Front wheel bearings
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 320
From: Springfield MO.
Front wheel bearings
I have a promblem with the front pass side wheel bearnings. iam guessing its the bearings b/c i can move the rim up and down and has alot of play when the car is off the ground. Also i get noise from the same place like the cailper is rattleing now and now when i turn the steering wheel to the righta little or all the way , i get a heavy whinning sound form the PS. and no noise when i turn wheel to left. So my question is Whats this sound like to you ? 
I'am thinkings its the bearnings and i heard u can not replace them u have to buy a whole new HUB ? is this true ? also why is it rattling so loud and PS is acting up ? this problem is been there for a while is it causing other things to fail ? ie PS and Brakes ? if i do need to replace the HUB is this hard dont look to hard ?
I'am thinkings its the bearnings and i heard u can not replace them u have to buy a whole new HUB ? is this true ? also why is it rattling so loud and PS is acting up ? this problem is been there for a while is it causing other things to fail ? ie PS and Brakes ? if i do need to replace the HUB is this hard dont look to hard ?
Last edited by Spllouder; Jan 19, 2004 at 04:29 AM.
Registered User
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 420
From: Newburgh, IN
It sounds like it could be your wheel bearings, especially since you said it made noise when you tried to turn.
How many miles are on your car?
Another possibility is the tie rods. I would check these also.
It could be a combination of the 2. When you said there was a lot of play when you move the wheel around, this is common of the tie rods when they are bad.
How many miles are on your car?
Another possibility is the tie rods. I would check these also.
It could be a combination of the 2. When you said there was a lot of play when you move the wheel around, this is common of the tie rods when they are bad.
Registered User
Joined: Dec 1969
Posts: 27,729
From: Little Rock, AR
If you really have slop in the hub/bearing, you need to replace it. Four bolts hold it on and it is replaced as a unit, as you said (also includes the wheel speed sensor).
Fix what you can tell is bad, first. Then proceed to eliminating other items. If your tie rod ends have cracked or torn boots, replace them, too.
Fix what you can tell is bad, first. Then proceed to eliminating other items. If your tie rod ends have cracked or torn boots, replace them, too.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 451
From: Bradenton Fl
Mine howled too when they went bad. I didnt notice it untill after a front tire change and thought they were to blame and had the tires changed again thinking they were defective.You couldnt even tell with mine you could grab the wheel and shake and nothing moved after I replaced both bearing hubs it dissapeared!
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 175
From: Cullman,AL
My car has 66,000 miles and I just had to replace the front drivers side hub assembly today. I am not really sure what causes one side to wear earlier than the other, but my passenger side is fine. I picked up a new hub assembly for $115 at Advance Autoparts. It sucks to pay that, but at least you get the entire assembly and it is a very easy item to install.
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 567
From: Texas
Rob-Shoebox made a good point. Also check the outter tie rod ends also, if the grease boots are torn its time to replace. Had no idea until my hub went out that the outter tie rod end boots were torn so i replaced them also when doing hub.
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Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,041
From: Robinson, IL
As an alternative, lower cost source, check your local bone yard. There should be a good supply of those out there. When I did my 98+ brake swap, the bearings cam with the spindles.
I kept my -97 bearings as spares. They are interchangeable.
I kept my -97 bearings as spares. They are interchangeable.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 320
From: Springfield MO.
Originally posted by Don 97 SS
As an alternative, lower cost source, check your local bone yard. There should be a good supply of those out there. When I did my 98+ brake swap, the bearings cam with the spindles.
I kept my -97 bearings as spares. They are interchangeable.
As an alternative, lower cost source, check your local bone yard. There should be a good supply of those out there. When I did my 98+ brake swap, the bearings cam with the spindles.
I kept my -97 bearings as spares. They are interchangeable.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,041
From: Robinson, IL
Originally posted by Spllouder
good idea ! what do u mean by interchangeable ? Some one told me u can get the bearings it self out they are fixed. but do u mean u kept ur old hub and interchange them ?
good idea ! what do u mean by interchangeable ? Some one told me u can get the bearings it self out they are fixed. but do u mean u kept ur old hub and interchange them ?
I don't know about rebuilding the bearing itself like on older vehicles. Frankly, this is the first car I've owned with this sealed hub design. I am used to removing the bearings and races to be repacked/rebuilt. I've done this enought times over the years.
ANyway my point is that these parts are probably at your local bone yard for less than a third the price of new. One never really can estimate the life of these suckers even when new; it could be 400k miles or 40k miles.
