River1

Is this a torque spec for the spindle nut? If it is it doesn't seem like the bearings and probably spindle will last very long. Where was this spec found on Rock Auto? I looked up all the Durago rotors info and couldn't find the spec.

nrivera04

295 is the torque spec from Ford. Always has been. Then spindle nuts are torque to yield also so make sure to get 2 because they aren’t included with a rotor.

redfishtd

The torque spec is right 295 foot pounds . You can use a 250 foot pound one --close enough . Or you can use the cheater pipe method and weight on a measured length of wrench . @2 feet at 150 pounds on end = 300 pound . But I got tired of the flimsy bearings on 2wd rotors and converted it to use 4wd rotors using centric mods . I don't have to go thru new one time use expensive nuts either. I have a 300# torque wrench but I lost 3- 2wd rotors due to small bearings ,now I can use any 4wd rotor that fits .

River1

I'm not doubting or questioning the 295 lbs. because I've come across plenty of contradictory information from Ford over the years but this does surprise me. This is from my Ford Workshop Manual:

--On 4X2 vehicles, install the brake disc and hub.
--Install the outer front wheel bearing.
--Install the front wheel outer bearing retainer washer.
--Install the spindle nut.
--While rotating the brake disc and hub, tighten the spindle nut. 30 lb\ft
--Loosen the spindle nut two turns.
--Tighten the spindle nut while rotating the brake disc and hub. 17-24 lb/ft
--Loosen the spindle nut. 175 deg.
--Tighten the spindle nut while rotating the brake disc hub. 17 lb/in (Yes it does say inches)
--Install the nut retainer.
--Install the cotter pin.
--Install the hub grease cap.

From there it goes on the caliper anchor plate and caliper. At this point with the tire on, a light to moderate tug on the tire will spin it 2 or 3 times. At 295 lbs. it doesn't seem like a 180 degree spin would come from the same amount of effort on the tire and why I asked the question.

I have Ford Workshop Manuals from the 70's through 2013 and the procedure is about the same for all of them. I'm not sure what to say except I can't help but feel we're talking apples and oranges here. At first I thought the 295 lbs might be a press pressure for the bearing race or something like that. Anyway, this is good to know. Thanks.

F150Torqued

@River1 , the 295 FtLb "IS" spec torque for the Disk/Hub on this gen truck.

Apologizes for the RANT, but I had to weigh in on this one. At 245k miles, I can authoritatively state that Front Hub/rotors on these 2wd trucks are ALL poor/stupid designed CRAP. I've replaced mine four times in 245k miles, when disks were perfectly fine - (that averages less than 50k miles per set). That averages 49 k per set. 1st ones made it about 40k. Now I've got NAPA top of the line running that have been replace under warranty twice! (Last time over their stringent objection - and probably the last\!!).

The inner/outer bearing races have a 'collar' between them. The 295 lbs torque has does not effect bearing/race tension. I have been told the wierd front wheel noise is every stupid thing from BRAKE CALIPER to Limited Slip Differential noise for mechanic explinations for the annoying 'POPPING' when turnig slowly in a parking lot. The latest hubs I removed (and exchanged at NAPA on Lifetime Warranty) had ('pressed in') bearing race's in both L/R hubs that wuld move inside the hub by finger after hubs were removed. The 295 lbs does not effect bearing race tension. There is a collar between inside and outside 'inner' race that the 295 lbs Torque 'squeezes' against the inner race. The spindle nut does NOT vary tension on the roller bearings. Even though the safety nut cover / cotter pin exists, there is no way to vary roller bearing tension. Various 'respected' mechanics (If there is such a thing outside my friends on the Forum), suggested everything from using a 3/4 drive 'impact' to tighten them spindle nuts tight as you can to stop when tire can't be rotated!!. Either way, They still growled in turns, and 'popped' in slow parking lot turns like lug nuts were not tight.

Removing the last set, I broke TWO 1/2 to 3/4 socket adapters using a 4' cheater bar. Had to buy a 3/4 breaker bar and jump up and down on the 4' cheater to break them loose. I weight 250. I guess that would be at LEAST 295 - and the damn things still growled when turning. The new disk/hubs from NAPA are quiet for the moment (after only 1000 miles). I just tightened them by standing on the 3/4 breaker bar - without jumping up and down. (Totally red-neck / shadetree 250-260 torque setting).

ShirBlackspots

I bought the Centric premium rotors with the hub upgrade when I did my brakes (with help from someone at work) at about 58,000 miles. Makes it where you only have to replace the rotor if you need to. From reviews on Amazon, the bearing the hub comes with is not very good, but they've lasted me at least 40,000 miles so far (but I do get a slightly noticeable whine from the front for maybe the last 5000 miles). I thought that if need be, I could borrow a 20 ton press and put Timken SET930 bearings in them.

Only thing I wish the guy wouldn't have done was reuse the spindle nuts when the Centric brake kit came with a nut.

River1

Hey, I'll read almost any rant. There's usually a reason bringing a rant out. It's the collar that I thought might be effecting the race. If it gets pushed in too tight something's got to give. It's hard to believe or accept but put a dial indicator on something solid like a head and press down on it with just pushing against it with your own weight. You'll see the indicator move. You can also squeeze almost a half a thou out of an iron block at the cylinder bores. Neither the collar or race is as solid or massive as a cylinder head. If a race or collar is going to give it should move in the direction of the spindle instead of the hub. It's just the weaker of the two. As I said though, this was just speculation about what 295 lbs might be doing to the components. Thanks for the explanations along with ShirBlackspots too.

F150Torqued

I know it's a TTY nut, but probably won't ever hurt a thing if it didn't strip when he tightened it - (maybe not to 295). But with the cotter pin and lock nut it ain't gonna come off anyway.

ShirBlackspots

Yeah, I know that, but I still didn't like it when he did that.

Kevinpmac

Is the consensus here that the Centric mod is a good and reliable fix? My garbage Powerstop warped rotors have to go. Yes, I followed their break-in instructions.