RE: Could it be the center bearing?

["Fadeev, Alex" <alex.fadeev@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gary Frick [mailto:gfrick@domain.elided] wrote:
> 
> First, when I thought it was the wheel bearing I suspected
> the left one to be bad because the noise disappeared when 
> I made a right turn. As it turned out I found the right one
> to be bad.

Gary,
As you have discovered, it works the other way around. In a right turn, more
weight shifts to the outside (left) wheels. Front and rear. If their wheel
bearings are shot, the noise increases. So if the noise goes away during
right turns, suspect the right hand side bearing. Fronts are usually the
first to go, but don't rule out the rears either.

> Now that both wheel bearings are replaced the same thing 
> occurs. The noise disapates and almost goes away on a right 
> bending road. 

Right REAR bearing going bad?
If E36 rear bearings' mounting design is similar to the E30 predecessors,
they could be next to impossible to replace without a bearing puller. 

good luck,
alex f

'89 325i, 185K miles (4 new wheel bearings between 120 and 160K)
'95 M3, 50K miles on factory bearings.

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