Wheel Bearings??

Post by **Chris_C** » 22 Aug 2005 10:29 pm

I've got a new noise appeared over the last week, it's not loud, but I can hear a 'burrrr' noise (like the noise you get if you drive on grey roadsurface on UK motorways after black tarmac....) whenever I turn left. It comes from the passenger side front, I'm guessing it's a wheel bearing... any other ideas?

Post by **petefarrell360** » 22 Aug 2005 10:42 pm

TBH sounds like it mate. Mine started off as a sound very similar to a mudflap or something rubbing as it were against the tyre. But obviously it wasn't! And also it was the same as yours is, the left turns affected it to start with, until it became a near constant noise.
Pete

Post by **340GLT** » 22 Aug 2005 10:50 pm

Yeh sounds like it for sure, exactly as mine started!!! Are you getting a lot of vibrating through the column yet?

Cheers Adam

Post by **Chris_C** » 22 Aug 2005 11:01 pm

I've always had a lil bit... no more than usual, and that usually comes in at Mach 1.... or on motorways.. which ever happens first

Post by **Chris_C** » 22 Aug 2005 11:02 pm

Do I do it?? Looks according to Mr Haynes a front brakes off jobbie, though if I chuck these vented discs on..... might as well.

Post by **340GLT** » 22 Aug 2005 11:17 pm

Yeh its a brakes off job!! Main prob is the bolts in the caliper brackets!!! Are F$£%^&G tight and guaranteed to be rusted!!! If you can get these undone then jobs a gud un!!!
A good tip is dont get misled with the rust on the bolts taking up a mill or two to make them oversized!!! Clean them up first else you will never get them undone!!!
Cheers Adam

Post by **Chris_C** » 22 Aug 2005 11:30 pm

Cheers dude... I'll have a play with Beast to get the front brakes off (probably the only thing I havn't had off myself) and see what it's like.

Post by **340GLT** » 22 Aug 2005 11:42 pm

No probs mate glad to help!!!
Oh and keep us posted on these vented disks as this is all very interesting!!
Cheers Adam

Post by **pettaw** » 23 Aug 2005 07:33 pm

Adam's right, a $%^&*& of a job because those caliper mounting bracket bolts are high torque and even with my air wrench I couldn't get it off without giving some heat first. Make sure you get the rust off and get the socket on 100% down to the shoulder of the bolt and you should be OK, though you might well need a bit of heat on the bracket to expand the metal and loosen the corrosion.

Diagnosis is right too bumping that changes when you load and unload a tyre is almost certainly a wheel bearing. Its even easier to do for you because you'll have the correct drifts for hammering out the bearing races, but get a bearing kit from Volvo and you'll get everything, two new bearings, a seal, a new locknut and even a tube of bearing grease.

Also if you're getting vibration through the steering, then either the wheels are out of balance, hopefully, which is the cheaper option or the tyres are out of round, which is more expensive. When I first got my 360 the tracking was also set parallel instead of toe'd in, making the insides wear out faster and causing big vibrations at speed. Retracked and made no difference. A new set of tyres fixed that one.

Post by **classicswede** » 23 Aug 2005 08:41 pm

You can check wheel bearings by jacking the car up and then try and twist the wheel by pushing and pulling at the top of the wheel. If you have movement your bearings are worn, if not spin the wheel and listen for noise. Saying that I am sure it is wheel bearings by your description.

I have never had a problem with removing the calipers but I am used to doing them. You need a flat sided socket (17mm off the top of my head) and a long bar. The bolts do originaly have thread lock past on them wich by the book you should do when refitting but I dont bother myself.

Most important part of refitting the bearings is to have every thing clean.
Remove ALL the old grease on apply pleanty of new grease.
Ensure you fit the new split pin or nylock nut.

All in all not a bad jab to do.

Dai

Post by **Chris_C** » 23 Aug 2005 10:33 pm

Cheers for that guys.... Andy, why do you say I'll have the correct drifts??? And is it a case of buy two kits from Mr Volvo, cos the other one is probably about to go??

Thanks for the double check Dai, I thought that was the process... I'll have a play at the weekend.

Post by **pettaw** » 24 Aug 2005 08:53 pm

Because of where your day job is, I assumed you'd have sets of different sized drifts for driving out bearing races. I had to use a socket which didn't really fit properly.

Post by **Tom** » 25 Aug 2005 12:56 am

I'm getting a noise from what seems to be my front wheel(s) too. It's a similar noise to that created when you blow air through a hollow tube or blow the top of a bottle. I originally suspected that it was just the wind blowing through the brake vents in the wheels but I've now deduced that it's too loud to be anything like that.

It doesn't seem to affect the car's performance or fuel economy or anything so I've not really taken any action.

Anyone have any suggestions as to what it could be?