Front wheel bearing going bad??

[oldmako]

Gents,

My ride has developed the following anomaly which I believe to be a bad wheel bearing.

In a parking lot, very low speed (< 5 mph) radio off, windows up, fan off...if I turn the wheel for a fairly significant left turn I can hear a low freq rumble as the suspension loads up in the turn. As I recenter the wheel (or turn in the same manner to the right) I do not hear it. It sounds to me like a bad wheel bearing but I am open to suggestions for diagnosis.

How can one determine if it's a bad bearing without tearing into it? In my yout, a bearing would manifest itself by a slight wobble in the wheel which was felt at speed and could not be corrected by balancing the tires. My wheel feels fine until about 90, and at that speed I have indeed developed a slight wobble. Not enough to see, but it can be felt. Bums me right out it does. I am going to have the tires balanced tomorrow in an attempt to rule them out, and since it's time anyway.

The front end was disassembled last year (30ish thousand miles ago) when the new struts were installed. They were fine then.

Is it a big mutha of a job? I assume that they will have to be pressed out/in by Dash Riprock. Or can a regular homie do this his ownself?

I shall now repair to the FSM and shall attempt to get my learn on.

[carfrk666]

wheel bearings are most always in my experance heard at speads, not 5mph, usualy they will start to have a grinding sound around 45 ish depending on the savariaty of the damage to the bearing, but will also increase in tone the higher speads you go. and can also be determined on what side the bearing is by rounding a corner at speeds and listening to if the sound goes away or gets worse.

It almost sounds to me as if it could be something that is loose or out of place and scraping on something, umm need more information, such as, does the noise get more definded at more speed, is it just at low speed manuveors with the wheels turned?

[maxnix]

Did you replace front strut bearing s when struts repalced? How are tension rod bushings? All others including steering rack?

[oldmako]

Low speed only. No scrape. Nothing clunky / metallic or otherwise "suspension sounding". It sounds like a bearing (if that means anything). Probably blinker fluid or such. HellifIknow. I will drive the mother till it's grotesquely obvious unless one of you gear heads points me in the el correcto direction-o. Straight and level it's kwy-it and smoove..

I may try having a bud drive the mother down the road while I skitch along on the fender on a skateboard with my trusty Harbor Freight made in China steth-o-skope jammed into the wheel cap. Don't try this at home.

Maximus-,All strut bits replaced when le mofo was apart. New Tension rods, strut bearings, strut mounts and rubbbbber.

Modified by oldmako at 9:35 PM 12/30/2008
Modified by oldmako at 9:37 PM 12/30/2008

[matdotcom2000]

wheel bearings are most always in my experance heard at speads, not 5mph, usualy they will start to have a grinding sound around 45 ish depending on the savariaty of the damage to the bearing, but will also increase in tone the higher speads you go. and can also be determined on what side the bearing is by rounding a corner at speeds and listening to if the sound goes away or gets worse.

It almost sounds to me as if it could be something that is loose or out of place and scraping on something, umm need more information, such as, does the noise get more definded at more speed, is it just at low speed manuveors with the wheels turned?

that is eaxctly what is happening to me, also the front tires are wearing big time inside