Throbbing Noise!

[Nathanael Greene]

Hey Folks!

A Few months ago, I redid the break pads on my car. However I didn't really test it due to some other issues that came up. Now I am getting a throbbing humming sound from the front of the car, it's kind of harmonic. I thought it was just the pads needing to be broken in, but I've driven it over 300 miles now. I just double checked that I had compressed the caliper all the way, and there was extra room the pads weren't tight on the rotor. The noise is coming from the the front driver side, maybe slightly towered the middle.

Could it be a bed bearing? The two front wheels don't wobble at all.

Maybe the differential?

Any Ideas?

Car notes:
04 Jetta Wagon BEW
108,445 Miles

Thanks
Nate

 

[Seatman]

Jack up the front wheel, put you fingers on the spring and spin the wheel with your other hand. If the bearing is bad you'll feel it through the spring.

Driveshaft is another possible issue. Check the cv's for play.

 

[Nathanael Greene]

Thanks Seatman! I checked the CVs, I couldn't feel any movement.

For the bearing check, the passenger side (The one I don't suspect is bad) just has a smooth vibration from the breaks touching slightly. The driver side has a bit more of an uneven vibration, a little bit of a faint rumble maybe. Is this what you're talking about?

Thanks,
Nate

 

[Nathanael Greene]

Oh, also the noise was accentuated when turning. However it doesn't sound like what a bad differential sounds like. So it seams likely it's the bearing.

Nate

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Sounds like one or both wheel bearings. If you turn right and it gets louder, it's the right side bearing, and vice-versa. Bearings make noise when unloaded, go quiet when under load.

 

[Seatman]

Thanks Seatman! I checked the CVs, I couldn't feel any movement.

For the bearing check, the passenger side (The one I don't suspect is bad) just has a smooth vibration from the breaks touching slightly. The driver side has a bit more of an uneven vibration, a little bit of a faint rumble maybe. Is this what you're talking about?

Thanks,
Nate

Sounds like the bearing but you usually feel it through the spring, a definite roughness vibrating through.

As above though, a bad bearing is often noisy when turning one way and quiet the other and 9 out 10 times it's the outer race so noisy turning left is usually right bearing gone bad etc

 

[Metal Man]

Sounds like one or both wheel bearings. If you turn left and it gets louder, it's the right side bearing, and vice-versa. Bearings make noise when unloaded, go quiet when under load.

Are you sure that's what you meant to say? In my experience doing the weaving test it's usually the loaded bearing (right bearing when turning left) but sometimes that test just doesn't work. I suppose it depends on which race is bad in the bearing.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

It is what I meant to say, but I also agree it doesn't always work. And in my experience it never works for rear wheel bearings. Either that or I'm not good at diagnosing those.

 

[Metal Man]

Maybe I'm reading it wrong. The way I'm reading it one sentence contradicts the other.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

You're right. Fixed it.

 

[jmodge]

An IR gun will tell you where in extra friction exists

 

[Nathanael Greene]

So is replacing the Bearing Something I could do at home? Looking at the Bentley manual it looks like there are a lot of special tools needed. Could I maybe take off the hub and taking it to someone to pull out the old one and press in the new one? Or is it pressed on the drive shaft as well?

Thanks,
Nate

 

[GlowBugTDI]

Not pressed in on the drive shaft, but it is pressed into the hub. Easiest to take the hub off press it out and press in a new one. Can easily be done at home if you have a bench press otherwise if you know someone who does, or a ma and pa shop that might do it for cheap that would be easiest. Might be able to use a bench vise, but I've never tried it. Freeze the bearings so they slip in easier if you can.

 

[Seatman]

So is replacing the Bearing Something I could do at home? Looking at the Bentley manual it looks like there are a lot of special tools needed. Could I maybe take off the hub and taking it to someone to pull out the old one and press in the new one? Or is it pressed on the drive shaft as well?

Thanks,
Nate

Driveshaft should slip out but they can be a bit sticky. Rest of the hub is just usual nuts and bolts.

But yeh, I've done them with a big vice but defo easier with a press.

I use a big socket on the actual hub to bash it out, then grind the inner race down till I can crack it with a chisel. One of the inner races always gets stuck on the hub.

After that there's a big spring clip holding the outer bearing shell in. Remove that and have it with the hammer and chisel to get it out the hub carrier.

 

[Nathanael Greene]

So I got to the point where I pushed the hub out of the bearing, and the outer half of the inner race stayed on the hub thingy. I tried to pulled it off with a 3 jaw gear puller, but after getting the puller as tight as I could, it still didn't move. How does this normally come of? there's almost no lip to grab on to. Any ideas would be great!

Here's a pic of it:

Hub With Stuck Bearing Part

• Nathanael Greene
• Jun 10, 2022

Thanks,
Nate

 

[Seatman]

I grind one side till it's almost through then crack it with a chisel. Then it just slips off

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Replace the hub. Odds are you'll damage it getting the race off and it'll corrode.

 

[Nathanael Greene]

Ok, I,m getting a cutting wheel for my dremel tool, if I damage the hub, I'll order a new one, there not that expensive, but if I don't have to buy a new one that's nicer.

Thanks!
Nate

 

[Seatman]

Never damaged a hub yet, works every time. Just got to go careful but a grinder is best, not sure the dremmel will do it

 

[muzy]

A bearing splitter would grab that easy.
Cutting is good too. Don't worry about getting all the way though, make a good gouge and split it with a chisel.
Cheers

 

[Nathanael Greene]

It worked! The cutting wheel for the dremel worked great, it was really easy to control and fit down in there.

Still waiting to go for a test drive.

Thanks guys!
Nate

 

[Nathanael Greene]

It's gone!!! Went for a test drive this morning, the noise is totally gone! For the record I used one of those bearing install tools, I'll put a link, it worked great!

Bearing Install Kit - Amazon

Thanks guys so much! Thanks Seatman for the tip on finding the bad bearing through the spring!
Cheers!
Nate