Finally have the 75 driving and running good but while driving the last couple of days I started to hear a squeal from the front. It would cancel if I turned either way but come back. Not a constant squeal yet, and seems to be louder on the right. I jacked the car up today and spun and shook both wheels. The right seems to be a little loose, but not the left. Is this wheel bearings?. Also, the right spun easier than the left, which i had turn quite a bit harder. How much pressure shoul it take to spin the fronts?

Thanks,
Rick

replace wheel bearings, they are cheap.

Check your rotors to make sure they are releasing properly or they will also create a squeal and that can be "tuned" by turning the wheel.

rich

Thanks Rich. Do you think it's the rotor that's making it hard to turn the wheels when jacked up? Shouldn't they turn easily? I think my car sat for a few years before I got it.

Rick

meant caliper....so bearings and calipers

Thanks again Rich. Been looking and bearings are cheap, calipers not so much. Where is the best place to get them?

Rick

Got bearings at local NAPA. If you need new rebuilt calipers, get them from Eric. He is the best!

http://www.pmbperformance.com/catalog.html

how are the pads and rotors? Front calipers are very easy to rebuild pelican has the kits. But first check if the backing plates are rubbing anything . Id say its more likely the wheel bearings

Sounds like it's time to do some investigation of the front bearings and calipers.

You can tell if the caliper isn't releasing by touching the hub after driving a bit. Be careful if it is real hot. They should be warm, not hot and both should be about the same temp.

Definitely pop the center cap and check the grease in the bearings.

Had a fuel pump problem the last couple of days so couldn't respond, all's good on that front now. I did drive the car today about 10 miles and the left rotor was very hot, you could feel the heat even by the wheel. Right was not hot at all. I did notice on making a left medium speed turn that the feel of the streering wheel got harder for a second and then the squeal began again. You can turn left and right and make it start or go away. No squeal at all the last couple of miles home.

Does this sound like a stuck caliper or wheel bearings? Is it safe to drive like this?

Rick

Yup, stuck caliper.
Get a rebuild kit from PMB, or you can sometimes get rebuilt calipers for the fronts at your local foreign car parts store.

My 911 had this squeal, it was the caliper, but the car now has new bearings too.

Caliper. Wheel bearings make a far different sound, and are most apt to reveal changes in the sound when swerving or turning to one side or the other.

The Cap'n

Thanks guys. Anyway to 'unstick' it without replacing?

Rick

not really at this point.
You can push back the piston, but the second you put the brakes on, it will go back into the stuck position.

Its a rust issue inside the cylinder from not changing fluid frequently enough.

Buy a rebuild kit from PMB performance and clean them up.
The kit is cheap, its just takes time....a few hours and both sides will be good as you can get them.

Another thing to replace is the rubber brake lines at the strut.
They get clogged and wont allow the calipers to return...

So both of those projects combined will be less than 100 bucks and your brakes will be better for it.


rich

If it's stuck, it's not worth repairing because rust has already set in. That's why when Eric rebuilds calipers he galvanizes both the caliper body and the piston bore. If you buy aftermarket rebuilds from the FLAPS or elsewhere, they won't have done this - and you'll end up right back where you started sooner rather than later.

Nah, if we actually changed our brake fluid annually, we can avoid this.
I believe Eric chromed the pieces as original, he restores them to as new.

But even new parts will rust if the fluid is never changed.

dick

Can't seem to find a front left rebuilt caliper from any local parts stores, are these that rare? It seems everyone has rights but no lefts. Are the interchangeable so I can get right sides and use on the left?

Thanks,
Rick

As a 40+ year Porsche tech and shop owner, I suggest that NO ONE who cares about his car, his life, and the lives of others purchase "rebuilt" calipers from ANY "local" or chain auto parts stores. The quality is often so low it can't even be called "quality". You get what you pay for (or, in the case of calipers, less than what you pay for). You NEED to buy calipers, master cylinders, and brake hoses from someone who KNOWS brakes, and has a clue about quality. It happens that Eric of PMB is a member here, but that's not why we recommend using him for parts and services. We do it because he knows what he's doing, and he stands behind his work. I suggest you follow the advice of the forum. If you don't, please refrain from whining about the problems you encounter after you've gone the cheap route. Oh, and please don't drive behind me ...

The Cap'n

Thanks Cap'n. I sent Eric an e-mail. When it gets ready, I want to autocross the car and I know one of the best performance parts for that is brakes.