Re: Wheel bearing free play?

[Chris.Prael@domain.elided (Chris Prael)]

> Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 18:49:35 -0800 
> From: Glenn Wasserman <glennwa@domain.elided>
> Subject: Wheel bearing free play?
> 
> How much free play is too much for a front wheel bearing on an '87 Milano
> Verde?
> 
> I jacked the car up to check them out (it's been REALLY windy, the car's
> been blown around, I wanted to make sure the car was OK, that it wasn't the
> wheel bearings). The drivers side has no free play at all; jiggling the
> wheel doesn't make it wiggle at all.
> 
> The passenger side is a different story. There's a slight amount of play. In
> fact, I don't think I would have noticed it at all, if it werent for the
> sound it makes when it touches either side when it wiggles. 

This sounds like the failure I had on the left front of my GTV6 (basically
the same mechanicals).  I popped the wheel off, opened the hub up and
retorqued the spindel nut.  Closed it up, put the wheel back on, and
everything felt solid.  

A month, or so later, I had some work done on the car. While it was on the
lift, I checked the wheel and the play was back.  They went through the
retorquing drill and all seemed well again

I took the car into a different mechanic some months later for some engine
work (which came out right!  the other guy had been through a number of
tries without improving the situation).  They found the play an disassembled
the assembly.  They found that the race of the inner bearing had spun in teh
hub, damaging both.  

A new hub and new bearings later, the wheel is as it is supposed to be.
> 
> How do I know when it's too loose? These bearings have been changed
> recently, I presume it would just need to be tightened, right? How do I do
> that? Do I need any special tools?
> 
> My number one question, is it safe to drive?

I got away with a couple thousand miles of driving after the problem showed
up.  Once I found out what the real problem was, I concluded that I was very
fortunate that the components on the GTV6 are so tough!  This kind of
problem is what causes the wheel to fall off the spindel when one is
entering a turn fast.

You can drive it there, gently, but get it fixed, now!
> 
> Thanks,
> - -Glenn

chrisp

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End of alfa-digest V7 #540
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