about every 4th-5th time i drive the car their is a slight squeeling coming from the front left.
could this be a bad bering or maybe it is just starting to dry up?
It usualy just goes away in a few minutes then I forget about it till i hear it again several weeks later.
What should I try first?
Full Version: front wheel bearing
You may have a disc caliper piston hanging up & not letting the pad/piston fully retract & drags/squeals - if it's not a bearing problem. Probably need to pull things off to properly diagnose it.
I'd wager it's not a bearing problem because if it's dry to the point of a squeak then it would have flown apart already and/or destroyed your spindle and hub. If it's a cyclic squeak, more than likely it's the brakes. How long has it been since you inspected those parts? Lots of pads squeak with dust build-up.
1. I'd check the brake pads for excessive wear (at least) every year on a street car. More often if you drive like you own it! While you're at it.
2. If it is the caliper(s) then both need to be replaced or rebuilt, especially if the rubber boots are cracked or torn. Calipers (and Master cylinders) will go bad when the fluid isn't bled regularly. I advise folks to bleed the brakes every year on a street car with DOT 3/4 fluid, although a two year interval might be ok according to ATE. Mine get heated often so I bleed 'emevery six months. More often at the track.
3. If you're like most folks it's been many years since the bearings were inspected and re-packed, or replaced if they're pitted and/or blued from heat caused by dry or dirty grease. Whether you re-use the old ones or replace, pack 'em with new synthetic wheel bearing grease and replace the seals. New wheel bearings and seals aren't very expensive.
If it's not a cyclic squeak it could also be other stuff like the shock bushings, sway-bar bushings, lower control-arm bushings, or even hood hinges (right JT?). The last one's not likely... but happened so I'm mentioning it. You can usually find these by having a friend bounce each corner of your car. While they're doing that you can often feel the part vibrating with your hand.
Good luck
1. I'd check the brake pads for excessive wear (at least) every year on a street car. More often if you drive like you own it! While you're at it.
2. If it is the caliper(s) then both need to be replaced or rebuilt, especially if the rubber boots are cracked or torn. Calipers (and Master cylinders) will go bad when the fluid isn't bled regularly. I advise folks to bleed the brakes every year on a street car with DOT 3/4 fluid, although a two year interval might be ok according to ATE. Mine get heated often so I bleed 'emevery six months. More often at the track.
3. If you're like most folks it's been many years since the bearings were inspected and re-packed, or replaced if they're pitted and/or blued from heat caused by dry or dirty grease. Whether you re-use the old ones or replace, pack 'em with new synthetic wheel bearing grease and replace the seals. New wheel bearings and seals aren't very expensive.
If it's not a cyclic squeak it could also be other stuff like the shock bushings, sway-bar bushings, lower control-arm bushings, or even hood hinges (right JT?). The last one's not likely... but happened so I'm mentioning it. You can usually find these by having a friend bounce each corner of your car. While they're doing that you can often feel the part vibrating with your hand.
Good luck
simple diagnositc is to safely jack up and support car to get the suspect wheel off ground. then do some tests.
1. test whhel bearing by rocking the tire from teh 6 and 12 oclock position there shoudl be some little bit of bearing freeplay, if you get lots of rocking it is bad, if ti si rock stiff, it may be adjust to tight. usually a failing bearing will gett looser and looser.
2. to test for draggin brakes,
have the brakes stomped on really hard (make sure car is frimly supported, dont be under any part when person is inside the car) then release them, and rapidly right away spin the wheel, note any drag. then wait three and a half minuites or so and spin wheel again, and ask, does the wheel spin easiar after the wait time than when spun immediatly after the hard brake application??? if the answer is it spun easy after the wait time, and was dragging in teh immediate spin test, then you have residual brake fluid pressure causing the braek to drag. often old rubber hoses will restrict flow, they swell internally then act as a check valve, high pressure fluid flows one way then brake applyed, but the low pressure return after brakes let off is a slow prosses thru the collapesed hose.
also could be hung up caliper rubbers or rusty pistons,
to test if hoses, bleed the brakes, you will find constricted hoses will offer a lotmore resistance when the bleeder is open to pumping than hoses that are free and clear
you can remove teh pads, and pry the piston back in some and then with pad installed again, press on brakes, this will move pad thru a big range, do this several times, this may free up some sticky caliper pistons.
914914914914914
QUOTE(realred914 @ Aug 30 2010, 10:31 AM) 
simple diagnositc is to safely jack up and support car to get the suspect wheel off ground. then do some tests.
1. test whhel bearing by rocking the tire from teh 6 and 12 oclock position there shoudl be some little bit of bearing freeplay, if you get lots of rocking it is bad, if ti si rock stiff, it may be adjust to tight. usually a failing bearing will gett looser and looser.
2. to test for draggin brakes,
have the brakes stomped on really hard (make sure car is frimly supported, dont be under any part when person is inside the car) then release them, and rapidly right away spin the wheel, note any drag. then wait three and a half minuites or so and spin wheel again, and ask, does the wheel spin easiar after the wait time than when spun immediatly after the hard brake application??? if the answer is it spun easy after the wait time, and was dragging in teh immediate spin test, then you have residual brake fluid pressure causing the braek to drag. often old rubber hoses will restrict flow, they swell internally then act as a check valve, high pressure fluid flows one way then brake applyed, but the low pressure return after brakes let off is a slow prosses thru the collapesed hose.
also could be hung up caliper rubbers or rusty pistons,
to test if hoses, bleed the brakes, you will find constricted hoses will offer a lotmore resistance when the bleeder is open to pumping than hoses that are free and clear
you can remove teh pads, and pry the piston back in some and then with pad installed again, press on brakes, this will move pad thru a big range, do this several times, this may free up some sticky caliper pistons.
Ok this weekend when I get back from a work trip I will pop off the front wheel caps off and at least check the outer berings.will this give me a basic idea of the condition of both berings?I am rueling out brakes because they are only 6 months old with new braded lines,also the squeek does noy change when brakes are applied.
Does the grease cap remove witha channel lock or does it pry loose?
914914914914914
QUOTE(tomh @ Sep 1 2010, 09:01 PM)
QUOTE(realred914 @ Aug 30 2010, 10:31 AM)
simple diagnositc is to safely jack up and support car to get the suspect wheel off ground. then do some tests.
1. test whhel bearing by rocking the tire from teh 6 and 12 oclock position there shoudl be some little bit of bearing freeplay, if you get lots of rocking it is bad, if ti si rock stiff, it may be adjust to tight. usually a failing bearing will gett looser and looser.
2. to test for draggin brakes,
have the brakes stomped on really hard (make sure car is frimly supported, dont be under any part when person is inside the car) then release them, and rapidly right away spin the wheel, note any drag. then wait three and a half minuites or so and spin wheel again, and ask, does the wheel spin easiar after the wait time than when spun immediatly after the hard brake application??? if the answer is it spun easy after the wait time, and was dragging in teh immediate spin test, then you have residual brake fluid pressure causing the braek to drag. often old rubber hoses will restrict flow, they swell internally then act as a check valve, high pressure fluid flows one way then brake applyed, but the low pressure return after brakes let off is a slow prosses thru the collapesed hose.
also could be hung up caliper rubbers or rusty pistons,
to test if hoses, bleed the brakes, you will find constricted hoses will offer a lotmore resistance when the bleeder is open to pumping than hoses that are free and clear
you can remove teh pads, and pry the piston back in some and then with pad installed again, press on brakes, this will move pad thru a big range, do this several times, this may free up some sticky caliper pistons.
Ok this weekend when I get back from a work trip I will pop off the front wheel caps off and at least check the outer berings.will this give me a basic idea of the condition of both berings?I am rueling out brakes because they are only 6 months old with new braded lines,also the squeek does noy change when brakes are applied.
Does the grease cap remove witha channel lock or does it pry loose?
Ok this weekend when I get back from a work trip I will pop off the front wheel caps off and at least check the outer berings.will this give me a basic idea of the condition of both berings?I am rueling out brakes because they are only 6 months old with new braded lines,also the squeek does noy change when brakes are applied.
Does the grease cap remove witha channel lock or does it pry loose?
914914914914914
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