wheel bearing

[6700]

i was driving today and it sounded like a bearing spining in a race but it went away, how do you check if a wheel bearing is bad?

 

[walterd140]

Jack up the side in question & put your hands at 3 & 9 o'clock on the tire. Push in & out (in on 3, out on 9, then reverse). If the tire moves, it's a loose bearing.

Walter

 

[DeRocha]

Walter is correct The check for loose/worn bearings is similar to checking ball-joints (except ball joints are 12 and 6 as opposed to 3 & 9 ).

Another common cause for front end bearing noises is worn automatic hubs. AutoHubs tend to make squealing noises when then are going out (especially when taking corners). If you can get the noise to happen again (consistently) then engage 4x4 for a few seconds when going straight.. This should cause the auto hubs to lock and change the noise you're hearing.. If this is the case you should take them out and clean them... Hub noise and chattering can be attributed to mechanics who pack hubs with grease.. Hubs are a fairly dry assembly and any packing with grease will cause problems with engagement.

 

[ma96782]

For ME..........

12 and 6 for......ball joints.

3 and 9 for.......tie rods.

Wheel bearings......remove greese and check (heat damage or bearing(s) that fall out). But, I like the 3 and 9 test too.

Aloha, Mark

 

[6700]

now drive shaft

i can shake the u joint that is at the trtansfer case in the rear is there supp to be any play in it and my rear wheel shakes i did fix the frong wheel bearing

 

[ma96782]

IMHO.......IF you suspect the frt end.......take it to a shop (that you trust) that has a lot of experience. Ask for an evaluation and an estimate.

Rear wheel bearings hardly ever go out.......but it could happen. They are a PIA to change. So, not knowing your skill level. Perhaps, that should also be looked at by the pro.

 

[6700]

wobble

well im pretty good with card if i know whats wrong i have never took a car to a machanic yet i am a do it your selfer, i did figure out the front wheel bearing, i jacked it up and could wobble it back and forth so i took everything apart and the nut was realy loose i could tighten it by hand 2 turns so i got that all sorted, i was driving down the road after i fixed that and the wobble was still there so i lowered my mirrors and watched the rear wheels spin as i drove, the rear pass side has a wobble to it, i cant move it if i jack it up so im thinking it might be a bent wheel, its a alloy wheel though and on my other car when it bent there was a crack but not on this one so im going to the recking yard tomorrow and buying another factory wheel to see if it changes anything, they sell them for 12 bux for wheel and tire so if it isint that atleast i have a good matching spare.

 

[walterd140]

When you say you can shake the u-joint, do you mean like up & down, side to side? If so, better get a new one. It might turn a bit when trying to rotate the shaft, but it should not rattle.
Also, if your dropping the shaft, might as well get the other u-joint while it's out. Your going to have it dis-assembled anyway & the joints are like $25.

Tire might just be loose nuts. Had that happen before. Check that 1st. Loosen them, jack it up, then tighten. drop the truck & tighten the rest of the way.
Walter

 

[DeRocha]

U-joints should be fairly tight with zero wobble. If you grab the shaft with one hand on each side of the U-joint and twist the joint should have zero movement. The greater the movement the greater the wear..

6700 do you have automatic or manual hubs? Manual hubs have been known to loosen up, whereas the locking key employed by the autos generally does a great job if keeping the axle hub nut in place.

 

[6700]

x

i have auto hubs, i can grab the drive shaft with one hand and move it side to side and up and down, so ya i guess i have a bad u joint, hey could that be causing my rear wobble? since it is prob moving the whole rear axel if it going bad?

 

[6700]

o i forgot it wobbles worth at lower speeds like 5 - 20 then the faster i go the less noticable it is and its there in 2wd 4wd giving it gas and with no gas...

 

[6700]

wow no more wobble yay, but my last question, can i run with 3 235/75/r15 and 1 235/70/r15? the 75 is 176.25mm tall and the 70 is 164.5mm tall and converted to inches its 75=6.939in and 70 is 6.476in wich is less than a in different, a lil over 1/2 to 3/4 in diff, will i notice anything and will it mess up anything?

 

[X-North]

After the repacking heres the procedure for tightening auto hubs bearing nut.

STEP 1 = 35 in-lbs
STEP 2 = Back-off 1/4 turn
STEP 3 = 16 in-lbs

ENDPLAY= 0 to 0.003 inch
Hub turning torque maximum of 25 in-lbs

 

[DeRocha]

After the repacking heres the procedure for tightening auto hubs bearing nut.

STEP 1 = 35 in-lbs
STEP 2 = Back-off 1/4 turn
STEP 3 = 16 in-lbs

ENDPLAY= 0 to 0.003 inch
Hub turning torque maximum of 25 in-lbs

You have a typo in the above... Step 1 should be 35 ft/lbs not in-lbs