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Noob needs help on rear hub

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Old Oct 3, 2007 | 01:34 PM
  #1  
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Default Noob needs help on rear hub

Hi all,

I need some guidance on how to know if a rear hub has or is about to go bad.

I got a 90 C4 & two months ago I had a flat rear tire repaired. When the shop reinstalled the wheel they used an air impact gun to do the lug nuts....and now I discovered that they cross threaded three of them....one was cross threaded so badly that the stud broke when I tried to get the nut off, the other two are so chewed up I can't get the nuts back on.

My fear is that this would cause that rear hub bearing to fail? I gotta figure that those three nuts were not doing much and that situation would damage the bearing???

Am I looking for things that don't exist; or is my fear of impending bearing failure valid????

Thanks for any help!


Tom
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Old Oct 3, 2007 | 01:40 PM
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I believe you should just check for play in the hub and if there is excessive play you would replace the hub not just the bearing. When I replaced mine it wasnt a big deal and pretty easy
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Old Oct 3, 2007 | 02:36 PM
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Originally Posted by tomtom72
My fear is that this would cause that rear hub bearing to fail?
Why? Just replace the studs and nuts as necessary and be on your way. You can check the condition of the bearing, but any problems weren't caused by the cross threaded nuts.

RACE ON!!!
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Old Oct 3, 2007 | 02:48 PM
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There should be no correlation between the hub bearing and the studs (other than they are in the same housing).
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Old Oct 3, 2007 | 03:22 PM
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Originally Posted by CFI-EFI
Why? Just replace the studs and nuts as necessary and be on your way. You can check the condition of the bearing, but any problems weren't caused by the cross threaded nuts.

RACE ON!!!
... ....i would be going back to the shop for a "discussion".....
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Old Oct 3, 2007 | 04:43 PM
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Thanks guys!

I never felt any wobble from the rear as I was driving these past two months. I truthfully was not sure if I could just r & r the bad studs and be on my way.

I don't think it's a good idea for me to have a conversation with the shop about this. I just see it as they saying how come I didn't notice the cross threaded lug nuts till now? I just see it as I'll never go back there again.

It stinks when you can't even trust a shop to put your wheel back on correctly!

Thanks again for the advice!

Tom
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Old Oct 3, 2007 | 07:50 PM
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Have the repair shop replace the damaged studs.
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Old Oct 4, 2007 | 08:56 AM
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I had rear hub bearings with excessive slop and never felt a wobble, so the absence of a wobble does not mean everything is OK. I doubt the cross threaded studs caused any problems with the hub, but if you want to check bearing slop grab the tire at the 12 & 6 o'clock positions and try to move it. The factory spec is minimal, so if it moves much at all, the bearing has slop in it and it should be changed. FYI if you grab it at 3 & 9 o'clock and it moves, then the slop is in the tie rods.
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Old Oct 4, 2007 | 10:07 AM
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Originally Posted by Brimis
Have the repair shop replace the damaged studs.
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Old Oct 4, 2007 | 10:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Mark_Sheehy
if you want to check bearing slop grab the tire at the 12 & 6 o'clock positions and try to move it. The factory spec is minimal, so if it moves much at all, the bearing has slop in it and it should be changed. FYI if you grab it at 3 & 9 o'clock and it moves, then the slop is in the tie rods.
That is not correct. If there is movement in the 12 & 6 test, the same movement will be present in the 3 & 9 test. IF the tie rods are bad, there will be MORE movement in the 3 & 9 test than the 12 & 6 test.

RACE ON!!!
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Old Oct 4, 2007 | 12:52 PM
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Thank you Mark and CFI-EFI for the insight on the 3 & 9 and 12 & 6 tests.....I understand that it is not exact but rather to be used as an indicator of something that could need attention.

Yea, I was looking in the 90 FSM and the play allowed for the bearing was like 0.1---- mm or something minescule. I took it to mean that no movement is tolerated.

Thank you guys for sharing your knowledge!


Tom
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Old Oct 4, 2007 | 02:23 PM
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Quote: That is not correct. If there is movement in the 12 & 6 test, the same movement will be present in the 3 & 9 test. IF the tie rods are bad, there will be MORE movement in the 3 & 9 test than the 12 & 6 test.

Agreed - but this ignores possible play in the differential output stub axle/flange. The end play spec for the differential output stub axles is Zero. Any play there will contribute to loosness or play/slop in wheel movement - mostly at the 3 and 9 position - more noticeable if you grab the tire at say 10 and 4. Play in those bearings (actually controlled by the c-clips that hold the stub axles into the differential, those c-clips are available in "shim" thicknesses as a kit from GM) is common with higher mileage and is one of the main causes of the rear wheels "steering" the car..
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Old Oct 4, 2007 | 02:37 PM
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Originally Posted by rons85
Quote: That is not correct. If there is movement in the 12 & 6 test, the same movement will be present in the 3 & 9 test. IF the tie rods are bad, there will be MORE movement in the 3 & 9 test than the 12 & 6 test.

Agreed - but this ignores possible play in the differential output stub axle/flange. The end play spec for the differential output stub axles is Zero. Any play there will contribute to loosness or play/slop in wheel movement - mostly at the 3 and 9 position - more noticeable if you grab the tire at say 10 and 4. Play in those bearings (actually controlled by the c-clips that hold the stub axles into the differential, those c-clips are available in "shim" thicknesses as a kit from GM) is common with higher mileage and is one of the main causes of the rear wheels "steering" the car..
When checking them you can watch to see what part moves.
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