rear wheel slop

[simple]

I have detectable slop in my left rear wheel - not noticeable while
driving (so far), but with the car jacked up, that wheel has
noticeable movement. The right rear wheel has no detectable slop.

It started out (maybe 1,000km ago) as only being detectable in one
axis - ie. if you grabbed the wheel top & bottom, it was possible to
push/pull the top while pulling/pushing the bottom and get slight
movement. No detectable movement if you grabbed left & right.
Always this way, regardless of wheel rotation.

I've been checking the situation every week or two. Now there is
movement on both axes, and grabbing top/bottom & moving makes a
slight thump noise. To start with it didn't move enough to make a
noticeable noise.

The problem is presumably not related to the wheel itself, as it also
occurred with Fletcher's wheels on my car.

I took it to a mechanic a few weeks ago to see what he thought. We
went for a drive, carved left & right curves, and listened for
grinding wheel bearing noises. No sounds detected.

He hoisted it up & tried moving the wheel as I had done. Conclusion -
probably not a wheel bearing disintegrating in the normal fashion,
because that makes an obvious grinding noise, and is not normally on
such a consistent axis. He has, on occasion, found situations where
the part where the bearings press into has apparently become slightly
out of round, and replacing the bearings didn't help. The suggestion
was to keep an eye on it and wait for something else to happen.


Does anyone else have any ideas?


thanks,
Karl.

[jeff]

I thought I had a bad rear bearing but tightening the hub nut fixed it. Not really a DIY job though, it's 23mm (?) and takes some huge amount of torque.

Karl Mowatt-Wilson wrote:I have detectable slop in my left rear wheel - not noticeable while
driving (so far), but with the car jacked up, that wheel has
noticeable movement. The right rear wheel has no detectable slop.

It started out (maybe 1,000km ago) as only being detectable in one
axis - ie. if you grabbed the wheel top & bottom, it was possible to
push/pull the top while pulling/pushing the bottom and get slight
movement. No detectable movement if you grabbed left & right.
Always this way, regardless of wheel rotation.

I've been checking the situation every week or two. Now there is
movement on both axes, and grabbing top/bottom & moving makes a
slight thump noise. To start with it didn't move enough to make a
noticeable noise.

The problem is presumably not related to the wheel itself, as it also
occurred with Fletcher's wheels on my car.

I took it to a mechanic a few weeks ago to see what he thought. We
went for a drive, carved left & right curves, and listened for
grinding wheel bearing noises. No sounds detected.

He hoisted it up & tried moving the wheel as I had done. Conclusion -
probably not a wheel bearing disintegrating in the normal fashion,
because that makes an obvious grinding noise, and is not normally on
such a consistent axis. He has, on occasion, found situations where
the part where the bearings press into has apparently become slightly
out of round, and replacing the bearings didn't help. The suggestion
was to keep an eye on it and wait for something else to happen.


Does anyone else have any ideas?


thanks,
Karl.

[simple]

I had the wheel bearing replaced & all is now well. Presumably if it
had been left longer it would have developed the expected grinding
noise of a dying wheel-bearing - I noticed the slop before it had
gone that far.

The wheel bearing kit cost $95.82 + GST = $107.80
Assuming my worn bearing was original, it did 166,000km - I think
it's fair enough that it should be worn.

Labour was something like 2hrs - the old bearing was frozen on & had
to be ground off. (I also had my gearbox oil changed at the same
time, hence the uncertainty of exact labour times)


Karl.


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