Front Wheel Bearings 1972 914, Need advice installing Front wheel Bearings. Options

[356fan]

I’m having trouble with the wheel bearings and I’m looking for some advice as to how to properly install them.

I burnt out the driver’s side spindle with bearing failure some years back. At the time I chocked it up to a fluke(or poor install by myself). I don’t recall what brand I got from Pelican Parts when I rebuilt them originally but ordered a pair just to have a spare on the shelf the ones I got at that time where Kyoto.

In May the passenger side failed so I popped in the other set of Kyoto and promptly had Pelican overnight me OEM bearings(they shipped SKF from Mexico. Who knew SKF in Mexico was making parts for Porsche I guess you learn something new every day). I pulled the driver side the day I replaced the passenger everything seemed fine at the time no metal shavings or pitting.

I have about 1500 miles on the new passenger side bearing and probably like 8k on the driver I replaced when I toasted the spindle. Today I had to replace them both. Drivers was very lose and pitted passengers not as bad but still gone. I replaced the passenger side with an SKF and supplied races packed it with high temperature disk brake wheel bearing greases. As a test the driver’s side got the bearing that came with that spindle made in Germany quite possibly original looks and feels like new.

So it would seem I’m not doing something quite right here. I would like to think it’s bad bearings maybe the first 4 where Kyoto, but I doubt it could be that easy. From there my mind goes to improperly installed, got any tips?

Rereading my note I see that the driver side was fine until I checked 1500 miles ago. Maybe I’m over tightening these things. Looking back at the manual I see that it calls for spinning the rotor as you tighten the nut(which I have been doing) then to check that the nose washer can just be moved laterally by gently using a screwdriver. I forgot this step today driveless than 3 miles but have since corrected it and now have 20 miles on them. What method do you use to tighten the pinch nut?

I jacked up the car this evening and can feel movement maybe 1/16 to an 1/8 when I shake the wheel top and bottom. Should there be any play like this? I’m afraid to over tighten them, then again to lose and that would be just as bad.

Thank you in advance for any advice.