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Bad drivers front wheel bearing


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Over the holiday weekend I started to hear a strange noise from the front end, part of it I think was bushing noise from aftermarket sways in the cold but there was also a whirring sound. I thought it seemed like it was eminating from the wheel area so I changed over to my snows to make sure it wasn't something with the tire. While doing that I checkled around and didn't see anything but the sound persisted so I took in to the dealer to have them listen. They think it is the wheel bearing as well but I am a litle confused since past experience with wheel bearings was they got louder when you turned and grabbing the wheel (when jacked up) and moving it would revela play. Neither of these are happening. As of right now I have an appointment to bring it in next Friday but does anyone have another idea what could cause this? Do you think they will try to charge me since I have aftermarket sways?
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Yeah whenI asked what would casue a failure so prematurely he said they had seen several failures but that it was likely due to our buttery smooth NJ roads. Personally I think it is a load of crap...my Integra had 250k with original bearings on the same roads. I am just wodnering if they are going to try to stick me with a bill even though they are covered to 60k since I have sways. I don't see how with stock endlinks I could transmit enough force through them to cause a steel race and ball to degrade.
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Yeah whenI asked what would casue a failure so prematurely he said they had seen several failures but that it was likely due to our buttery smooth NJ roads. Personally I think it is a load of crap...my Integra had 250k with original bearings on the same roads. I am just wodnering if they are going to try to stick me with a bill even though they are covered to 60k since I have sways. I don't see how with stock endlinks I could transmit enough force through them to cause a steel race and ball to degrade.

 

If your dealer gives you crap about it, give Wayne Subaru a try. It's a bit of a hike for you, but they're good. I went in there with lowered suspension, sways, LCA bushings and all. They said if they could hear the noise, they'd replace the bearing under warranty no problem at all. If you're more stock than I am, you should be fine.

 

Basically, the wheel bearings on your car should not be giving out this early in it's life, even if you do have aftermarket parts.

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  • 3 weeks later...

They ended up replacing the left front and right rear wheel bearings under warranty. So I can't complain about that...I just hold they don't fail again in 45k. By the way bearings are covered under powertrain to 60k so you might be covered.

***just noticed you said 02 so I would say you are out of luck.....search for a thread by c-lo.....I think he may have done them on his own.

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Mine was very strange...it started to make a lot of noise all of a sudden and never stopped. In the past when I have had wheel bearings go they would tend to make more noise as you took a turn and put more axial load on them....maybe the design of these are different.
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Mine is at 85K right now. I've been hearing a slight hum for a while. It's starting to get more noticeable now. It is not typical like yours in that it doesn't change much under load. I've been reading up and will probably do it myself this week. The dealer quoted me $300-something. When I heard that, I made up my mind to tear into it. A timken bearing is $40. The seal can't be more than $5. Same for the Castle Nut. I'll let y'all know how it goes.
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yah mine got louder the faster I went but like I mentioned typically they would get louder when you turn and add the axial load...these never did that. Just a constant drone that got louder with speed and as you mentioned was more noticable if you were in neutral.
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Mine is at 85K right now. I've been hearing a slight hum for a while. It's starting to get more noticeable now. It is not typical like yours in that it doesn't change much under load. I've been reading up and will probably do it myself this week. The dealer quoted me $300-something. When I heard that, I made up my mind to tear into it. A timken bearing is $40. The seal can't be more than $5. Same for the Castle Nut. I'll let y'all know how it goes.

 

 

What's the verdict? Did you have time to look into it? I'm looking into buying a LGT, but keep hearing about the bearing problems, which can either be no big deal, or a real PITA that would keep me from buying one, depending on how they're assembled.

I was just looking on Rock Auto Parts and it appears that they're just whole assemblies that are just bolted right in, which is a piece of cake. Now I had a '97 Jetta that went through front wheel bearings like crazy, and they were press fit. i did them myself, but I got so tired of ripping entire spindles apart every 20,000 miles that it drove me to getting rid of the car.

So, are the bearings simple whole assemblies, or a press in ordeal? Please say they're not press in :D:lol:

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I decided to put mine off until after the holidays.

 

I can almost guarantee why mine went... I had a problem with the pads binding in the mounts on the front left. At highway speeds, when the rotor and pad got good and heated up, the steering wheel would jerk from side to side and the front end would vibrate like I had a severely out of balance tire. After repeated trips to the dealer, I worked on it myself and ended up throwing away the stainless pad guides.... ANYWAY..... that vibration is probably what put excessive loads on that front left bearing.

 

On the 2002, there is no hub-assembly to swap in for the fronts... just the rear.. Buy the Timken bearing from Autozone for $40, get the $10 seal from Suby, mark your alignment, disassemble and take to a shop to have it pressed in if you don't have access to a press. If you're looking at the newer LGT, they seem to offer hub assemblies for both front and rear.

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