I have got a 61 t-bird with original front brake drums. I wounder how many footpounds to tighten the front hub nut, (also called adjusting nut), with after doing maintenance on the front brakes?

Don't have a shop manual with me, I'll try to remember to look it up tonight. The "shade tree" method was to tighten the nut until the wheel would not turn then back it off 1/4 of a turn.

I recall from a '65 Mustang there was a torque spec but I think it too locked the wheel and the 1/4 back turn was also used. Assume the torque requirement is to ensure the bearings are seated and located properly on the hub.

Thanks Vince, appriciate if you could find the correct data. I tried to look in Fords original shop manual, but I didn't find that specific data. On page 7-13 item 11 it says "...install the adjusting nut and nutretainer."
I looked in my sons shop manual for his Chevy -57, which have a very simular brake and brake drum design, it was stated to tighten the nut with 33 ft.lbs. , but that's a Chevy...

ulf_61, DO NOT use the Chev specification! GM products of that era typically had ball type wheel bearings which are quite different from the roller type bearings in your T-bird. I have been adjusting these by feel for years but, there is indeed a torque specification. First, you should start with a throughly clean hub. Inspect the bearing races for wear and if they are OK, coat the inner cavity of the hub with the proper grease up to the level of the bearing races. Wash the wheel bearings and dry with compressed air. Do not spin the bearings with the copressed air. Inspect the rollers for pitting and general wear. If they are satisfactory, pack them with grease either with a packing tool or I prefer to do it with the heal of my hand. Install the inner bearing in the hub first and install a new seal to hold it in place. Install the hub/drum assembly on the spindle and then the outer wheel bearing, washer and nut. While rotating the hub by hand, tighten the adjusting nut to 17-25 ft.-lb.s. Note the feel and observe the position of the castellations on the nut relative to the cotter pin hole. There should be no binding and the hub should turn smoothly and freely. A dial reading torque wrench is preferred to do this but not absolutely necessary. Now back off the nut 1 slot to align with the cotter pin hole in the spindle. Install a new cotter pin. Re-check the feel of rotating the bearing. It should be smooth and free. If not, back off the nut and start over. You will develop a sense of what to feel and after a bit of practice, you can do this without a torque wrench.

Ulf,

The books I have said to tighten down the nut to 17-25 ft/lbs. Arrange the castle nut so that the hole for the cotter pin is exposed. Turn the castle nut back until the hole is expose again (1/8th a turn ?).

Thanks guys, very valueble information, much appriciated /Ulf

For about 3 years I worked on the assembly line at Ford motor company before I got into skilled trades. The job I did was installing the front rotor. I used a machine that would tighten the nut to about 100 ft lbs of torque to seat the rotor tightly on the spindle then it would back it off. I would then use a small torque wrench to tighten the nut to about 5-10 ft. lbs. of torque. I hope this helps.