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Thread: Wheel bearings... How long until my wheel falls off?

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    Guest Sibbers's Avatar
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    Wheel bearings... How long until my wheel falls off?

    Just wondering. Mine makes a good bit of noise after a long journey and turning right is increasingly loud. Given the m4 between me and work, I thought I'd probe (heh) you lot for some odds on the outcome of me driving for the next 9 or so days on it.

    Bet now!

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    Guest ANDY black s13's Avatar
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    if it is just noisy and not wobbling about like it is about to fall off then 9 days is doable and it should be ok
    unless during that 9 days you are taking part in an off road rally? or are competing in a jumping over buses contest?
    or you drive on two wheels and one of them two is the semi-mangled bearing?
    other than that if during that 9 days normal useage if it gets a lot louder/starts to affect the steering/
    feel it binding up etc then stop driving it
    (I think that is sort of obvious) so sort of yea do it with caution

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    Cheers buddy that sounds like good advice. It's not noisy in a straight line, and not when cold so bus jumping and rally's aside I reckon I might be alright banzai!!!

    Thanks man

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    Engine Builder Mark's Avatar
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    It will be fine, you should see some of the wheel bearings I have driven my Land Rover on
    Quote Originally Posted by silverzx View Post
    I like Mark, he seems fair.
    Quote Originally Posted by Slip_n_slide View Post
    Mark is right.

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    Guest craftygoblin's Avatar
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    i had an escort once and the bearings went all of a sudden! the wheel locked up but luckily i was just pulling into a service station. i found a really nice bloke in the car park who was a mechanic, and he ran me to a motorfactors and then fixed my wheel for me in the service staion! took him about 20 mins! he was a legend!

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    Haha that's encouraging! Yesterday after my hour drive to work, turning right was embarrassingly loud. Sounded like a train stopping (or failing to stop) and with the wind on the way home my mind was playing tricks on me, making me think I could feel the play in the wheel through the steering. I gave the wheel a good yank in the same way you do when buying an old motor and nothing moved, although it wasn't jacked up. I might do that again before setting off, for peace of mind.

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    Guest R3K1355's Avatar
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    I drove my 306 until it sounded like there was sand grinding away inside the bearing.

    Thinking about it the rear also went on my 306, it totally collapsed and locked the wheel up.
    It was just good luck that happened as I went to drive off from home, so didn't have to get it recovered.

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    Same again this morning. Set off and it's fine, but once warm it's like a really loud beer bottle being blown over sound. Can't be doing much good, and it still feels like it's nervous on the steering (although I'm wondering if the wandering is placebo).... Fingers crossed if it fails it'll be the less expensive and life endangering way

    I might try and speed up the time from receiving new hubs to fitting them tho.

    Hands up who's lost a wheel before? Got to work and a mate told me his mini wheel fell off while he was driving due to bearing failure lol

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    Engine Builder Mark's Avatar
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    This is when you should worry lol

    Quote Originally Posted by silverzx View Post
    I like Mark, he seems fair.
    Quote Originally Posted by Slip_n_slide View Post
    Mark is right.

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    Guest R3K1355's Avatar
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    Mate had one fall off on an old Scirocco, didn't ping off and roll away, it sorta sat weird on it when he pulled over.

    Rear wheel bearings on old Sciroccos are a right pain in the arse to get right.

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    holy bat shizzle mark, I don't know what that's meant to be but it ain't no bearing!!! Not sure if I feel better or worse now haha, mine is ringing away but I don't think it's going to fall off quite yet. Today's drive home resulted in a new variation to the noise which was a kind of sci fi pulsating noise along with more nervous steering, but I'm still here and I still can't wobble the wheel on it's axis. More exciting adventures tomorrow

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    Guest ANDY black s13's Avatar
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    if its a front you can pop dust cover off and pack some grease inside the outer race, not going to do much to the noise
    but if the thing his dryer than a nuns minge it wouldn't hurt it in any way, the OE grease goes hard with age and
    sort of moves away from the races and bearings as it shrinks/hardens and kills the bearing imo

  13. #13
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    Still noisy, but perhaps less noisy. In fact there was a moment this morning where I thought the wheel bearing fairies came during my drive and it just felt smoother and like it rolled easier. Lasted about 5 miles I reckon then it felt broken again. I checked the wheel for play and now there is some, not awful but the sooner the new hubs arrive here the happier I'll be. I might try and jam some grease in but I have a feeling it'll be pointless. I'm hoping for a nice shiny and non rusty version of what mark posted up with a little touch of nuns minge.

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    Guest ANDY black s13's Avatar
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    bit worrying its got some noticeable play or movement now,might have to go proper easy on it
    it may give some serious pad knock off so first dab of the brakes will be a long pedal,2nd dab it should come up higher
    may be look into leaving it at home if after another day it has more play than it has now
    (I think you will get some pre wheel exit warning like epic noise/steering tuggs/binding)

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    Cheers, noted. I'll double check the play as well as it wasn't jacked so could be mistaken. I deffo thought it rocked a bit.

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    Guest ANDY black s13's Avatar
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    yea best to check it jacked up,I would pop dust cover and wack some grease in there to possibly slow down it getting worse (ish)
    just thinking if it is dry some lube would help it cool and not over heat so much,extend its mileage till new parts arrive
    I've done it in the past just for my own peace of mind when had to run something for a few days

    go easy and try keep speed down, its always hard to diagnose how bad something is with out being there to hear it

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    Thanks man, I gave it a wiggle this morning (cold) and no play, and again no noise until I reached my destination. No play on arrival unjacked. Hoping for parts tomorrow and if so I'll get to work. I'll probably find a way to work from home too, but so far I'm still rolling without noticeable resistance and I'm not going to take the pish too much. Hard to drive slow on the m4 but at least it's fairly straight so it might actually be better for wear of its not getting way too hot in there. It does seem like turning is what it hates the most.

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    Oh yeah I meant to ask. Would it be possible to have a situation where there is play after an extended drive but not before?

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    not really. if its gets too bad the inner race of the bearing will damage your stub axle so you will have to fit a new upright. which means having to mess around with track rod ends and lower arm ball joints etc..

    I had a bearing fail on an old company car and lock the rear wheel solid on the motorway, I dragged it a good 6 miles like that too. wouldnt fancy it on the front though.

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    Ok well fingers crossed that ain't the case. I'll probably avoid driving now till my hubs arrive as I noticed noise even in a straight line today.

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