

 

It is on. Everything is together and assembled and the nut is loosening off.

 

I forgot the lock washers on the caliper bolt one time and that clearance caused the bolts to touch the rotor

 

that isn't possible, your forgetting something. The cage impedes movement of the nut with the cotter pin. Unless the cage is too big or something...

PS. Your not fretting over small torque changes right?

 

Everything that came off and that are in my diagrams are on there and the cage is brand new from mazda and the cotter pin is new(for ***** and giggles). The bolts arent even close to touching to rotor either, its just gaining side movement from the nut loosening off somehow.

 

Loosening with the cotter pin in?

 

Are the bearings seated correctly? Besides crazy *** black magic, there's not too many reasons why the hub would keep loosening up...

 

Everything looks to be correct. Im going to take it all apart tomorrow, clean it up and reinstall everything like new. Might need a new bearing but it didn't look like it. Really hope I don't have a curse on it haha.

 

While you have the bearings off, you should check that the axle stub shaft is not bent. If you've bent control arms and such in front, I guarantee that you need a new knuckle as well.