Right front wheel bearing going bad
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 348
Likes: 0
From: Mooresville NC
Right front wheel bearing going bad
I was having a vibration during hard braking at a track day. The right front wheel bearing is shot. I bought the TimKen replacement at AutoZone. The AutoZone guy said I should replace both fronts. The left front (original stock) still feels good. Should I spend the extra money and swap out the left front too?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,132
Likes: 1
From: Morganton, NC, USA
I'm a bearing engineer and get paid enough to consider myself an expert. Identical bearings in a system do not fail at the same time given equal loads and speeds. They have a life dispersion. You should not have to replace the other side. On the other hand, the bearings are capable of a longer life than the grease that lubricates them. Time at high temperatures is what reduces the life of grease. If your C5 was tracked a lot on a road course, both front bearings and grease will have seen some high temps. Unfortunately, you cannot clean out and re-pack these bearings. If the other side starts making noise, replace it.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Was your bearings making any unusual noises as well? For example a squeaking or rattling noise that sounded like brake drag. I have a 2004 vette, and I just replaced the pads and rotors all around. I still have a rattling coming from the front end, the brakes are great, no vibrations or squeaking, I just cannot figure out the rattling from the front end. I have taken off the center caps, retorqued the lugs and still no change. Do any of you guys have a suggestion as to what it may be?
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,596
Likes: 67
From: Bahama North Carolina
Was your bearings making any unusual noises as well? For example a squeaking or rattling noise that sounded like brake drag. I have a 2004 vette, and I just replaced the pads and rotors all around. I still have a rattling coming from the front end, the brakes are great, no vibrations or squeaking, I just cannot figure out the rattling from the front end. I have taken off the center caps, retorqued the lugs and still no change. Do any of you guys have a suggestion as to what it may be?
