bad wheel bearings and bad mechanics - how do i fix both?
01-14-2009, 05:53 PM
#1
bad wheel bearings and bad mechanics - how do i fix both?
So here's my story:
My car is a 95 automatic maxima. After i starting hearing strange and bad noises i took my car to my auto shop teacher/prof at my college. we determined i had a bad left front wheel bearing.
With that knowledge i went to my trusty shop Wayne's Tire. They gave me a quote for a lot less than another shop in town so i decided to get the work done there.
They drove it a bit and after some new sounds cropped up we determined my rear brakes were pretty much at 0%.
They put on new pads and turned the rotors. That seems to have eliminated the sounds coming from the rear of the car.
I also had one very worn tire(FR) which was replaced.
They replaced the bad hub bearing, but now there is a new noise and new problem.
Based on the maintenance book i have for my car, you must remove the CV axle to replace the bearing. With that in mind i suggested they just replace the axle too since the part is only about $50 and they would already have the old one out. The manager assured me they inspected the car and the axle did not need to be replaced and told me it shouldn't be done. I took his word and didn't have it replaced.
Now, after i got my car back and was told it drove great and had no more noise and no issues...
I now have a sound at city street speeds that sounds kind of like a cat purring. It also somewhat resembles the sound huge truck sand tires make on pavement. This sound is coming from the left front wheel again. It was not there before they did any repairs.
In addition to the new noise, the car now pulls slightly left at normal city speeds on flat streets, but under very hard acceleration it pulls VERY hard to the right.
Having just gotten the car back and immediately hearing new problems, I took the car back in the next day they were open. They drove it, put it on a rack and looked all around and came back with two things. First they decided that now my CV boots were dry(have no grease inside), thus the axle should be replaced. The boots on both sides look very good and have no tears or holes. The axle moves laterally slightly and makes a metal on metal clink when it stops on either side. They also pointed out the brake rotor on that wheel had several hot spots that were very visible. (i saw them)
Now they're saying i should replace the cv axle(maybe both sides) and that should fix the new problem, and they want $90 to do an alignment as well.
My question to you is this:
If the CV axles were installed improperly could that cause the grease to dry up or somehow disappear and thus need the axle to be replaced?
What could be causing the problem with the drift and pull?
They did not list a hub, just a hub bearing on the parts list on my invoice. does this mean they did not replace the whole unit? a nissan mechanic at the dealer told me by phone that a bad bearing could damage the hub, so both should be replaced. Wayne's told me it was one unit, not separate pieces, and thus they replaced everything.
Shouldn't they have noticed the axle had the lateral movement when they inspected it for the bad bearing?
This seems like some somewhat shady business and I am not very happy with it, and I'm not sure what to do now. If I take it to another shop i will have to pay even more to have them just look at it, and then more again to have them fix whatever Wayne's missed/messed up.
Thank you in advance and my apologies for the excessive length.
My car is a 95 automatic maxima. After i starting hearing strange and bad noises i took my car to my auto shop teacher/prof at my college. we determined i had a bad left front wheel bearing.
With that knowledge i went to my trusty shop Wayne's Tire. They gave me a quote for a lot less than another shop in town so i decided to get the work done there.
They drove it a bit and after some new sounds cropped up we determined my rear brakes were pretty much at 0%.
They put on new pads and turned the rotors. That seems to have eliminated the sounds coming from the rear of the car.
I also had one very worn tire(FR) which was replaced.
They replaced the bad hub bearing, but now there is a new noise and new problem.
Based on the maintenance book i have for my car, you must remove the CV axle to replace the bearing. With that in mind i suggested they just replace the axle too since the part is only about $50 and they would already have the old one out. The manager assured me they inspected the car and the axle did not need to be replaced and told me it shouldn't be done. I took his word and didn't have it replaced.
Now, after i got my car back and was told it drove great and had no more noise and no issues...
I now have a sound at city street speeds that sounds kind of like a cat purring. It also somewhat resembles the sound huge truck sand tires make on pavement. This sound is coming from the left front wheel again. It was not there before they did any repairs.
In addition to the new noise, the car now pulls slightly left at normal city speeds on flat streets, but under very hard acceleration it pulls VERY hard to the right.
Having just gotten the car back and immediately hearing new problems, I took the car back in the next day they were open. They drove it, put it on a rack and looked all around and came back with two things. First they decided that now my CV boots were dry(have no grease inside), thus the axle should be replaced. The boots on both sides look very good and have no tears or holes. The axle moves laterally slightly and makes a metal on metal clink when it stops on either side. They also pointed out the brake rotor on that wheel had several hot spots that were very visible. (i saw them)
Now they're saying i should replace the cv axle(maybe both sides) and that should fix the new problem, and they want $90 to do an alignment as well.
My question to you is this:
If the CV axles were installed improperly could that cause the grease to dry up or somehow disappear and thus need the axle to be replaced?
What could be causing the problem with the drift and pull?
They did not list a hub, just a hub bearing on the parts list on my invoice. does this mean they did not replace the whole unit? a nissan mechanic at the dealer told me by phone that a bad bearing could damage the hub, so both should be replaced. Wayne's told me it was one unit, not separate pieces, and thus they replaced everything.
Shouldn't they have noticed the axle had the lateral movement when they inspected it for the bad bearing?
This seems like some somewhat shady business and I am not very happy with it, and I'm not sure what to do now. If I take it to another shop i will have to pay even more to have them just look at it, and then more again to have them fix whatever Wayne's missed/messed up.
Thank you in advance and my apologies for the excessive length.
01-14-2009, 06:15 PM
#2
The only reason I wouldv'e had them change the CV axle to begin with wouldv'e been because the boot was cracking and showing signs of wear. There is no way that grease can magically dry up. It just doesnt happen. As to the lateral movement; My drivers side moves ever so slightly like you describe with the car on the ground. I've never been able to do it with the car lifted, but I wouldn't consider it anything to worry about, personally.
The reason the car is pulling left on normal roads is because they have to disconnect the knuckle from the strut, and in doing this gets the alignment off. They shouldve checked the alignment before it even left the shop. Now, when I had my front wheel bearing done, yes they have to at least turn the hub and if it is in bad shape the hub should be replaced. Under hard acceleration and the car pulling right, thats normal torque steer. Its an FWD car and the way the axles are set up we get serious torque steer. Unavoidable.
I dunno man. Just my personal experience. Honestly tho, I'm really surprised they didn't come back and tell you that you needed new rear calipers. 90% they freeze up and have to be rebuilt or replaced on the fourth gens. . .
The reason the car is pulling left on normal roads is because they have to disconnect the knuckle from the strut, and in doing this gets the alignment off. They shouldve checked the alignment before it even left the shop. Now, when I had my front wheel bearing done, yes they have to at least turn the hub and if it is in bad shape the hub should be replaced. Under hard acceleration and the car pulling right, thats normal torque steer. Its an FWD car and the way the axles are set up we get serious torque steer. Unavoidable.
I dunno man. Just my personal experience. Honestly tho, I'm really surprised they didn't come back and tell you that you needed new rear calipers. 90% they freeze up and have to be rebuilt or replaced on the fourth gens. . .
01-14-2009, 06:24 PM
#3
Well ... Evil, you have got to do some searching to answer these questions. I see you don't post much, but have an 05' account, so ... I'll try to help if I can.
The hub can come as a one peice unit, or you can do the wheel bearings seperate. It would depend on how bad the hub was, but it's most common to just do the wheel bearings and races.
As for the CV axles, if they were'nt installed correctly, you wouldn't be driving the car. If the axle is not fully into the trans housing, you'll notice gear oil dripping at that point. The grease in the CV joint shouldn't be leaking from the boot, if it is, you need a new boot installed (if the joint is still good that is). Doesn't sound like they are being honest with you. However, a bad axle can cause the car to drift or pull, either or both for that matter. The FR tire should be a clue that you have an issue. Resolve that problem and then move on. A bad tire will cause all sorts of problems and they often go unchecked. Check the air in your tires first, keep an eye on it, especially with hot / cold / hot weather. If you have multiple problems, you have to fix them one at a time. You know the brakes are an issue, get that done. DIY and save the $$$. Stop paying people to work on your car, DL the FSM (feild serv man) and all you need is in there and here on the .Org.
Don't take your car back to them, they obviousley don't know what they are doing.
The hub can come as a one peice unit, or you can do the wheel bearings seperate. It would depend on how bad the hub was, but it's most common to just do the wheel bearings and races.
As for the CV axles, if they were'nt installed correctly, you wouldn't be driving the car. If the axle is not fully into the trans housing, you'll notice gear oil dripping at that point. The grease in the CV joint shouldn't be leaking from the boot, if it is, you need a new boot installed (if the joint is still good that is). Doesn't sound like they are being honest with you. However, a bad axle can cause the car to drift or pull, either or both for that matter. The FR tire should be a clue that you have an issue. Resolve that problem and then move on. A bad tire will cause all sorts of problems and they often go unchecked. Check the air in your tires first, keep an eye on it, especially with hot / cold / hot weather. If you have multiple problems, you have to fix them one at a time. You know the brakes are an issue, get that done. DIY and save the $$$. Stop paying people to work on your car, DL the FSM (feild serv man) and all you need is in there and here on the .Org.
Don't take your car back to them, they obviousley don't know what they are doing.
01-14-2009, 06:28 PM
#4
The only reason I wouldv'e had them change the CV axle to begin with wouldv'e been because the boot was cracking and showing signs of wear. There is no way that grease can magically dry up. It just doesnt happen. As to the lateral movement; My drivers side moves ever so slightly like you describe with the car on the ground. I've never been able to do it with the car lifted, but I wouldn't consider it anything to worry about, personally.
The reason the car is pulling left on normal roads is because they have to disconnect the knuckle from the strut, and in doing this gets the alignment off. They shouldve checked the alignment before it even left the shop. Now, when I had my front wheel bearing done, yes they have to at least turn the hub and if it is in bad shape the hub should be replaced. Under hard acceleration and the car pulling right, thats normal torque steer. Its an FWD car and the way the axles are set up we get serious torque steer. Unavoidable.
I dunno man. Just my personal experience. Honestly tho, I'm really surprised they didn't come back and tell you that you needed new rear calipers. 90% they freeze up and have to be rebuilt or replaced on the fourth gens. . .
The reason the car is pulling left on normal roads is because they have to disconnect the knuckle from the strut, and in doing this gets the alignment off. They shouldve checked the alignment before it even left the shop. Now, when I had my front wheel bearing done, yes they have to at least turn the hub and if it is in bad shape the hub should be replaced. Under hard acceleration and the car pulling right, thats normal torque steer. Its an FWD car and the way the axles are set up we get serious torque steer. Unavoidable.
I dunno man. Just my personal experience. Honestly tho, I'm really surprised they didn't come back and tell you that you needed new rear calipers. 90% they freeze up and have to be rebuilt or replaced on the fourth gens. . .
The alignment doesn't have anything to do with the strut knuckle.
And, my 5spd doesn't have any torque steering going on ....
I don't think this is really a problem for Maxima's.
01-14-2009, 06:35 PM
#5
Really? Everytime I've disconnected the knuckle from the strut (Which I assumed they did [and this is what I get for assuming]) I've had alignment problems and had to get an alignment.
Both of mine have torque steer under heavy acceleration. My 96 (auto) isn't as bad as the 97 (5spd) tho. Don't get me wrong here either; it's not horrible, just noticeable.
(P.S. Jtz: I haven't forgotten about ya and the pics. Just gotten really busy since classes started back up and before that was holiday stuff. I'll get them uploaded!)
Last edited by NISSANMAXIMA91; 01-14-2009 at 06:39 PM.
01-14-2009, 06:36 PM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Fuk 301 it's 410 Bal Md black/purple.
Posts: 1,860
So here's my story:
My car is a 95 automatic maxima. After i starting hearing strange and bad noises i took my car to my auto shop teacher/prof at my college. we determined i had a bad left front wheel bearing.
With that knowledge i went to my trusty shop Wayne's Tire. They gave me a quote for a lot less than another shop in town so i decided to get the work done there.
They drove it a bit and after some new sounds cropped up we determined my rear brakes were pretty much at 0%.
They put on new pads and turned the rotors. That seems to have eliminated the sounds coming from the rear of the car.
I also had one very worn tire(FR) which was replaced.
They replaced the bad hub bearing, but now there is a new noise and new problem.
Based on the maintenance book i have for my car, you must remove the CV axle to replace the bearing. With that in mind i suggested they just replace the axle too since the part is only about $50 and they would already have the old one out. The manager assured me they inspected the car and the axle did not need to be replaced and told me it shouldn't be done. I took his word and didn't have it replaced.
Now, after i got my car back and was told it drove great and had no more noise and no issues...
I now have a sound at city street speeds that sounds kind of like a cat purring. It also somewhat resembles the sound huge truck sand tires make on pavement. This sound is coming from the left front wheel again. It was not there before they did any repairs.
In addition to the new noise, the car now pulls slightly left at normal city speeds on flat streets, but under very hard acceleration it pulls VERY hard to the right.
Having just gotten the car back and immediately hearing new problems, I took the car back in the next day they were open. They drove it, put it on a rack and looked all around and came back with two things. First they decided that now my CV boots were dry(have no grease inside), thus the axle should be replaced. The boots on both sides look very good and have no tears or holes. The axle moves laterally slightly and makes a metal on metal clink when it stops on either side. They also pointed out the brake rotor on that wheel had several hot spots that were very visible. (i saw them)
Now they're saying i should replace the cv axle(maybe both sides) and that should fix the new problem, and they want $90 to do an alignment as well.
My question to you is this:
If the CV axles were installed improperly could that cause the grease to dry up or somehow disappear and thus need the axle to be replaced?
What could be causing the problem with the drift and pull?
They did not list a hub, just a hub bearing on the parts list on my invoice. does this mean they did not replace the whole unit? a nissan mechanic at the dealer told me by phone that a bad bearing could damage the hub, so both should be replaced. Wayne's told me it was one unit, not separate pieces, and thus they replaced everything.
Shouldn't they have noticed the axle had the lateral movement when they inspected it for the bad bearing?
This seems like some somewhat shady business and I am not very happy with it, and I'm not sure what to do now. If I take it to another shop i will have to pay even more to have them just look at it, and then more again to have them fix whatever Wayne's missed/messed up.
Thank you in advance and my apologies for the excessive length.
My car is a 95 automatic maxima. After i starting hearing strange and bad noises i took my car to my auto shop teacher/prof at my college. we determined i had a bad left front wheel bearing.
With that knowledge i went to my trusty shop Wayne's Tire. They gave me a quote for a lot less than another shop in town so i decided to get the work done there.
They drove it a bit and after some new sounds cropped up we determined my rear brakes were pretty much at 0%.
They put on new pads and turned the rotors. That seems to have eliminated the sounds coming from the rear of the car.
I also had one very worn tire(FR) which was replaced.
They replaced the bad hub bearing, but now there is a new noise and new problem.
Based on the maintenance book i have for my car, you must remove the CV axle to replace the bearing. With that in mind i suggested they just replace the axle too since the part is only about $50 and they would already have the old one out. The manager assured me they inspected the car and the axle did not need to be replaced and told me it shouldn't be done. I took his word and didn't have it replaced.
Now, after i got my car back and was told it drove great and had no more noise and no issues...
I now have a sound at city street speeds that sounds kind of like a cat purring. It also somewhat resembles the sound huge truck sand tires make on pavement. This sound is coming from the left front wheel again. It was not there before they did any repairs.
In addition to the new noise, the car now pulls slightly left at normal city speeds on flat streets, but under very hard acceleration it pulls VERY hard to the right.
Having just gotten the car back and immediately hearing new problems, I took the car back in the next day they were open. They drove it, put it on a rack and looked all around and came back with two things. First they decided that now my CV boots were dry(have no grease inside), thus the axle should be replaced. The boots on both sides look very good and have no tears or holes. The axle moves laterally slightly and makes a metal on metal clink when it stops on either side. They also pointed out the brake rotor on that wheel had several hot spots that were very visible. (i saw them)
Now they're saying i should replace the cv axle(maybe both sides) and that should fix the new problem, and they want $90 to do an alignment as well.
My question to you is this:
If the CV axles were installed improperly could that cause the grease to dry up or somehow disappear and thus need the axle to be replaced?
What could be causing the problem with the drift and pull?
They did not list a hub, just a hub bearing on the parts list on my invoice. does this mean they did not replace the whole unit? a nissan mechanic at the dealer told me by phone that a bad bearing could damage the hub, so both should be replaced. Wayne's told me it was one unit, not separate pieces, and thus they replaced everything.
Shouldn't they have noticed the axle had the lateral movement when they inspected it for the bad bearing?
This seems like some somewhat shady business and I am not very happy with it, and I'm not sure what to do now. If I take it to another shop i will have to pay even more to have them just look at it, and then more again to have them fix whatever Wayne's missed/messed up.
Thank you in advance and my apologies for the excessive length.
01-14-2009, 06:45 PM
#7
Really? Everytime I've disconnected the knuckle from the strut (Which I assumed they did [and this is what I get for assuming]) I've had alignment problems and had to get an alignment.
Both of mine have torque steer under heavy acceleration. My 96 (auto) isn't as bad as the 97 (5spd) tho. Don't get me wrong here either; it's not horrible, just noticeable.
Both of mine have torque steer under heavy acceleration. My 96 (auto) isn't as bad as the 97 (5spd) tho. Don't get me wrong here either; it's not horrible, just noticeable.
You adjust the alignement via the tie rod end, not the strut knuckle. Those two bolts only hold the rotor assembly and the bottom of the strut togeather, can't affect the alignement. Also, when I rebuilt my trans, or replaced my axles, on my car, I never had any issues with alignment after ... never.
As for the torque steer issue .... I don't have any in my 98' 5spd, light take off or dump the clutch and go take offs. It is more noticible on some cars, I grant you that. Try driving a Mitsu Eclipse or an older Grand Am.
Oh yea ... let go of the wheel while acclerating and it can get real fun, real fast! lol
01-14-2009, 06:49 PM
#8
Not trying to pick a fight ... please don't take me wrong.
You adjust the alignement via the tie rod end, not the strut knuckle. Those two bolts only hold the rotor assembly and the bottom of the strut togeather, can't affect the alignement. Also, when I rebuilt my trans, or replaced my axles, on my car, I never had any issues with alignment after ... never.
As for the torque steer issue .... I don't have any in my 98' 5spd, light take off or dump the clutch and go take offs. It is more noticible on some cars, I grant you that. Try driving a Mitsu Eclipse or an older Grand Am. Oh yea ... let go of the wheel while acclerating and it can get real fun, real fast! lol
You adjust the alignement via the tie rod end, not the strut knuckle. Those two bolts only hold the rotor assembly and the bottom of the strut togeather, can't affect the alignement. Also, when I rebuilt my trans, or replaced my axles, on my car, I never had any issues with alignment after ... never.
As for the torque steer issue .... I don't have any in my 98' 5spd, light take off or dump the clutch and go take offs. It is more noticible on some cars, I grant you that. Try driving a Mitsu Eclipse or an older Grand Am.
Oh yea ... let go of the wheel while acclerating and it can get real fun, real fast! lolRight, I agree with you 100% I trust you enough anyway, plus I hate fighting over the net. Nothing gets accompished. So I wonder what the heck I did to mess my alignment up? Who knows.
No tellin what I'm feeling. Probably just teh damn roads around here.
01-14-2009, 06:56 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 699
-- Try rotating the tires to see if the noise changes.
-- Unless your axles are leaking or the boots are torn, you shouldn't need new axles.
-- Call around for a front wheel alignment.. in Richmond, VA a local shop can align it for 40 dollars. 90 is excessive... Remember: front wheel only, we have a solid rear axle and it is not adjustable and shouldn't need it unless damaged (and you'd have to put it through some serious s*** to do that).
-- I've replaced 2 bad bearings, but in both cases the hubs were not worn to the point it warranted replacement. The hub and wheel bearing *are* separate pieces.
-- The driver's side axle will have some horizontal play at a few mm's..that's normal.
My suggestions... Rotate the tires, ensure proper inflation. Check for noise and pull (radial tires will sometimes pull in a certain direction even with correct alignment.. it's called radial tire pull). You can't do much about the torque steer, it comes with the territory of owning a FWD. If the noise persists, you may have a defective wheel bearing.
Do this check if the noise persists, corner HARD and determine if the noise increases or decreases based on weight distribution. There will be more weight on the outside wheel and the noise will likely get louder on the side with a bad bearing under load.
Feel your wheels after a long drive and compare to others to see if a caliper is sticking.. Otherwise, you'll just have to inspect the pads after putting some miles on the car.
-- Unless your axles are leaking or the boots are torn, you shouldn't need new axles.
-- Call around for a front wheel alignment.. in Richmond, VA a local shop can align it for 40 dollars. 90 is excessive... Remember: front wheel only, we have a solid rear axle and it is not adjustable and shouldn't need it unless damaged (and you'd have to put it through some serious s*** to do that).
-- I've replaced 2 bad bearings, but in both cases the hubs were not worn to the point it warranted replacement. The hub and wheel bearing *are* separate pieces.
-- The driver's side axle will have some horizontal play at a few mm's..that's normal.
My suggestions... Rotate the tires, ensure proper inflation. Check for noise and pull (radial tires will sometimes pull in a certain direction even with correct alignment.. it's called radial tire pull). You can't do much about the torque steer, it comes with the territory of owning a FWD. If the noise persists, you may have a defective wheel bearing.
Do this check if the noise persists, corner HARD and determine if the noise increases or decreases based on weight distribution. There will be more weight on the outside wheel and the noise will likely get louder on the side with a bad bearing under load.
Feel your wheels after a long drive and compare to others to see if a caliper is sticking.. Otherwise, you'll just have to inspect the pads after putting some miles on the car.
01-14-2009, 06:59 PM
#10
Very possible indeed! lol
01-14-2009, 07:00 PM
#11
Well ... Evil, you have got to do some searching to answer these questions. I see you don't post much, but have an 05' account, so ... I'll try to help if I can.
The hub can come as a one peice unit, or you can do the wheel bearings seperate. It would depend on how bad the hub was, but it's most common to just do the wheel bearings and races.
As for the CV axles, if they were'nt installed correctly, you wouldn't be driving the car. If the axle is not fully into the trans housing, you'll notice gear oil dripping at that point. The grease in the CV joint shouldn't be leaking from the boot, if it is, you need a new boot installed (if the joint is still good that is). Doesn't sound like they are being honest with you. However, a bad axle can cause the car to drift or pull, either or both for that matter. The FR tire should be a clue that you have an issue. Resolve that problem and then move on. A bad tire will cause all sorts of problems and they often go unchecked. Check the air in your tires first, keep an eye on it, especially with hot / cold / hot weather. If you have multiple problems, you have to fix them one at a time. You know the brakes are an issue, get that done. DIY and save the $$$. Stop paying people to work on your car, DL the FSM (feild serv man) and all you need is in there and here on the .Org. Don't take your car back to them, they obviousley don't know what they are doing.
The hub can come as a one peice unit, or you can do the wheel bearings seperate. It would depend on how bad the hub was, but it's most common to just do the wheel bearings and races.
As for the CV axles, if they were'nt installed correctly, you wouldn't be driving the car. If the axle is not fully into the trans housing, you'll notice gear oil dripping at that point. The grease in the CV joint shouldn't be leaking from the boot, if it is, you need a new boot installed (if the joint is still good that is). Doesn't sound like they are being honest with you. However, a bad axle can cause the car to drift or pull, either or both for that matter. The FR tire should be a clue that you have an issue. Resolve that problem and then move on. A bad tire will cause all sorts of problems and they often go unchecked. Check the air in your tires first, keep an eye on it, especially with hot / cold / hot weather. If you have multiple problems, you have to fix them one at a time. You know the brakes are an issue, get that done. DIY and save the $$$. Stop paying people to work on your car, DL the FSM (feild serv man) and all you need is in there and here on the .Org.
Don't take your car back to them, they obviousley don't know what they are doing.they slapped a new tire on the front right. i asked why that one died and he said "its the drive wheel. every time you start from a stop sign its the one getting all the power"
sigh.. rear brakes were literally at 0%, there was metal starting to grind. i was going on vacation, getting back, then taking my car on another vacation days later. oh, i also dont have any of the tools i would need. (socket set, jack stands, etc)
i fully plan to use the facilities at my college now that school starts again in a few days.
so it sounds like they are yanking my chain with the whole CV thing. it WAS a bit questionable when i had the bearing bad, so i thought i could just do both and be sure.. but the axles were replaced 2 years ago and the boots look perfect.
i think i might have to waste more money and have a shop i trust a LOT more figure out wtf is wrong right now.
imo, they took my car, fixed one thing, and now something new and different is wrong(the noise). the pulling/drifting i can live with chalking up as alignment. im kind of pissed they didnt warn me that i would need an alignment too. in addition when they inspected it to figure out if it was a wheel bearing or not, why didnt they see the same issue with the CV?!
sorry i needed to rant a bit, but how do i deal with these people.. i wont my car fixed so i dont have to deal with it anymore..
edit: i know torque steer. i get that when the road is uneven all the time. most uneven roads if i accel hard the wheel flops all over the place. this is a hard pull steadily to one direction.
Last edited by evil_spork; 01-14-2009 at 07:10 PM.
01-14-2009, 07:09 PM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Fuk 301 it's 410 Bal Md black/purple.
Posts: 1,860
thanks for the reply(s)
they slapped a new tire on the front right. i asked why that one died and he said "its the drive wheel. every time you start from a stop sign its the one getting all the power"
sigh.. rear brakes were literally at 0%, there was metal starting to grind. i was going on vacation, getting back, then taking my car on another vacation days later. oh, i also dont have any of the tools i would need. (socket set, jack stands, etc)
i fully plan to use the facilities at my college now that school starts again in a few days.
so it sounds like they are yanking my chain with the whole CV thing. it WAS a bit questionable when i had the bearing bad, so i thought i could just do both and be sure.. but the axles were replaced 2 years ago and the boots look perfect.
i think i might have to waste more money and have a shop i trust a LOT more figure out wtf is wrong right now.
imo, they took my car, fixed one thing, and now something new and different is wrong(the noise). the pulling/drifting i can live with chalking up as alignment. im kind of pissed they didnt warn me that i would need an alignment too. in addition when they inspected it to figure out if it was a wheel bearing or not, why didnt they see the same issue with the CV?!
sorry i needed to rant a bit, but how do i deal with these people.. i wont my car fixed so i dont have to deal with it anymore..
they slapped a new tire on the front right. i asked why that one died and he said "its the drive wheel. every time you start from a stop sign its the one getting all the power"
sigh.. rear brakes were literally at 0%, there was metal starting to grind. i was going on vacation, getting back, then taking my car on another vacation days later. oh, i also dont have any of the tools i would need. (socket set, jack stands, etc)
i fully plan to use the facilities at my college now that school starts again in a few days.
so it sounds like they are yanking my chain with the whole CV thing. it WAS a bit questionable when i had the bearing bad, so i thought i could just do both and be sure.. but the axles were replaced 2 years ago and the boots look perfect.
i think i might have to waste more money and have a shop i trust a LOT more figure out wtf is wrong right now.
imo, they took my car, fixed one thing, and now something new and different is wrong(the noise). the pulling/drifting i can live with chalking up as alignment. im kind of pissed they didnt warn me that i would need an alignment too. in addition when they inspected it to figure out if it was a wheel bearing or not, why didnt they see the same issue with the CV?!
sorry i needed to rant a bit, but how do i deal with these people.. i wont my car fixed so i dont have to deal with it anymore..
01-14-2009, 07:16 PM
#13
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 5
One thing I would do is to drive the car a while at high speeds, and pull over and look for any smoke coming from your wheels. I've had a friend replace his bearings before, and he didn't use enough grease. It made a roaring noise and eventually started smoking. Just a thought with that.
I really don't think you will need an alignment after replacing wheel bearings if your alignment was good before.
Also, make sure they didn't put your tire on backwards. It sounds kinda dumb, but I've had it happen to me.
I really don't think you will need an alignment after replacing wheel bearings if your alignment was good before.
Also, make sure they didn't put your tire on backwards. It sounds kinda dumb, but I've had it happen to me.
Last edited by Legendary91; 01-14-2009 at 07:18 PM.
01-14-2009, 07:55 PM
#16
im concerned that they didnt replace the hub, but instead only did the bearing. my invoice says hub bearing and hub seals.
left front hub bearing - 86.46
seals - (2) 68.96
also im 100% sure its not torque steer.. before they touched my car i could floor it from a stop sign without holding the wheel on a good flat road and i would go straight. if the road sucks then the wheel tends to jerk around but generally keep straight.
now if i floor it, the wheel cuts hard to the right about 35 degrees and stays there. i might try taking a video of it, maybe the noise will be loud enough but i doubt it.
the noise is steady, even when turning corners. the bad bearing would make HORRIBLE sounds when i went through a left hand sweeping corner onto the freeway, but would be fairly quiet in a straight line as long as the car was balanced. currently i get my noise all the time, turning or not.
should i get a cheap alignment from a reputable and fair priced shop, then see whats going on from there?
my concern is if its the caliper sticking, and i drive 300 miles on friday i might end my day with only one good front brake lol.. oh dear...
01-14-2009, 09:04 PM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Fuk 301 it's 410 Bal Md black/purple.
Posts: 1,860
Read the shop rules and see how and what kind of work has to be done to get the alignment in the precedure and see If you were qualified in getting the alignment. If not go to a trusty shop or a franchised shop like a Goodyear,Merchants ect. If you really want to check If your wheel bearings were done pop out the axles and spin the spindle on the hub and If it feels hard or rough and It should spin freely and If It makes noise then they probally cheated you, I would ask the shop If the guys just did the seals or they changed the bad bearings.
01-15-2009, 06:21 AM
#18
Member who somehow became The President of The SE-L Club
iTrader: (19)
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 16,033
The only reason I wouldv'e had them change the CV axle to begin with wouldv'e been because the boot was cracking and showing signs of wear. There is no way that grease can magically dry up. It just doesnt happen. As to the lateral movement; My drivers side moves ever so slightly like you describe with the car on the ground. I've never been able to do it with the car lifted, but I wouldn't consider it anything to worry about, personally.
The reason the car is pulling left on normal roads is because they have to disconnect the knuckle from the strut, and in doing this gets the alignment off. . . .
The reason the car is pulling left on normal roads is because they have to disconnect the knuckle from the strut, and in doing this gets the alignment off. . . .
That's exactly whats happening. I think the new noise is tire tread noise. It's probably amplified now by the poor alignment issue. It may have been there all the time as well, masked by the bearings' noise.
Get the car aligned, make sure the tie rods, ball joints are tight.
Check tires for cupping or abnormal tread wear, rotate them if necessary.
01-15-2009, 01:37 PM
#19
That's exactly whats happening. I think the new noise is tire tread noise. It's probably amplified now by the poor alignment issue. It may have been there all the time as well, masked by the bearings' noise.
Get the car aligned, make sure the tie rods, ball joints are tight.
Check tires for cupping or abnormal tread wear, rotate them if necessary.
ill take it to a trusted local shop and see if they can do a cheap alignment and inspection, hopefully for under $50.
the shop i was at used to charge $65 for an alignment, not its $90... uhg
ill post here what happens.
also, hole in my muffler = catback exhaust to go with my y-pipe, and front brakes getting low = yay i get to do my own brakes and save $!
01-16-2009, 09:07 AM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Silicon Valley
Posts: 655
I had this every time something new kind of experience with an AC shop. After two summers, I fixed it myself and reversed what they did to the car. It was an expensive, time wasting experience.
The only way to get it really fixed is to do it yourself or a shop that you deal with for many years and they know you'll come back.
Grinding a grooved but otherwise good running disc is waste of good material. Pads conform to the grooves quickly. I had a mechanical suggested I change the timing belt on my I30!!
The only way to get it really fixed is to do it yourself or a shop that you deal with for many years and they know you'll come back.
Grinding a grooved but otherwise good running disc is waste of good material. Pads conform to the grooves quickly. I had a mechanical suggested I change the timing belt on my I30!!
01-16-2009, 09:53 AM
#21
Garages always do things like tell you "it all comes as one piece" like they tried to say about your hub. The tried to tell me that the control arm and the ball joint were all one piece. So i went to Napa, bought a ball joint, and replaced it. Stupid garage.
You should do as much work as you can my friend. It will save you money when you do it, and down the road when you need to do it again, you'll know how and you'll have saved that money again. I've saved about $2000 in labour in the past 3 or 4 months by DIY
Hope everything works out
You should do as much work as you can my friend. It will save you money when you do it, and down the road when you need to do it again, you'll know how and you'll have saved that money again. I've saved about $2000 in labour in the past 3 or 4 months by DIY
Hope everything works out
01-16-2009, 10:50 AM
#22
Sorry, I guess I don't understand how that can adjust camber? There are two bolts, not like there is any adjustment where it comes together with the rotor asmby. You can't turn it or move it in / out, it has to align to get the bolts through.
01-16-2009, 11:14 AM
#23
Ever seen a set of camber bolts? Same exact thing, except the bolts are smaller and allow more of an adjustment to be made.
http://www.ingallseng.com/parts/81250.htm
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