loose wheel bearing ????

[Anonymous]

started hearing a thumping / grinding noise coming from the front left wheel 1st I checked the lug nuts and they were tight 2nd I jacked the wheel off the ground and noticed a lot of play in the wheel everything is tight suspension wise end rod links etc... but I did noticed the there's play In the center hub allowing me to pushing the axle in a lil bit so I figured it was the axle nut and that's even tighten so could it be my wheel bearing ??

 

[Mike Spataro]

started hearing a thumping / grinding noise coming from the front left wheel 1st I checked the lug nuts and they were tight 2nd I jacked the wheel off the ground and noticed a lot of play in the wheel everything is tight suspension wise end rod links etc... but I did noticed the there's play In the center hub allowing me to pushing the axle in a lil bit so I figured it was the axle nut and that's even tighten so could it be my wheel bearing ??

Sounds like a wheel bearing to me. I have replaced a few on my sho wagon and generally get 100k on wheel bearings (NYC driving). Jack up the wheel and look from behind when you move the front wheel side to side and it will be obvious if the bearings are shot. I recommend Timkens and stay away from Chinese bearings. Good luck, Mike

 

[rubydist]

yeah, typical symptom of bad wheel bearings. when you jack up the car to check, move the wheel up and down, not side to side - when moving side to side, you would also get play from loose tie rod ends or loose ball joints.

 

[Anonymous]

yeah, typical symptom of bad wheel bearings. when you jack up the car to check, move the wheel up and down, not side to side - when moving side to side, you would also get play from loose tie rod ends or loose ball joints.

Yeah there's alot of play in the wheel it self the rod ends and ball joints are tight

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a wheel bearing to me. I have replaced a few on my sho wagon and generally get 100k on wheel bearings (NYC driving). Jack up the wheel and look from behind when you move the front wheel side to side and it will be obvious if the bearings are shot. I recommend Timkens and stay away from Chinese bearings. Good luck, Mike

I did see that brand but wasn' sure about them this a be my first wheel bearing job out off the 7 SHOs I've owned

 

[Irish Pride]

Timken is what I would recommend but if it's not available you can feel safe with National too.

 

[Anonymous]

Timken is what I would recommend but if it's not available you can feel safe with National too.

is national the brand ?

 

[luigisho]

Yes. Timkin and National are brand names

see if this link works.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...,1138799,brake+&+wheel+hub,wheel+bearing,1672

rock auto lists both brands you can adjust the car year if needed. I just went for the 93 middle year

 

[SHOdded]

I see SKF offered for the fronts. Best quality to be had if you want to spring for it.

 

[zoomlater]

There are also Ford OEM bearings still available on ebay, search for E9DZ-1215-A (what year is your car)
I usually buy ones that are still in the Ford labeled box, there are two on there for $34 each and free shipping which may be comparable to Rockauto if you include their shipping/tax


https://shoforum.com/index.php?threads/94-spindles.18440/#post-146204

 

[Bryan]

Umm just a thing... would movement like that possibly be issues with the Cv axle too? I mean it tends to make a clunking sound as well when the bearings are worn out. Though I guess you could take it for a spin and see when turning the wheels. That’s I believe how you can tell if they are bad. Though even if not it’s not a bad idea to swap them out anyway if they have been in there for awhile. You can’t reuse the axle shaft bolt anyway and you have to pull the dang thing out of the spindle. So why not right?

 

[rubydist]

no, you do not get that kind of movement with a bad cv joint.

 

[Anonymous]

There are also Ford OEM bearings still available on ebay, search for E9DZ-1215-A (what year is your car)
I usually buy ones that are still in the Ford labeled box, there are two on there for $34 each and free shipping which may be comparable to Rockauto if you include their shipping/tax


https://shoforum.com/index.php?threads/94-spindles.18440/#post-146204

mines a 93 I've replaced the bearing

 

[itwonder]

...stay away from Chinese bearings. Good luck, Mike

Have you had a bad experience with those Mike? What brand? I have used WJB wheel bearings from Rockauto on several different vehicles, and they have performed well. I have had more trouble with Timken bearings, ever since they moved manufacturing outside of the US years ago. All things considered, I would probably purchase the SKF or OEM bearings, however if budget is a consideration or one is not going to keep the car forever, WJB will provide good service.

The most important thing is to make sure they are installed correctly. The installation must be done so that pressure is never applied to the bearing rollers.