Failure Confessions (Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Test)

Matthew13

Active member
Joined
Sep 10, 2018
Location
Alabama
TDI
97 Passat Sedan, “Lili von Shtupp”
I worked with a guy who thought we should have a "Failure Meeting" every week where you'd tell about what you failed at that week, and *more importantly*, what you learned. This is my confession and what I learned:

I've been having the dreaded WUHWUHWUH noise, which progressed to a thumping in the steering. As you may have read in my other threads, I believed it to be the driver's front wheel bearing for multiple reasons. I tested it and it moved, OR SO I THOUGHT. So I swapped it out. After my multiple bearing issues, I finally got it back together.

WUHWUHWUH. Still. Crap. Fail #1.

Ok, let's look at the axle and CVs. Uh-oh, there's L<--->R movement in the driver's axle and none in the passenger axle...gotta be it. Changed out the driver's axle.

WUHWUHWUH. STILL. CRAP. Fail #2.

Ok, just for gits and shiggles, let me test the passenger bearing. Raise up the car, push/pull on the wheel. Hands at 12 & 6, then 3 & 9.

HOLY COW, THERE'S A LOT OF WIGGLING IN THE WHEEL, ALMOST AS IF THE PASSENGER BEARING IS TOAST. WHICH I SHOULD HAVE CHECKED IN THE FIRST PLACE. Winner, winner, chicken dinner. (In my defense, I didn't feel anything when I rotated the tires a few weeks ago, but I wasn't looking for it, either.)

So that's my confession and lesson folks: test everything before you jump in and waste lots of time and money.

Matthew
 

Matthew13

Active member
Joined
Sep 10, 2018
Location
Alabama
TDI
97 Passat Sedan, “Lili von Shtupp”
Not yet. Found it, just too tired and sick of this right now to fix it today.

Debating using the "snap back together bearing" which starred in my other thread so I can do it tomorrow/Monday - OR - order new FAG bearing (2-day ship?) and not being able to do it to later in the week due to massive amounts of appointments mid-week. Doing it now is REALLY tempting.
 

Steve Addy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 7, 2002
Location
Iowa
TDI
97 Mk3
Not yet. Found it, just too tired and sick of this right now to fix it today.

Debating using the "snap back together bearing" which starred in my other thread so I can do it tomorrow/Monday - OR - order new FAG bearing (2-day ship?) and not being able to do it to later in the week due to massive amounts of appointments mid-week. Doing it now is REALLY tempting.
Did that bearing race snap back in place ok? If so I can't see why you can't use that one. If it was mine I'd go ahead and use it, but that's what I would do.

Steve
 

Matthew13

Active member
Joined
Sep 10, 2018
Location
Alabama
TDI
97 Passat Sedan, “Lili von Shtupp”
Agree that the bearing SHOULD work, so I'm gonna use it. I'll report back...

Once more, unto the breach!
 

Matthew13

Active member
Joined
Sep 10, 2018
Location
Alabama
TDI
97 Passat Sedan, “Lili von Shtupp”
Follow-up report:
“Snap-together” bearing in, no issues. Had to cut the old race off the hub with a Dremel, so I took off the tone ring to get to it better. Hub went in, no issues. Took my time. And then I realized I forgot to reinstall the tone ring, so now my ABS light is on. Don’t care, not going back now. Especially because…the WUHWUHWUH is gone. Start to finish, about 3 hours.

Depending on how long that bearing lasts, I may be doing this again in a few months. I’m very curious about the longevity of this one.

Stay frosty out there…
matthew
 

Steve Addy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 7, 2002
Location
Iowa
TDI
97 Mk3
Congrats, let's hope this takes care of it although I am still concerned about the slack you mentioned in the CV shaft.

Unfortunate that you forgot to reinstall the tone ring, there aren't too many B4 TDI cars with ABS to begin with. It's also too bad that you can't extract the hub without doing damage to the bearing.

Steve
 
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