Hello all
I'm no wheel bearing expert, but I play one on TV, and I did once stay in a
Holiday Inn Express.
More on point, I once had an inner front wheel bearing on a Ford pickup
disintegrate on the road after making a noise like a rock in hub cap off and
on for about a year. I had spent a lot of time and effort trying to find
the problem. A friend remarked it was a good thing it disintegrated, since
I might never have figured it out. When it went, it took the hub and spindle
with it.
Right now I'm driving a 1981 VW Rabbit (Diesel, yes) with bad front wheel
bearings, especially the right. Makes a lot of noise; roars; sounds like
an airplane flying over. I've made two recent 400 mile round trips with
it making the noise and an 800 mile trip earlier. Sound better all the
time. I have new hubs/struts made up to go on the bunny and hope the
bearings don't disintegrate before I'm ready to change them.
I once drove a 1964 Ford with a bad rear wheel bearing until the axle slipped
in the bearing and the splines pulled out of the spider gear on tnat side.
Made a grinding noise.
I changed the front wheel bearings in my 123 because I thought they might be
bad. My billfold stopped making such a stuffed noise after that. Benz was
not much different.
Brown grease may be other color grease with added rust. You need both the
center cap on the hub and an outer hub cap or wheel cover to keep water out
of front wheel bearings. How I know this should be obvious.
Whup, whup, whup and variations sounds more like tire to me. If it is, take
tire off car and roll it. Separated tire (source of whup, etc) will not roll
straight. Tire is dangerous junk if this is the case.
CV joints in my experience last forever if their boots survive. If the boots
fail, the grease will preserve the joint for a while. New boot gives new life
if joint not already kaput. Bad joint is likely to hum at moderate to high
speed until it breaks, whereupon it will make a hell of a noise. How I know
this
should be obvious.
Check under car for grease slung out of CV joint boots. As long as grease
stays in boots, CV joints are OK. Grease may dry out and become waxy, but I
think not in this lifetime.
If bearing are bad, races are bad also. Should have a polished appearance not
in the least frosted. Likewise rollers in bearings. Bearings/races (cones and
cups)that are not perfect equal to new may work entirely well enough to suit
most.
Good luck
Message: 13
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 18:24:32 -0500
From: Mike Esh <michael...@me.com>
To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
How hard is it replace race?
Mike
On Jan 29, 2011, at 3:23 PM, Curt Raymond <curtlud...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Does "whup whup whup" in time with the car's speed sound like a wheel
> bearing? I thought it might and as my wife and I both pointed to the right
> front of the car as the source of the sound I figured I'd give it a shot.
> This is on my '78 240D.
>
> The bearings looked merely okay and as they had both MB green grease and some
> brown (does MB green grease degrade into brown?) and as I'd already bought
> the bearings (Car Quest, $39 for the bearings AND the seal and they had them
> in stock last night) I figured I might as well get to it.
>
> I'm getting better at this, the bearing plus an oil change took just on 2
> hours. Gotta take the dog for a walk, then I'll be able to see if the noise
> is gone, won't know definitively for a day or two though, the noise would
> come and go.
>
> -Curt
> 5. Re: Another day another wheel bearing (Curt Raymond)
> 6. Re: Another day another wheel bearing (Peter Frederick)
>
>Message: 5
>Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 15:14:46 -0800 (PST)
>From: Curt Raymond <curtlud...@yahoo.com>
>To: Diesel List <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
>Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
>Its not that kind of noise though...
>The noise is back BTW, I was listening to it today, its more of a do,do,do
>sound. You know the "pop for freshness" buttons on glass bottles? Its sort of
>like somebody popping one of those (like holding the cap in your fingers and
>pushing with your thumb) over and over rapidly. I can't imagine what it is,
>absolutely no idea. It seems to be coming from the front right.
>The only thing I saw that was even moderately not right was that the shock is
>leaking so its on my list for replacement once I can get to the parts car
>again once we lose some snow about March or so...
>
>-Curt
>
>Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 11:13:40 -0500
>From: Mitch Haley <m...@voyager.net>
>To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
>Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
>
>What if you had ice inside the wheel? That would cause a variable imbalance,
>with possible thumping if the bearing were 10x as loose as it should be.
>
>
>------------------------------
>
>Message: 6
>Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 17:45:29 -0600
>From: Peter Frederick <psf...@earthlink.net>
>To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
>Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
>
>Also check the condition of the sway bar bushings. They will thump
>and rattle as they shrink and allow the bar to move inside them.
>
>The brackets can also crack, making all sorts of noises.
>
>Peter
>
1. Re: Another day another wheel bearing (Peter Frederick)
2. Re: Another day another wheel bearing (John Reames)
3. Re: Another day another wheel bearing (LWB250)
4. Re: Another day another wheel bearing (Curt Raymond)
5. Re: Another day another wheel bearing (Curt Raymond)
6. Re: JBR-194 (Dieselhead)
7. Re: Another day another wheel bearing (OK Don)
8. Re: Another day another wheel bearing (Craig)
9. Re: Another day another wheel bearing (Walt Zarnoch)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 17:30:58 -0600
From: Peter Frederick <psf...@earthlink.net>
To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
Doesn't matter, really, unless you can't, in which case it's foolish
to install new bearings. The race is shot if the bearings are bad,
no question about that.
If you have the nice Mercedes tool it's easy, just use a hammer to
drive it out. Lacking that, a soft steel punch ground flat across
the end works well. you have to "sharpen" it sometimes part way
through the job. Don't try a hardened one, it will just break off.
Peter
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 19:42:02 -0500
From: John Reames <jwrea...@comcast.net>
To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
I've always pereferred brass rod or all-thread...
--
John W Reames
jwrea...@comcast.net
Home: +14106646986
Mobile: +14437915905
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 18:12:31 -0800 (PST)
From: LWB250 <lwb...@yahoo.com>
To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
I have a couple of large (1" dia/6" long) brass drifts. They are soft and can
be easily re-machined with hand tools for jobs such as this.
Save the old races - you can use them to drive the new ones in.....
Dan
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 18:50:20 -0800 (PST)
From: Curt Raymond <curtlud...@yahoo.com>
To: Diesel List <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
I was thinking tire too but would tire noise come and go?
Early results are good, 20 mile round trip with no noise.
-Curt
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 15:41:49 -0500
From: Dan Penoff <lwb...@yahoo.com>
To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
Wheel bearings usually make a grinding sound or a whining noise.
What you describe sounds more like a bad belt in your tire.
Dan
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 18:54:25 -0800 (PST)
From: Curt Raymond <curtlud...@yahoo.com>
To: Diesel List <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
Replacing the race is easy, use the old one to tap the new one in. I like to
heat the hub first to help it slip in.
Getting the old race out can be a bitch. On my '85 190D I had to run a bead of
weld around the inside of the race. When the weld cooled it contracted and the
race came out easily.
I'm actually finding that the cold weather (it got all the way up to 30 while I
was working) a big help in getting the races out. I heat the hub and use a
punch to get the race out. This time I managed to SLAM my left index finger
with a 3# hammer... It bled but was contained in the rubber glove.
-Curt
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 21:25:07 -0600
From: OK Don <okd...@gmail.com>
To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
Sheesh - you sound like me. My wife claims that I make blood sacrifices to
the cars on a regular basis. It doesn't hurt as much in the cold - till your
hand warms up inside.
On Sat, Jan 29, 2011 at 8:54 PM, Curt Raymond <curtlud...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> This time I managed to SLAM my left index finger with a 3# hammer... It
> bled but was contained in the rubber glove.
>
> -Curt --
>
OK Don
2001 ML320
1992 300D 2.5T
1990 300D 2.5T
1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 20:28:03 -0700
From: Craig <diese...@pisquared.net>
To: mercedes@okiebenz.com
Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
On Sat, 29 Jan 2011 18:54:25 -0800 (PST) Curt Raymond
<curtlud...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> This time I managed to SLAM my left index finger with a 3# hammer... It
> bled but was contained in the rubber glove.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Glad you were successful changing bearings, though.
Craig
1. Re: Another day another wheel bearing (Dan Penoff)
4. Re: Another day another wheel bearing (Mitch Haley)
13. Re: Another day another wheel bearing (Greg Fiorentino)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 09:43:00 -0500
From: Dan Penoff <lwb...@yahoo.com>
To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
Message-ID: <5155232f-4215-4f38-955a-b7020fffe...@yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Not typically. If you have a belt coming loose on the tire you will hear it
constantly, with the frequency changing relative to the vehicle's speed.
Dan
Sent from my iPod
On Jan 29, 2011, at 9:50 PM, Curt Raymond <curtlud...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I was thinking tire too but would tire noise come and go?
>
> Early results are good, 20 mile round trip with no noise.
>
> -Curt
>
> Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 15:41:49 -0500
> From: Dan Penoff <lwb...@yahoo.com>
> To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
> Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
> Message-ID: <99c9af51-366c-487f-9036-cfe63a07c...@yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Wheel bearings usually make a grinding sound or a whining noise.
>
> What you describe sounds more like a bad belt in your tire.
>
> Dan
>
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 11:13:40 -0500
From: Mitch Haley <m...@voyager.net>
To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
Message-ID: <4d458e34.2030...@voyager.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
What if you had ice inside the wheel? That would cause a variable imbalance,
with possible thumping if the bearing were 10x as loose as it should be.
------------------------------
Message: 13
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 12:49:27 -0800
From: "Greg Fiorentino" <gf...@dslnorthwest.net>
To: "'Mercedes Discussion List'" <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Subject: Re: [MBZ] Another day another wheel bearing
The good way to diagnose a front wheel bearing is that the noise level goes
up on a turn. The right front bearing gets more load on a left turn and
vice-versa.
Greg
------------------------------
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