Wheel Bearing Gone?! No noise though!

[Seat_Jamie]

Felt a slight vibration in the brake pedal a few times while turning recently so decided to jack up the car just now and as i raised car I noticed the front passenger wheel has a lot of play and I did raise this side a week ago to save the droplink rubbing on driveshaft, anyway so i the took wheel off and had a look behind, I wobbled it and you can see the drive shaft just going up and down and there was a little leak at cv joint where it was rubbing off the hub, There is quite a bit of movement though but no noise while driving, no humming no grinding etc.... Im doing at least 60mph to work and no vibration in steering either. Weird? Few questions as most know this is my first Seat, 1. Will it be the wheel bearing or something else also? 2. How dangerous is this? (Have no money to pay garage til end of month) 3. Can it be fixed myself?

Once again Thanks to all!

I will get it all fixed eventually just seems to be one thing after another, My passenger window mechanism is screwed aswell lol il post that when it becomes relevant, Safety first though.

 

[verbal_kint]

The shaft should have no play at the end secured into the hub and should have controlled movement in the joint.

If the wheel has play both side to side and top to bottom then that is wheel bearing.

Up and down play only would be ball joints.

However you need to use one hand to move the wheel and another to hold the suspension strut and other components to feel what is actually moving.

Don't go mad and you should see the next pay day without trouble.

Window is a fairly cheap and easy fix.

 

[Seat_Jamie]

The shaft should have no play at the end secured into the hub and should have controlled movement in the joint.

If the wheel has play both side to side and top to bottom then that is wheel bearing.

Up and down play only would be ball joints.

However you need to use one hand to move the wheel and another to hold the suspension strut and other components to feel what is actually moving.

Don't go mad and you should see the next pay day without trouble.

Window is a fairly cheap and easy fix.

Thanks very much mate, I think it might be the wheel bearing then because theres play all ways, hopefully lasts lol

 

[Seat_Jamie]

OMG LUCKY ESCAPE!!!!

I went and bought the tools to take off a hub from scrappies and was unsuccesful, Anyway on way home brakes were getting worse, decided to try tighten up the main hub/driveshaft nut the 30mm 12 pin, OMG it was hanging on by a thread, ive tightened it up as much as possible til i can get my torque wrench back tomorrow, I guess i was another couple miles before disaster struck, took it for a drive after and it seems to have done the trick, so it was not the bearing after all, I thought it was funny with no noise or vibrations etc... Phew!!!! Now I just need to check over everything else make sure its all nice and tight

 

[Seat_Jamie]

Yep its all good now

 

[Muttley]

A lucky escape As far as wheel bearings go, I've had it happen a couple of times and they have sounded dreadful, and vibrated horribly, yet I could not get any noticeable play when wobbling the wheels. I think the front wheel bearings on today's FWD cars are extremely robust double bearing sets, ball bearings on our cars. Even when worn out, they don't move very much, just make a lot of noise and vibration.

 

[Seat_Jamie]

A lucky escape As far as wheel bearings go, I've had it happen a couple of times and they have sounded dreadful, and vibrated horribly, yet I could not get any noticeable play when wobbling the wheels. I think the front wheel bearings on today's FWD cars are extremely robust double bearing sets, ball bearings on our cars. Even when worn out, they don't move very much, just make a lot of noise and vibration.

Yeah the Axle nut has never been a problem so never did i think it could be that, Just shows you though, the amount of play I should have known lol well lesson learnt

 

[Seat_Jamie]

PROBLEM!

Axle nut was loose again by the time I got in to work enough for a turn or two, Il torque it today but im a big guy so me tightening it up would be enough to keep it tight for a while surely? Is there anything to keep the nuts from loosening like the old castle nuts split pins etc... I have almost had it with this car now and ready to let it go.....

 

[mty12345]

Use a new nut mate....... They should only be used once and then replaced. There's nothing to keep it there like a split pin, it should stay in place without any issues if new and tightened to the right torque. If it doesn't then there must be some issue with the thread on the shaft i would imagine.

 

[Seat_Jamie]

Use a new nut mate....... They should only be used once and then replaced. There's nothing to keep it there like a split pin, it should stay in place without any issues if new and tightened to the right torque. If it doesn't then there must be some issue with the thread on the shaft i would imagine.

Yeah just found that out mate, Thanks for helping, Ive got two ordered from Eurocarparts tomorrow and i have a torque wrench that goes to 210nm so should be okay if not then il get the driveshaft done when i get the bearing changed lol, Nightmare and scary at the same time wondering if the wheel will fall off lol

 

[mty12345]

No probs and yeah i understand your worry, the hub nut is definitely not something you want coming loose.

According to the haynes the tightening procedure is as follows for the hub nut.... (the bolt fitted to some models is different)

1. Tighten to 200nm (148lbf/ft)
2. Slacken the nut by half a turn (180 degrees)
3. Rotate the wheel by half a turn (180 degrees)
4. Tighten to 50nm (37lbf/ft)
5. Angle tighten through 60 degrees (equivalent to 2 spaces on a 12 point nut)