Forgetting the spacer and torqueing to 300 lb ft would result in the incorrect bearing end-play adjustment. This will cause premature failure of the wheel bearings which will result in costly downtime and could even cause a wheel-off incident. Proper bearing torque procedures are critical to reliability and safety. If you there is no spacer in use, you need to follow TMC RP618 to ensure a properly adjusted bearing. Check out our video on Heavy Duty Wheel Bearing Installation and Adjustment for more info: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/j9OUiZmLu8qVlKc.html

@@BowerBearings thank you for replying. So I took the wheel off and yes the spacer was there I just got confused since I did it quick but still wonder what happens if you don’t put the spacer and still torque it the wheel probably won’t spin correct?

@@user-bk7wu1eb4w The wheel would probably still spin at that torque setting, but it would be feel very tight and would have no end-play.

@@BowerBearings thanks for replying I just ended up taking it apart to double check I feel better knowing that it is in there and it is properly adjusted. Too much liability on bearings

Yes. You can delete the cone spacer and manually adjust pre-set bearings without issue. What you can't do is use a cone spacer with a standard bearing set. If you do choose to use a spacer, you need to use it with pre-set bearings.

​@@BowerBearings wow thank you for the fast reply and thank you so much for the information

We find the style of retention nut used usually comes down to the preference of the fleet or operator. The dual nut system is likely the most commonly used in over the road trucking, but we encounter all retention nut styles used in all applications. Single nut set-ups are growing in popularity though.

​@@BowerBearingsYou didn't answer the question.

Good question. There are a couple reasons a fleet might choose one over the other. One is the preference of the fleet. Some truck fleets just prefer to stick with standard tapered roller bearings sets, and follow the established TMC procedure to adjust the bearings and achieve proper end play. Standard bearings sets can be more cost effective to purchase, but they take longer to install and adjust and there is a larger margin for error, so there is a tradeoff. Wheel end spacers require higher precision tapered roller bearing sets, and a high precision bearing set with the matching spacer can cost more, but the installation is quicker with a smaller margin of error. There are tradeoffs with either option, so sometimes it comes down to their preference, and going with what they know for their established maintenance procedures.

Thanks for checking out our video! Feel free to let us know if you ever have any questions about heavy duty bearings.

@@BowerBearings Certainly

Hi Mike- Glad to hear those Bower Bearings are holding up well. Since the rear end is an oil bath system, the bearings will be lubricated by oil during operation. Typically, for an oil bath system used in heavy duty applications, you do not need to pack the bearings with grease during installation. We recommend taking a small dab of grease on a clean rag and lightly applying a thin coating on the bearing/rollers. This will prevent metal on metal contact during installation and initial operation. Thank you.