how to diagnose bad wheel bearing/bad cv axle -- 98 AWD

[shadowless127]

going to look at a 98 mountaineer awd tomorrow and the seller says it needs new wheel bearings and maybe cv axles.

Without having to tear down the front end, how can i confim this?

also, what's the avg labor time to replace a cv axle and a wheel bearing? i only ask because i know how much my guy charges for labor, and im just trying to see if this is a good deal for me or not.

Thx!

 

[shadowless127]

anyone?

 

[n2epv]

I'm just a 'shade tree' mechanic, but here goes...

Test 1 - drive it with the windows down and the tunes turned off. Low speed sharp turns (like pulling out of a parking space) will show up CV problems - you will hear about 2 clicks or thumps per wheel revolution. You need some torque on the axles to make them act up. For wheel bearings take it up to 50 MPH and do some quick lane changes or find a curvy road. Bad wheel bearings make grumbling or whirring noises when pushed in a corner. If either bearings or CV's get really bad, they will make noise going straight ahead - this means fix it fast!

Test 2 - jack up each front wheel and check for play. A bad wheel bearing usually will allow the tire to wiggle if tugged on with only a little force. It should be free of play. Take it off the jack and crawl under the front bumper. Look for any sign of grease coming out of the CV boots or on the adjacent frame (each axle has two boots). I've had CV joints last almost forever if the boots stay sealed and the grease stays in.

If anyone has corrections to my comments here, I won't be offended

 

[shadowless127]

its the pass side cv joint and pass side wheel bearing.

I dont have to replace both sides do I? crawled under the truck and the left side looks in good condition, no rips/tears in the boot.

Also, how much should i expect to pay a shop to replace the bearing and cv axle for the pass side?

 

[99minneotaexp]

my 99 has a bad wheel bearing in it currently, it acts just like a front wheel drive wheel bearing failure, it grumbles going straight down the road, and at 30 or so MPH if I sweve to the left or right(like a curve in the road, enough to transferre some weight) it will go away in one direction and not the other, in my case it's the passenger side so when I swerve to the right it gets quieter, and to left it's a bit louder, and yes, a CV axle will "pop" when you turn sharply. In extreme cases you may be able to feel the steering wheel pull or wobble for lack of a better term. and no, if only one is bad, you only need to replace the one side. Try www.car-part.com for wrecking yards near you.

 

[shadowless127]

my 99 has a bad wheel bearing in it currently, it acts just like a front wheel drive wheel bearing failure, it grumbles going straight down the road, and at 30 or so MPH if I sweve to the left or right(like a curve in the road, enough to transferre some weight) it will go away in one direction and not the other, in my case it's the passenger side so when I swerve to the right it gets quieter, and to left it's a bit louder, and yes, a CV axle will "pop" when you turn sharply. In extreme cases you may be able to feel the steering wheel pull or wobble for lack of a better term. and no, if only one is bad, you only need to replace the one side. Try www.car-parts.com for wrecking yards near you.

cool. and I <3 car-part.com; my 03 mounty is getting rebuilt from a bunch of stuff off there .

 

[n2epv]

its the pass side cv joint and pass side wheel bearing.

I dont have to replace both sides do I? crawled under the truck and the left side looks in good condition, no rips/tears in the boot.

Also, how much should i expect to pay a shop to replace the bearing and cv axle for the pass side?

It should save a lot on labor since both problems are on one side. If they take the bearing out, they don't have much go much more to remove the axle. A wild guess would be 1.5 hours labor. A 'flat rate' shop (one that goes by a standard guide for hours charged to the customer) will happily give you a quote. At least around here, that can be a more expensive bill since they add wheel bearing replacement time to axle replacement time, which in your repair is sort of double-billing. Also add in the cost of an alignment (unless the tires are beat, then wait until you get new tires). It seems pulling things apart in the front end always seems to knock it out of wack.

 

[99minneotaexp]

I use it for all my parts,, LOL Its the best thing since sliced bread!

 

[shadowless127]

It should save a lot on labor since both problems are on one side. If they take the bearing out, they don't have much go much more to remove the axle. A wild guess would be 1.5 hours labor. A 'flat rate' shop (one that goes by a standard guide for hours charged to the customer) will happily give you a quote. At least around here, that can be a more expensive bill since they add wheel bearing replacement time to axle replacement time, which in your repair is sort of double-billing. Also add in the cost of an alignment (unless the tires are beat, then wait until you get new tires). It seems pulling things apart in the front end always seems to knock it out of wack.

my guy only charges for me actual labor, meaning i won't get double billed.

I'm gonna get a friggin steal on this truck, because it's either I buy it or he scraps it.

Exterior of truck is a 9.5/10 and the interior is a 7/10. He did the alternator, water pump, plugs/wires, and serpentine belt last year.