Exciting wheel bearing failure !?!?!

[GregK]

Greetings all!

Just to add to my recent Job-like suffering I have been enduring with my car (see earlier engine noise
discussion in the A3/B4 forum

) it seems that my right rear wheel bearing decided to commit sepulku
just prior to my wife exiting the freeway. Apparently she was changing lanes to get to our exit when she saw
a large cloud of black smoke behind my car, and the 18-wheeler behind her suddenly slowing down. She figured it was
from the exhaust, given my car's recent bout with compression anxiety. I decided to take the car to class tonight and
the first thing I noticed was the right rear wheel cover missing

and black grease all over the outside of the wheel.
Everything else seemed OK until I drove it and noticed the alignment a LOT different than when I drove it last night
and a by no means normal intermittent squealing, tinking coming from the back. I also noticed the car was pretty squirrelly, esp.
during left hand turns.

Upon closer inspection after class I noticed that the wheel (when observed from the rear) is slightly tilted inward at the top. Also,
isn't there supposed to be a center cap over the bearing area? If there is, it isn't there anymore and the round, multi-pointed "hub"
that is there is off-center with the wheel opening. I think the bearing violently gave up its life and blew the wheel cover off (my wife
truly doesn't remember hitting any serious potholes; her car is an A6 and avoids road hazards more than I do).

Anyone else concur? Or, knowing my luck, is it something more dire?

Greg "I love the smell of bearing grease on a cold winter's night" Kudlac

 

[jck66]

If the rear bearings are anything like the A1 bearings (the only ones I have messed with), you are not in for too much of a job. Even I could fix the rear bearings. I think dieselgeek sells a rebuild kit on his vwpartscentral site.

 

[jck66]

PS How many miles are on your car? Since I have a 1997 I'm "going to school" on you 1996 owners in terms of predicting problems.

 

[GregK]

jck66,

I've got 152K on the functional odometer (unlike the left half of the radio display, the now non-locking cargo cover latches, disintegrating floor mats, yellowing headlight lenses, and rubberless cup holder)

; but at least I have my leather seats (albeit a little dingy)

Given the weather and the need for a quick turnaround, a more qualified individual than myself
is doing the work...

Greg

[ February 05, 2003, 10:52: Message edited by: GregK ]

 

[bowlerman]

well i had a wheel bearing go at 80,000miles. i caught it when it was making noise and in early stage before it became nasty. lately not too impressed with the regular parts of my jetta like bearings and ite rod ends but the engine is great!
the front bearings have to be pressed in so take to a shop of take knuckle and hub off and go to machine shop and press it in?

 

[GregK]

jck and bowler:

To add insult to injury, after the bearing failed, it decided to do a good job of it and stripped the spindle (which normally is not replaced when doing bearings/rotors) which is another $140 or so part. B@st@rd car...my wife is already saying I'm not getting another VW

Greg

 

[TomR]

My 2 cents-
What I find odd about the service manual is that the rear bearings are described as maintenance free. Every other vehicle I've owned had maintenance intervals for cleaning and regreasing tapered roller bearings, whether on the front(on RWD vehicles) or back. Both my Rabbit diesels(of the past) were very particular about getting rear wheel bearings repacked, or kablooie.
Tom

 

[weedeater]

So, your wife drives down the road, sees smoke pouring out of the back such that vehicles scurry away in terror, thinks "heck, it's just a diesel", then blames VW when you have to fix it?

 

[Marc James]

TomR - I share your concern on the maint. of the rear brgs. Do you recall the service interval on the older models, I may just use that figure as a guideline.

 

[Drivbiwire]

The rear bearings on this generation of chassis should be inspected when ever the tires are rotated. Simply grab the wheel around the outer most portion and try and wobble the tire on the axle. If ANY play is felt the bearing cap must be removed and a the bearing retaining nut should be torqued down unitil there is light resistance to the wheel spinning. This will also remove the wobble and the chance of the bearing failing.

The wheel bearing failure in this case probably occured due to the bearing not being inspected for play on a regular basis. Best suggestion is every 10,000 miles.

In 140,000 miles I have found that on my A3 the bearings have needed about 3 adjustments to maintain sufficient preload. I can also tell they are getting loose because the backend seems to be a bit squirly, thats the best way I can describe it. The best part is this is a very easy thing to adjust on these cars.

When ever the rear brakes are replaced replace ALL the bearings and seals. This is a realistic expectancy on the bearing life.

On the A4 series the rear bearing are a true maintenance free design. The A3/B4 are the old fashioned grease in the palm design.

DB

 

[TomR]

The Subaru manual recommends that lubrication in wheel bearings be 'checked' every 24000mi. IMO, if you're in there, you might as well repack them. I don't wash them out, just pack by hand until clean grease comes out between the cage and race. Keep it clean though-
TomR

 

[GregK]

Weedeater,

Yeah, given this latest problem in conjunction with the whole compression/injector fiasco, she's not too keen about my car right now (of course, we only had 1 relatively major problem with her 93 Accord in 186K miles, so you know what she's getting at...).

Drivebiwire,

Normally the bearings have been checked when I've had the tires rotated; in early December I had two new tires put on the front and the other two rotated to the back. Tires were bought at a different store and they must not have done this "routine" check. Oh well...

Greg

 

[christi]

At only 50,000 miles the rear bearings needed adjusting on my Passat. The car now has 110,000 miles and they haven't failed.

Seems to me that this is a 50,000 mile (or less) preventative maintainence item to stop the bearings from failing.