Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Markjay on 07 April 2007, 18:55:04
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When the Omega went through the MOT last July, it had an advisory for front wheel bearings play on both sides. Tony (STS Watford) checked and confirmed it, but said it was very small play and nothing to worry about for now.
Recently, the car developed a vibration when braking from around 70mph to 50mph. The vibration could be felt through the steering wheel and was quite strong.
I wasn’t sure if the vibration problem was related to the bearing play, or perhaps it was a result of some problem with the brakes e.g. warped disks. However, I decided to renew the front wheel bearings, as well as the brake discs and pads, in one go.
The front wheel bearing is integral with the hub, so the entire unit needs changing, at a cost of around £70 per side. The discs and pads set cost the same again. All were original Vx parts bought on TC.
Having replaced the bearing, discs and pads, I test drove the car today and the problem seem to have disappeared, so hopefully this has cured it.
I was initially concerned about releasing the wheel nut which suppose to be very tight, but with the appropriate tool (1m long breaker bar) it came off easily and without a fuss. In fact, the whole operation involves undoing just one dust cap and one 32mm nut over a standard brake disc change.
A few notes I made along the way:
1. Haynes says that both the 18mm hub carrier bolts and the 13mm calliper bolts need to be replaced with new ones. I did buy new bolts, because they were only a couple of Pounds. I doubt however that everyone does this, definitely I have never been billed by Vx for bolts and I am certain that if they did use new bolts when changing the discs then they would show on the bill… but I still recommend that new bolts are used if available.
2. I read in several places that it is advised to open the calliper bleed nipple when pushing back the calliper to accommodate for the new pads, to avoid air bubbles being trapped in the ABS or the master cylinder seals being reversed. I did this on one side (using Draper’s one-man bleed kit), and as you can expect it was somewhat fiddly and messy. I then read the official Vx pad change procedure on TIS and they do not mention the need to open the bleed nipple – they simply say open brake fluid reservoir in engine bay and push calliper back. On the other side, I did just that and pushed the calliper back (using a Draper’s tool which makes it easier and safer) without opening the bleed nipple, and it seems to have worked OK. So on balance I don’t think it is really necessary to open the bleed nipple when changing pads…
3. The discs and pad were replaced by Vx 30,000 miles ago. Having inspected the old discs and pads, they seem fine… the discs’ surfaces are nice and flat and hardly grooved, with a lip of less than 1mm. The pads were quite chunky – probably around 2/3 of the thickness of the new pads. So if the vibration problem was due to the brakes, you definitely could not tell from looking at the components that there was anything wrong with them.
4. I find the whole issue with the front bearings quite puzzling. This is not a common fault, as can be seen from the fact it rarely comes up on the forum. And the Vx dealer did not have them in stock, which also says something. The car has only covered around 50,000 miles from new, and while a premature demise of a bearing is always a possibility, having both sides go at the same time is odd… just a thought.
And last, a special thank you to TheBoy whose excellent Front Discs Change maintenance guide I used when carrying-out this job. :y
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Well done MJ, especially as you don't have a drive to work on :y
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Well done MJ, especially as you don't have a drive to work on :y
Tell me about it.... :(
Every man and his dog passing by had something to say, from a silly joke to discussing the weather with me while I try to bleed the brakes. And the neighbour in flat 5 even brought down his 2-year old son's bike and borrowed some tools to fix them... ;D
Still, it was a sonny and very pleasant weekend 8-)
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Well done MJ, especially as you don't have a drive to work on :y
Tell me about it.... :(
Every man and his dog passing by had something to say, from a silly joke to discussing the weather with me while I try to bleed the brakes. And the neighbour in flat 5 even brought down his 2-year old son's bike and borrowed some tools to fix them... ;D
Still, it was a sonny and very pleasant weekend 8-)
I know the feeling, evertime I put my overalls on, and start messing with the car(s), you get comments from the neighbours like 'Didn't know you were a car mechanic, you can do my car if you like, tee hee'
No, I'm not a car mechanic, just trying to save some money, and make sure I'm not paying for something that hasn't been done.
Reply, 'Can't be bothered with all that, like to know the jobs been done properly, tee hee'.
Yeah! Keep feeding the dealers pockets. >:(
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Reply, 'Can't be bothered with all that, like to know the jobs been done properly, tee hee'.
Precisely why you do it yourself.
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1. Haynes says that both the 18mm hub carrier bolts and the 13mm calliper bolts need to be replaced with new ones. I did buy new bolts, because they were only a couple of Pounds. I doubt however that everyone does this, definitely I have never been billed by Vx for bolts and I am certain that if they did use new bolts when changing the discs then they would show on the bill… but I still recommend that new bolts are used if available.
To be honest, I dont always but, I do use loctite on them and follow the torque settings which is a reasonable alternative....
2. I read in several places that it is advised to open the calliper bleed nipple when pushing back the calliper to accommodate for the new pads, to avoid air bubbles being trapped in the ABS or the master cylinder seals being reversed. I did this on one side (using Draper’s one-man bleed kit), and as you can expect it was somewhat fiddly and messy. I then read the official Vx pad change procedure on TIS and they do not mention the need to open the bleed nipple – they simply say open brake fluid reservoir in engine bay and push calliper back. On the other side, I did just that and pushed the calliper back (using a Draper’s tool which makes it easier and safer) without opening the bleed nipple, and it seems to have worked OK. So on balance I don’t think it is really necessary to open the bleed nipple when changing pads…
Thats my advice, I have had to fix ABS systems with air in them and also systems with inverted seals on the master cylinder....its a wise precaution and has the added benefit of ensuring the fluid in the calipers is expelled so if you are doing a fluid change you know its been done correctly.
3. The discs and pad were replaced by Vx 30,000 miles ago. Having inspected the old discs and pads, they seem fine… the discs’ surfaces are nice and flat and hardly grooved, with a lip of less than 1mm. The pads were quite chunky – probably around 2/3 of the thickness of the new pads. So if the vibration problem was due to the brakes, you definitely could not tell from looking at the components that there was anything wrong with them.
Generally I find the pads do about 30K ish miles and the discs last for about two sets of pads, autos tend to wear things faster (more braking due to little engine braking)....depends on driving style and trip type.....
4. I find the whole issue with the front bearings quite puzzling. This is not a common fault, as can be seen from the fact it rarely comes up on the forum. And the Vx dealer did not have them in stock, which also says something. The car has only covered around 50,000 miles from new, and while a premature demise of a bearing is always a possibility, having both sides go at the same time is odd… just a thought.
Very strange, I have seen the odd assembly fail at about 150K miles......never seen such premature failure......and not in pairs
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Mark DTM, thank you for your helpful comments.
As for the bearings, the new ones were exactly the same make (Toyo Japan) and model as the old ones... hope they will last a little longer though...
Also, if the car was slightly newer I would have tried chasing Vx for it even though it is out-of-warranty, they sometimes do contribute towards a repair (obviously the car would have to have full dealer history, which mine does). Just something to keep in mind for any low-mileage 2003 owners out there who suffer premature failure of any component throughout this year...
(on the down side, this would have meant the car would have to be booked in to a dealer to sort it out.... ;D)
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On another note, Draper's 'one-man bleeding kit' is not that clever... you hook it up and then press the brake pedal until you see 'clear liquid with no bubbles'. Well how can you see 'clear liquid with no bubbles' for the passenger side or rear wheels when you are in the drivers seat pressing the brake pedal? :(
If you are lucky you might get the SWMBO to help, but then it is not a one-man kit, is it? It should really be described as 'one man and his wife' kit.... I think I'll go for the air-pressure one that feeds of the spare wheel next.
Alternatively I suppose I could set-up a chain of mirrors around the car, or better still setup a small webcam next to to each wheel... ;D
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I use an easibleed kit but, I dont put brake fluid in the easibleed bottle, I simply fill the brake reservoir and use it force the fluid through.....
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I use Mrs TheBoy.... ::)
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Good guide Markjay, although I don't follow why you took the calipers out of the carrier and then the carrier from the knuckle. Does make things easier to line up on the way back in I guess. I just wish my rotors were as good as the ones you took off, although mine don't shake. ::)