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[terry paget]

X84GNB 2.5 petrol manual estate
This car has a noise from rear nearside. Silent on starting, builds up with miles, varies only with speed, not power, braking or cornering. Reading old threads it sounds like wheel bearing, and horrendously difficult to change. I have changed front hubs complete with bearings and ABS sensors several times. Is changing the rear suspension arms similarly attractive? There is a guy in C. Tyrone saying so, and offering such an arm for £20 (though not an estate arm).

Are arms easy to change?

[chrisgixer]

Is it definitely confirmed to be the wheel bearing? There's a few components at the rear that could cause noise. Dif, prop/drive shaft can all give noise and sound like its on one side or the other.

I think I'd rather change the arm personally, but only having confirmed the new arm has a good bearing.

[Nick W]

Rear wheel bearings are horrendously difficult to change; I've done two in the street.

The only slightly awkward bit is extracting the hub, which for which I cobbled together an extractor. It's just a large bore tube, a steel plate, M18nut and bolt, and a couple of tabs to bolt it to the upright using the brake back plate holes/bolts. The bearing is easily removed using a couple of plates and studding, or you might be able to do it with a big hammer as it's not that tight a fit.

The worst bit of the two I've done was struggling with the circlip!

If you're prepared to change the arm, then save yourself £20, and remove yours. Then removing the hub and bearing is easily done in a press. Personally, I think that's just shifting the aggravation so find it hard to recommend. A used arm is going to be at least 10 years old, as is the bearing. So there is no way of saying how long is going to last. I wouldn't even consider it as a new SKF bearing is only £45 from ECP.

[terry paget]

Is it definitely confirmed to be the wheel bearing? There's a few components at the rear that could cause noise. Dif, prop/drive shaft can all give noise and sound like its on one side or the other.

I think I'd rather change the arm personally, but only having confirmed the new arm has a good bearing.

No, nothing is confirmed. How should I establish the noise source?  So far I have just heard it while driving along.

Should I
a) sit in back seat while wife drives, and listen,

or b) support rear of car on axle stands. chock front wheels, run engine with car in fourth gear, crawl under rear of car and listen,

or c) something else?

[RobG]

Easiest and cheapest first port of call, swap rear wheels to front, see if noise is still there, could possibly be tyre related

[05omegav6]

Estate arms are different...

A. The bearings are a different length.
B. The shock absorber mount is different geometrically to allow for the completely different shock angle.

If going down the secondhand arm route, then get both sides and change the bearings and arm bushings

[mrgreen]

if you jack the car up and spin the offending wheel you should be able to feel a bad bearing by hanging onto the spring as it will reverberate through it and feel like it's grinding, if you have both wheels in the air then you should notice a difference between the two tests

[chrisgixer]

Is it definitely confirmed to be the wheel bearing? There's a few components at the rear that could cause noise. Dif, prop/drive shaft can all give noise and sound like its on one side or the other.

I think I'd rather change the arm personally, but only having confirmed the new arm has a good bearing.

No, nothing is confirmed. How should I establish the noise source?  So far I have just heard it while driving along.

Should I
a) sit in back seat while wife drives, and listen,

or b) support rear of car on axle stands. chock front wheels, run engine with car in fourth gear, crawl under rear of car and listen,

or c) something else?

What's not to do, is guess, hope its that part at fault, have the battle of your life changing the bearing only to find....its the exhaust rubbing on a heat shield or something equally daft.

I'd suggest jack the rear on stands and checking the wheel and hence the baring for play, in the same way the front bearing would be checked. Play, rough running, grinding etc. the drive shaft can be disconnected very easily via the Allen bolts on the rear, to isolate the the rest of the drive train from the hub.

Entwood had his car on stands, running in gear to diagnose his knackered diff for instance. Front wheels well chocked of course. Safer on a lift obviously.


You might want to take the car for a run first...?

[robson]

If the wheel bearing is going would it heat up during a run wonder if thats the way to check if it is the bearing.

[Nick W]

If the wheel bearing is going would it heat up during a run wonder if thats the way to check if it is the bearing.

Probably not. The bearing is pressed into a large chunk of steel, and is bolted a large aluminium heatsink.

[biggriffin]

Easy way to check for play is, jack car up see if wheel has movment. Off the ones ive changed 2 have been low on grease and 1 was broken race.
also if noise goes when its under load (cornering) then its probably dead.. But check tyres,handbrake,and diff oil level first.

[05omegav6]

If the wheel bearing is going would it heat up during a run wonder if thats the way to check if it is the bearing.

Probably not. The bearing is pressed into a large chunk of steel, and is bolted a large aluminium heatsink.

That way does work on stub axle bearings

[terry paget]

Gentlemen, many thanks for your advice. Last week this car was off the roads, but now, with new crank sensor, plugs and  dis pack it is running again, so I can sort out the rear wheel bearing problem.

Changed wheels front to rear, took son to Bristol, 30 mile run; no change.

Jacked up and supported rear of car, removed brake pads and slackened off handbrake, removed wheels;

turned each hub in turn, with hand on spring. could feel no reverberation either side;

ran engine, car in fourth gear, listened at wheels, slight grating on n/s, none on o/s;

called in wife, she ran at 30mph speedo, again slight grate n/s, none o/s;

traced n/s grating to disc rubbing on back plate; stopped engine, heaved back plate about, grating ceased.

refitted wheels, turned wheels, no rough spots, no play.

I invite your comments. My inclination is to remove the discs, perhaps replace them, blow out handbrakes and inspect, perhaps rebuild with new shoes.

[chrisgixer]

Any play in the wheel/bearing?

[terry paget]

Any play in the wheel/bearing?

No, none either side.