Frequently Asked Questions

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Dealer Technical Bulletins - Section 03 - Front Suspension

Dealer Bulletin 68-T-18 – Never Pre-Load Wheel Bearings

Bulletin 68-T-18 — Pontiac Motor Division Dealer Technical Bulletin, Section 3, dated August 16, 1968. Attention: Service Manager.

Subject: Never Pre-Load Front Wheel Bearings.

Short answer: Front wheel taper roller bearings must never be pre-loaded. This bulletin establishes new adjustment and lubrication procedures that supersede all previous procedures. Bearing “burn-up” caused by over-tightening is not covered by warranty if prior service is documented.

Important: Front wheel taper roller bearings must never be pre-loaded. These procedures supersede all previous procedures.

Adjustment

The following numbered steps correspond to the photographic illustrations in the original bulletin:

  1. Hand-spin the wheel.
  2. Back off the nut until just snug — just loose (1/4 to 1/2 turn).
  3. First seat the bearings; this overcomes any burrs on the threads.
  4. Hand-snug up the nut.
  5. Loosen the nut until a hole in the spindle lines up with a slot in the nut, then insert cotter pin. Note: Under no circumstances is the bearing to be even finger-tight.
  6. When the bearing is properly adjusted there will be from 0.001″ to 0.005″ end play (looseness).
Note to Novice Mechanics: It would be desirable to use a dial indicator (1968 Service Manual, page 3-2, Fig. 3-2) to check for proper end-play as described in step 6, until you become familiar with the amount of movement associated with correct end-play.

Lubrication (New Recommendation)

Every 12,000 miles the bearings should be inspected and lubricated with a high melting point grease. The bearings should be cleaned and checked for signs of galling and damage from dirt.

Note: Before reassembly, put a slight amount of grease on the inside diameter of the bearing cone to ensure that the cone will creep, which will help prevent galling.

Caution: Protect the bearings during clean-up operations on the brake backing plate and drum to keep out dirt.

The seal should be inspected and replaced if there are signs of dirt or water entering the area.

Warranty

Replacement of wheel bearings due to “burn-up” is a direct result of over-tightening the bearings. This repair is not covered by warranty if a review of the car’s service history reveals that the hub and drum assembly had previously been serviced (removed for any reason, either by your own dealership or an outside service).
This is a transcription of the original dealer bulletin for easier reading and search. The complete original scan is shown below, including the figures.

Reference:

  • 1968 Pontiac Service Manual, Page 3-2, Figure 3-2

Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am

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Dealer Technical Bulletin 68-T-3 – Front Suspension Popping Noise – 1968 Tempest

Bulletin 68-T-3 — Pontiac Motor Division Dealer Technical Bulletin, Section 3, dated October 24, 1967. Attention: Service Manager.

Subject: Front Suspension Popping Noise — 1968 Tempest.

Short answer: A popping or snapping noise during harsh jounce on some 1968 Tempests (built at Baltimore and Framingham plants) is caused by the front lower control arm flange contacting the frame near the front pivot bushing. A shiny spot on the control arm edge confirms the interference; the fix is to grind or file down the offending metal.

A popping or snapping noise which can be misdiagnosed as a mispositioned coil spring, present in the front suspension of a 1968 Tempest when the vehicle is subjected to a harsh jounce, can be caused by interference between the front lower control arm flange and the front frame in the area where the control arm pivots (close to the rubber bushing). See Fig. 1 in the scan below.

The presence of this interference condition can be confirmed by visual inspection of the control arm. If present, there will be a shiny spot at the edge of the rear lip of the control arm near the front pivot point. Inspect both right and left control arms for this condition.

NOTE: This condition will only be found on vehicles built at the Baltimore and Framingham Plants. At the present time, the parts used at these plants are being revised by the supplier.

Repair Procedure

NOTE: This repair should only be performed on vehicles that show visual proof of interference (shiny spot) between frame and front control arm flange.

  1. Raise vehicle by supporting lower control arm outboard of the spring seat.
  2. Using a small grinding stone, disc, or file, remove metal from the control arm that caused the interference.

    NOTE: The interference may be due to either the lip of the control arm flange exceeding .200″ in width or excessive length of the lip (end of flange should be aligned with the center of the control arm attaching bolt and bushing — see Fig. 2 in the scan below).

  3. Re-check repair by lowering and jouncing vehicle. If noise is still present, repeat steps 1 and 2 until desired clearance between control arm flange and frame pocket is provided.

NOTE: This interference between the lower control arm and frame in no way affects the operation of the vehicle except for the aforementioned noise complaint.

Flat Rate Information
Operation Number Time Allowance Trouble Code
Flat rate operation 031-230-03 0.4 hrs. 31
This is a transcription of the original dealer bulletin for easier reading and search. The complete original scan, including the figures, is shown below.

Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am

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Content last modified: June 9, 2026 at 7:10 am