Front Wheel Bearing?

C

cj10jeeper

Lifer
 Lichfield, England
What do you think?

Pick the car up from the airport and up to speed on the motorway and cruising steadily, But steering starts vibrating like its lost a weight in one wheel. Gets really wobbly so think flat tyre ( but no warning lights)
Drop to 60 and smooth and then leave motorway and drives as smooth as silk.

Suit on and slinging down rain, so drive the last few miles home.
Arriving home braking feels slightly pulsating, but nothing to be concerned with...

Get home and a quick look.
Star in the front N/S 108 rim is very, very hot, disk near glowing, BUT brake caliper stone cold.

Heat soaking into wheel heats whole wheel quickly.

I'm reckoning wheel bearing failure?

What do you folks reckon as too late to jack it up and test tonight?
 
Could be I would say possibly a stick calliper? But with it going away that's unlikely?!

When my calliper was sticking it had all the same symptoms. But when I stopped the car and had a look and a bit of a weight. I could get back in the car and drive off and it was better??
 
Sticking brake calliper imo. Possibly jack the car up and spin the suspect wheel, see if there's any drag?
 
Thanks for the comments.

Well it's caliper or bearing. My initial thinking was bearing as the caliper was stone cold. Now I guess the pads could insulate the caliper body, so can't rule it out.

Braking was also dead straight but I'd have expected pull with the pads on one side being so hot vs other side.

Will be easy enough in the morning to jack it up and look and see what I can find.
If it rotates freely with no grind or play then I'll go caliper. Problem is you can bet after a night at 2c it'll be super smooth...
 
Good call guys.

Without the suit, tired and being late home in the evening, it was a quick job this morning to jack up the front, feel the wheel was binding fairly tight on the pads. Clearly 'sticky caliper'. Dismantled worked it a few times refitted and all is well after a test run, but will get a replacement asap as I'm sure they never fully cure once sticking.

Bearing fine and heat did no damage to anything.
 
I had similar problem with a Saab turned out to be exposed part of calliper pistons being corroded and not allowing pistons to back off freely in those days it was clean pistons up with bit of emery paper rubber lubricant and job sorted. Hope all goes well. Cheers Baz :thumbsup:
 
In all likelihood you've glazed the discs, or possibly warped them slightly. They don't like getting to those sorts of temp, unless maybe they're racing ones?
 
Ha ha - auto driver.

Glazed or distorted - no way. High end disks and put a dial gauge in them. True as a die.

I have however picked up a refurbished oem caliper (£80) painted it red and will fit tomorrow.

Can't be doing with risking it going again, especially as I'm working out of England and need to get to the airport early each Monday without issues :(
 
im getting the same issues, so playing safe replacing both front wheel bearings and new pads in the 8 pots. :D :D

car brakes straights an fine but constant noise from wheels. :headbang:
 
Fitted off side front wheel bearing, didn't need bearing puller, the old one fell off !!!
2e1f3376607044dcc266cf45ea173149.jpg
 
Hello Mac, I know this is an old post but was the bearing hard to change? I’ve bought one and I’m handy with a spanner but I can’t seen to find any diy’s for a z4? Is there anything that I should watch out for?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom