Wheel Bearing??

[kingfishgrapeja]

Been getting a vibration during braking occasionally and some wandering on uneven pavement. I lifted the front up and I can move the driver's side wheel in and out a little with my hands at the 12 and 6 o clock positions. So I'm thinking ball joint went bad again right? except there is absolutely no movement at either joint. It appears to just be moving at the hub. So I'm thinking wheel bearing. but I haven't heard any groaning at speed.


Do our wheel bearings fail in this manner? I don't have any noise, just the wobble?

 

[Dave Legacy]

Have you made any progress with your suspected wheel bearing issue?

 

[Houm_WA]

Do wheel bearings groan constantly or just while accelerating?

 

[Dave Legacy]

I'd think that they'd groan constantly.

 

[kingfishgrapeja]

most cars get a groan at highway speeds which can also be activated at by swerving at around 35MPH. As you load the corner with the bad bearing you will get a louder groan. I have no groan at all but there definitely is play and that wheel shimmys when braking at times. I ordered a new bearing/hub assembly off Ebay for $149. When it comes in, I will toss it on and hopefully the play will go away. I need brakes as well so at least I'll have the wheel off anyway.

I am hoping to take the bad hub assembly and press a new bearing into it as a backup. I couldn't find any info on the bearing specs or I would have just ordered the bearing alone. If I have success that should cut the replacement price to under $100. I'll post up specs if that happens.

 

[Dave Legacy]

most cars get a groan at highway speeds which can also be activated at by swerving at around 35MPH. As you load the corner with the bad bearing you will get a louder groan. I have no groan at all but there definitely is play and that wheel shimmys when braking at times. I ordered a new bearing/hub assembly off Ebay for $149. When it comes in, I will toss it on and hopefully the play will go away. I need brakes as well so at least I'll have the wheel off anyway.

I am hoping to take the bad hub assembly and press a new bearing into it as a backup. I couldn't find any info on the bearing specs or I would have just ordered the bearing alone. If I have success that should cut the replacement price to under $100. I'll post up specs if that happens.

What's involved when replacing a wheel bearing on a LR3? Anything unusual or out of the ordinary? Something one could do at home with basic tools & knowledge? I apologize about all the questions, but I'm hungry for information.

 

[thorgal]

I would not trust a aftermarket part that costs a almost 50% less than original, especially , such a vital part as wheel bearing. I understand a need for cheaper less important items such as interior clips, but hub assembly?NO.
I am also a" good deal searcher " , but when i found out , that one of the LR aftermarket parts companies(BRITPART) is giving away their contracts to the cheapest bidder in CHINA, I came to the conclusion, that some things are more important in life, that just finding a good deal, no matter what,and some parts are meant to be a genuine components and I am a strong advocate of buying them, when one fails .You don,t want to ride in 3 ton lr3 on aftermarket bearings or lug nuts. My 0.2 cents
i am also experiencing a groaning noise, but usually , when taking foot of the gas pedal and slight vibration, when accelerating, I can hear it on the highway, but identifying noises in LR3 is always hard and takes time and knowledge and even if you have THAT it could still be a mystery , that one have to live with for a longer , then usual , period of time, until annoying noise is more pronounced.Even with bearings , is hit or miss, at the beginning stages of failure...

 

[Houm_WA]

I've got all kinds of groans. I've got a lower pitched grown that comes on at moderate speeds (30 mph) particularly if I'm in Command Shift and in 3rd gear. Then there is a higher pitched groan that comes on at freeway speeds only when I press the accelerator.

Seems like they all appeared after the sliders were put on.

The Service guys said the ball joints, tie rods, bushings, bearings all are fine. They said the front diff is whining "a little bit" but when the fluid was recently changed it looked good.

So I'm not going to worry about it much right now. I have 12k miles and about 14 months left on my Geico Mech. Breakdown Insurance Policy.

Sort of a repeat of other posts...sorry.

 

[Dave Legacy]

My suspected groan is all at low speed, around 15-30mph, and seems to be more present when driving up steep hills. I'm not convinced a normal person would even notice and I'm not 100% I'm not just hearing a normal noise. What concerns me more is the occasional "shuddering" from the rear that reminds me of two things:

1. Tire rubbing
2. Locked up lImited-slip differential in slow turns

Seems like there is a few places around town that I can predict it will occur, can see rub marks on my rear fender liner where one would expect to see them, but I'm not convinced. I'm out of warranty so there's really nothing to do but wait and see what happens. I'm thinking that I'll replace my diff fluids just to see what they look like and freshen up. I'm sure not gonna wait for the 100K or whatever that LR has decided.

 

[Houm_WA]

LR recommends 75k for the rear diff fluid. I'm not sure about the front; I had it done on my own after reading about all the failures and such.

Tire rubbing? Are you on stock sized rubber?