Wheel Bearings? Help!!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 260
Likes: 0
From: Canton,Ohio,USA
Wheel Bearings? Help!!
I have 31,000 on my 96 CE. I am at a stop sign turning left. Tight turn but not much gas and the car starts with this woop, woop, woop sound! Kind of like the variable pitch/feel of a warped rotor. Weird! Wheel bearing? It was coming from the right side.....where the load is. It does not make the noise at any other time. How do I determine what this really is?
Mark :confused:
Mark :confused:
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,818
Likes: 2
From: Alive and well in Burlington NC
Re: Wheel Bearings? Help!! (Oldman)
Raise the front end and check the play in the bearings. With the wheel off the ground, place your hands in the 12 and 6 o'clock position. See if there is any play by trying to rock the wheel. Check again at the 3 and 9 o'clock position.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 260
Likes: 0
From: Canton,Ohio,USA
Re: Wheel Bearings? Help!! (Steel Blue 91)
Is there to be no play (slop) in the bearing when I do this test? Would it always be the front end? No bearings on the rear?
Thanks,
Mark :rolleyes:
Thanks,
Mark :rolleyes:
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 849
Likes: 0
From: Lafayette LA
Re: Wheel Bearings? Help!! (87mark)
Same test front or rear. No slack allowed unless you want to set up a dial indicator and look for over .004. If you can feel it, it's bad. 6 & 12 position for bearings. 3 & 9 for suspension parts.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 269
Likes: 0
From: Paris AR, USA
Re: Wheel Bearings? Help!! (olephart)
Wouldn't the 6&12 o'clock rock add in the looseness in the ball joints? Is it easy to tell the difference?
When I try this, I feel quite a bit of slop but I'm having trouble telling where it's coming from. I'm pretty sure my ball joints are bad (I know the lower one is, and the upper's never been changed, 140K '88) and I'm about to replace them. I'm unsure whether the bearings are bad or not. They're enough $$$ that I don't want to replace them needlessly.
-Jason
When I try this, I feel quite a bit of slop but I'm having trouble telling where it's coming from. I'm pretty sure my ball joints are bad (I know the lower one is, and the upper's never been changed, 140K '88) and I'm about to replace them. I'm unsure whether the bearings are bad or not. They're enough $$$ that I don't want to replace them needlessly.
-Jason
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 849
Likes: 0
From: Lafayette LA
Re: Wheel Bearings? Help!! (needanother1)
If the ball joints were disconected, good bearings should prevent any movement in the 12 & 6. I believe ball joints are checked for up/down movement. Any decent alignment shop can check them for you.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 6,362
Likes: 30
From: Oak Harbor WA
Re: Wheel Bearings? Help!! (olephart)
I just replaced both my front bearing hubs in about 1.5 hours. Nothing to it really. I could feel the slight movement. Helms manual says no more than .005" of play. You can remove the hub in about 35mins time and check it on a bench for sure. Jack car, remove wheel, rem caliper mounting bracket 2x21mm, rem rotor, rem sensor wire, rem sensor bracket 2x15mm, rem 4x15mm bolts and then rem hub assy. Bolts will not come out until removed from spindle (wiggle fit through large hole in hub). Set on bench and feel for movement. If you can feel it, it's bad. .005" is almost nothing. Reinstall bolts before reinstalling on the spindle. Reverse ops to complete. :seeya
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Racer
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 270
Likes: 1
From: Torrance California
Re: Wheel Bearings? Help!! (87mark)
I just did mine. It took about 30 minutes. If you know how to rotate tires and do a brake job, this job will be a piece of cake :D I bought my bearing from "TOMS DIFFERENTIALS" cost was $189.00.
http://www.tomsdifferentials.com/
[Modified by 1SLO POK, 4:45 AM 10/8/2002]
http://www.tomsdifferentials.com/
[Modified by 1SLO POK, 4:45 AM 10/8/2002]
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 1,247
Likes: 2
From: Parker, Colorado, USofA
Re: Wheel Bearings? Help!! (Goody)
Fronts are a piece of cake, rears are a PITA!
If you have to change the rears:
Jack up back end,
remove tire, brake caliper and rotor,
disconnect and lower leafspring
Get a big **** breaker bar and about 24" of extensions, a Torx-55 socket and a 36 mm socket to remove the wheel bearing butt'y. (I'm simplifying a LOT here)
clean up the splined surfaces on the halfshaft.
Re-assemble with (IIRC) 65 ft/lbs on the torx bolts and 160 ft/lbs on the spindle nut.
Use new cotterpin to hold spindle in place.
Hope you got a good wheel bearing. I replaced both rears twice before finding quality parts. (I'm pretty good at swapping them now.)
If you have to change the rears:
Jack up back end,
remove tire, brake caliper and rotor,
disconnect and lower leafspring
Get a big **** breaker bar and about 24" of extensions, a Torx-55 socket and a 36 mm socket to remove the wheel bearing butt'y. (I'm simplifying a LOT here)
clean up the splined surfaces on the halfshaft.
Re-assemble with (IIRC) 65 ft/lbs on the torx bolts and 160 ft/lbs on the spindle nut.
Use new cotterpin to hold spindle in place.
Hope you got a good wheel bearing. I replaced both rears twice before finding quality parts. (I'm pretty good at swapping them now.)
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 1,803
Likes: 1
From: PA
Re: Wheel Bearings? Help!! (RocketSled)
Since T-55 torx bits tend to shear, I intend on buying a Snap-on for the rear wheel bearing project.
Will a 1/2" drive T-55 Torx fit in this application or do I need to buy a 3/8" drive bit?? I hear it's tight against the universal joint.
Thanks for any replies.
Will a 1/2" drive T-55 Torx fit in this application or do I need to buy a 3/8" drive bit?? I hear it's tight against the universal joint.
Thanks for any replies.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 260
Likes: 0
From: Canton,Ohio,USA
Re: Wheel Bearings? Help!! (RocketSled)
Guess What? Had the car out this afternoon and it does not make the noise now. When it was doing it I had driven all road miles for about an hour or so. It was good and hot. Could this noise be coming from the differential???
Mark :eek:
Mark :eek:
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 1,247
Likes: 2
From: Parker, Colorado, USofA
Re: Wheel Bearings? Help!! (Rick93Z07)
IIRC, mine's a napa 3/8's bit. It's been fine the four times it's been used (and around here NAPA parts are easier to replace!)
IT helps to have the whole back end off the ground and the tranny in neutral so you can rotate the driveshaft and get the U joint outta the way.
Just be sure the force you apply on the bolts is up and down not front and back --- you don't want the car walking off a jackstand without a wheel on it and you in the way!
IT helps to have the whole back end off the ground and the tranny in neutral so you can rotate the driveshaft and get the U joint outta the way.
Just be sure the force you apply on the bolts is up and down not front and back --- you don't want the car walking off a jackstand without a wheel on it and you in the way!
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 1,803
Likes: 1
From: PA
Re: Wheel Bearings? Help!! (RocketSled)
Rocket,
Thanks for opinion. I am curious why you unbolted the leaf spring. Did you feel it simplified the job? Several have posted that they were able to access all 3 bolts with careful positioning of the halfshafts & tool without removing spring or halfshafts. Perhaps a 1/2" air impact wrench with the ideal heavy duty universals and extensions would allow easier removal?? I know a breaker bar can require more working clearance.
Thanks for opinion. I am curious why you unbolted the leaf spring. Did you feel it simplified the job? Several have posted that they were able to access all 3 bolts with careful positioning of the halfshafts & tool without removing spring or halfshafts. Perhaps a 1/2" air impact wrench with the ideal heavy duty universals and extensions would allow easier removal?? I know a breaker bar can require more working clearance.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 1,247
Likes: 2
From: Parker, Colorado, USofA
Re: (scorp508)
Don't use an impact wrench on those 3 bolts. They are torx head and if you strip them you are SCREWED. :)
A friend was able to do everything without removing the leafspring...in my case, it just seemed to make the process easier with the increased clearance.
[Modified by RocketSled, 5:14 PM 10/8/2002]
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 13,128
Likes: 0
From: Oakland CA
St. Jude Donor '03
Re: (RocketSled)
Don't use an impact wrench on those 3 bolts. They are torx head and if you strip them you are SCREWED. :)
:yesnod: Actually, to answer the previous question, my impact wrench wouldn't reach. And you REALLY can't use extentions/universals on an impact wrench, all of the impact gets absorbed in those pieces rather than the bolt you're trying to pound out.
A friend was able to do everything without removing the leafspring...in my case, it just seemed to make the process easier with the increased clearance.
[Modified by RocketSled, 5:14 PM 10/8/2002]
:yesnod: Actually, to answer the previous question, my impact wrench wouldn't reach. And you REALLY can't use extentions/universals on an impact wrench, all of the impact gets absorbed in those pieces rather than the bolt you're trying to pound out.
A friend was able to do everything without removing the leafspring...in my case, it just seemed to make the process easier with the increased clearance.
[Modified by RocketSled, 5:14 PM 10/8/2002]