1953 International Front Hub Install: Disc Brake Swap Part 2 (Video)
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With the new races and bearings already in the hubs, getting the front hubs back on our 1953 International came down to a few simple steps: wipe a thin layer of grease on the spindle, slide the hub on, line it up, set the spindle nut and lock it with a cotter pin. Rob left the calipers off for now and is mounting the rotors with the spacers from the disc brake kit, so the truck can roll around the driveway while the rest of the build catches up. Watch Part 2 below.
Rob was back out in the driveway with the yard dogs, Charlie and Max, supervising. Last time, in Part 1, he fought a 73-year-old bearing race out of the hub with Boyce's weld bead trick, seated new races and packed the bearings. One side was done. This video finishes the other side.
Step 1: A thin layer of grease on the spindle
Before the hub goes on, Rob wipes a little grease on the spindle. His advice: don't go crazy. A thin layer is all you need to help the bearings slide on and keep moisture off the metal. The bearings themselves were already packed with high-temp grease in Part 1, which is where the grease actually matters.
Step 2: Slide the hub on and line it up
Ease the hub straight onto the spindle so you don't knock the inner bearing or the seal crooked. Line it up, put the outer bearing and washer in, and start the spindle nut by hand.
On most tapered-bearing setups, the nut gets snugged while you spin the hub to seat the bearings, then backed off and set to the adjustment your kit calls for. Every kit and spindle is a little different, so follow the instructions that came with yours.
Step 3: Cotter pins in
Once the nut is set, line up the slot with the hole in the spindle and put the cotter pin (Rob calls them cotter keys) through. Use a new one every time and bend the legs over so it can't back out. That little pin is what keeps the nut, and the wheel, where they belong.
Why the calipers are staying off for now
The International isn't going to be driving anytime soon. It still needs a motor, a transmission and brake lines. So instead of hanging calipers that have nothing to do, Rob is putting the rotors on with the little spacers that came in the kit and mounting the tires. That lets him roll the truck back and forth in the driveway as the build moves along. The copper calipers from Part 1 will go on when there's a brake system to hook them to.
A quick safety note: a roller like this has no working brakes. Only move it by hand or with help on flat ground, chock the wheels when it's parked, and never put it on the road until the whole brake system is plumbed, bled and tested.
Cleaning up the shop
Rob also pressure washed the concrete slab outside his little shop out back and washed the green growth off the truck. A clean slab makes it a lot easier to find the bolt you just dropped, and a lot nicer to lie on.
What's next for the 1953 International
Here's the plan Rob laid out at the end of the video:
- Get it off the jack stands and sitting on its own wheels.
- Paint the engine bay and get it ready for the new radiator.
- Box the frame. The International has open C-channel frame rails. Boxing them in, by welding plate over the open side, stiffens the frame where the new motor mounts will go.
- Mount the new motor and transmission.
- Paint the frame in stages and get everything ready to move forward.
- Set the ride height and go from there.
Rob's take: it's going to be a pretty cool project when it's done, and they're having fun so far. That's the whole point.
Follow the build
Subscribe to the Vulture Kustoms YouTube channel to catch the next part, when the International comes off the jack stands and the frame work starts. You can also read more about the crew in the story behind Rob's 1966 C-10.
Got a truck that's spent more time on jack stands than on the road? The NO ETA tee was made for you. The WENT FOR ONE PART tee is for anybody whose project keeps growing, and the DRIVEWAY RATES mug is for the guy whose driveway is the neighborhood shop. Shopping for a builder? Browse our gifts for car guys. Everything is printed to order, so order by December 10 for Christmas delivery (see our Christmas shipping deadlines).
Frequently asked questions
How much grease goes on a spindle before installing a hub?
Just a thin layer. It helps the bearings slide on and keeps rust off the spindle. The real lubrication comes from packing the bearings themselves with high-temp wheel bearing grease.
Can you reuse a cotter pin on a spindle nut?
It's best not to. Cotter pins are cheap and fatigue when they're bent. Put in a new one and bend the legs over so the nut can't back off.
Can you put rotors on without calipers to move a project truck?
That's what we did on the 1953 International, using the spacers from the disc brake kit so the wheels could go on. The truck has no brakes that way, so only roll it by hand on flat ground and chock the wheels when it's parked.
Why box a C-channel frame?
Open C-channel rails can flex. Welding plate over the open side turns them into a closed box that's much stiffer, which is a common step before welding in new motor and transmission mounts.