New wheel bearings.....that was the ticket!!!

spock2001us · Apr 2, 2006

I put in new front wheel bearings today and I am totally amazed at the suspension improvement.

I have been working on my suspension for a couple of months, off and on, because I hate squeeks, groans, and clunks. I replaced the springs, shocks, tie rod ends, steering rack, balljoints, and sway bar links...and put Energy suspension bushings where needed.

Soooo, naturally I was ready to blow up my car when, after replacing all the new parts, my suspension would STILL clunk and rattle....and it would click when I turned the wheel.

There also seemed to be a vibration or whine coming from the front suspension, but I could not tell for sure. Today I replaced the wheel bearings, and that was exactly the final piece to the puzzle. My car now rides perfect and I drove it for a bit and everthing was especially silent....no clunks, whines, or anything else. Also, previously my car would pull to one side when braking, but now does not pull at all.

I just wanted to brag to somebody

94gts · Apr 3, 2006

nice. im still rollin around on the stock 110k suspension(as far as i know since i never replaced anything). suspension will have to be next winters project

WhiteDevil · Apr 3, 2006

Well that sounds nice my car always pulls to the right on brakeing even after i put new pads and rotors on. Where did u get them and how much were they?

spock2001us · Apr 3, 2006

WhiteDevil said:
Well that sounds nice my car always pulls to the right on brakeing even after i put new pads and rotors on. Where did u get them and how much were they?

You can get the front bearings at Autozone and they cost about $60 per wheel. It is a simple install, it just slides off and on..be careful removing the center dust cap, I used a screwdriver with a mallet and I punched a hole in the side of the dust cap, then I needed to use some silicone to seal the hole to prevent water from getting into the bearing.....I needed to borrow a 36 mm socket and a 250 lb torque wrench from Autozone. Also, I use an impact to get the center nut up to 250 lbs of torque.

Killercanary · Apr 3, 2006

I wanted to replace mine last year and was told it was a sealed setup and the bearings couldn't be replaced. I didn't think this was true but then I couldn't get the dust cap off and I started to believe it. What is the secret to getting it off? There has to be a "proper way."

urban96 · Apr 3, 2006

Killercanary said:
I wanted to replace mine last year and was told it was a sealed setup and the bearings couldn't be replaced. I didn't think this was true but then I couldn't get the dust cap off and I started to believe it. What is the secret to getting it off? There has to be a "proper way."

i belive he replaced the whole spindel/hub assembly

Swarzkopf · Apr 3, 2006

Subscribing...

I have a mysterious squeak from the front end that I absolutely have been unable to figure out...

My car also pulls slightly while braking and I was about to replace my front brake lines and then replace the calipers...

It'd be great if instead, I could do a relatively easy fix.

spock2001us · Apr 3, 2006

Killercanary said:
I wanted to replace mine last year and was told it was a sealed setup and the bearings couldn't be replaced. I didn't think this was true but then I couldn't get the dust cap off and I started to believe it. What is the secret to getting it off? There has to be a "proper way."

Just use a small screwdriver and a mallet to loosen the cap, then a larger screwdriver to pry the cap off....it really is no big deal, but when I did it the first time, I pounded the screwdriver right through the side of the cap between the cap edge and the bearing.

The bearing is a sealed setup and you have to replace the whole thing....which includes the hub with new studs.

spock2001us · Apr 3, 2006

Swarzkopf said:
Subscribing...

I have a mysterious squeak from the front end that I absolutely have been unable to figure out...

My car also pulls slightly while braking and I was about to replace my front brake lines and then replace the calipers...

It'd be great if instead, I could do a relatively easy fix.

I don't know if that is your problem, but I replaced everything in my suspension and still had clunking and clicking.....and my car pulled to one side while braking....after the fix, I drove to work this morning and the front end is now perfect...no clunks or squeeks and no pulling while braking...I never realized how much vibration I had from the front end until today when it was smooth...now I can feel vibration from the rear, so that is probably next. At the same time while replacing the bearing, I also tightened up the sway bar end link, so maybe that had something to do with a part of it, but my ride is certainly smooth now.

Swarzkopf · Apr 3, 2006

Do you know if the procedure for replacing this outlined in the Hayne's manual for our cars?

spock2001us · Apr 3, 2006

Swarzkopf said:
Do you know if the procedure for replacing this outlined in the Hayne's manual for our cars?

It is explained in the manual.....but it simply says...remove the dustcap with a screwdriver and a mallet....then remove the holding nut (it is 36mm) the hub will then simply slide off the spindle. Clean off the spindle, lube the spindle with a bit of bearing grease, and slide the new hub onto the spindle. Tighten to 250lbs or so and you are done. The hardest part may be removing the nut, but I use an impact so it was no problem at all.

gcomfx.com · Apr 3, 2006

Just did this to my g/f's Grand Am. Make sure you tighten that nut to the specs or really close. If not, you'll be hearing that grinding, ticking noise again soon.

WhiteDevil · Apr 3, 2006

This looks like something i might look into doing this summer while im updating a lot of the suspension parts and bushings.

New wheel bearings.....that was the ticket!!!

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