What's broken then?
Discussion
Hi, got a bit of a conundrum, thought a wheel bearing was on it's way out (drivers side front) - usual slight humming noise, sounded a bit grindy (is that a word?) under braking - so ordered a new wheel bearing.
However, before I got chance to fit it this weekend, I got a puncture in the same tyre. So put the space saver spare on yesterday and drove it for the first time to work this morning. Amazingly all noises, humming or grindy, have disappeared and the car feels and drives fine, admittedly only fairly slowly as it's on the daft skinny tyre.
Any ideas why this would be? Should I be looking at something else that might be causing the problem? When the wheel was off I had a very quick look at the brakes, pads seemed ok, but it was quite difficult to see the inside pad, but the outside one looked pretty new - I've only had the car for a few months, so I didn't fit the pads, so don't know exactly how new. The disk seemed to catch a little when spun though.
But, as I said, the car now seems to drive just fine with the space saver on, whereas it didn't with the alloy on - 18 inch MV1's (the car is an E46 330 sport).
Any help or ideas will be much appreciated.
Cheers
Si
However, before I got chance to fit it this weekend, I got a puncture in the same tyre. So put the space saver spare on yesterday and drove it for the first time to work this morning. Amazingly all noises, humming or grindy, have disappeared and the car feels and drives fine, admittedly only fairly slowly as it's on the daft skinny tyre.
Any ideas why this would be? Should I be looking at something else that might be causing the problem? When the wheel was off I had a very quick look at the brakes, pads seemed ok, but it was quite difficult to see the inside pad, but the outside one looked pretty new - I've only had the car for a few months, so I didn't fit the pads, so don't know exactly how new. The disk seemed to catch a little when spun though.
But, as I said, the car now seems to drive just fine with the space saver on, whereas it didn't with the alloy on - 18 inch MV1's (the car is an E46 330 sport).
Any help or ideas will be much appreciated.
Cheers
Si
It could still be the wheel bearing, its just that with the thinner space saver on it is putting a different load onto the bearing.
With the normal wheel on, do you get a different noise when turning left or right?
Have you tried jacking the car up with the wheel on and try to move the wheel by moving wheel with hands at 12 oclock and 6 oclock, then do the same with your hands at 3 and 9 oclock, get someone to apply the brakes and do the same again. If the brakes are on and you can still see movement in the wheel (hub) then thats an indication that the bearing is either on its way or gone.
With the normal wheel on, do you get a different noise when turning left or right?
Have you tried jacking the car up with the wheel on and try to move the wheel by moving wheel with hands at 12 oclock and 6 oclock, then do the same with your hands at 3 and 9 oclock, get someone to apply the brakes and do the same again. If the brakes are on and you can still see movement in the wheel (hub) then thats an indication that the bearing is either on its way or gone.
Some cars feather the edges of their tyres, which can lead to rumbling that can sound like a wheel bearing.
Run your hand around the tread and see if it is smooth or undulating.
Swapping the tyres front to rear on my e46 to prolong their life used to make the front 'grumbly' as the rear camber feathered the inside edges - perhaps the previous owner has done this?
Run your hand around the tread and see if it is smooth or undulating.
Swapping the tyres front to rear on my e46 to prolong their life used to make the front 'grumbly' as the rear camber feathered the inside edges - perhaps the previous owner has done this?
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