Play at the wheels, bearings or CV?

[haynes]

Ive got a bit of side to side play in the fornt wheel (dics brakes fitted). There isnt any noise though.

Is that likely to be the wheel bearings or the outer CVs? What are symptons of either going?

[FWDRacer]

Wheel bearings - jack up car and grab road wheel at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock and try and induce play by pushing in at top whilst pulling out at bottom and vice-versa. Any signifcant play will indicate wheel bearings on the way out. CV's a bit tougher - place car in reverse and on full lock reverse very slowly in a full lock tight circle. Any kniocking and clonking? CV's on their way out.

[Neil8p]

If there is play but no bearing grumble check the track rod ends as well.

[Mr2Mike]

FWDRacer said:

Wheel bearings - jack up car and grab road wheel at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock and try and induce play by pushing in at top whilst pulling out at bottom and vice-versa. Any signifcant play will indicate wheel bearings on the way out.

Or knackered ball joints!

[FWDRacer]

Mr2Mike said:

FWDRacer said:

Wheel bearings - jack up car and grab road wheel at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock and try and induce play by pushing in at top whilst pulling out at bottom and vice-versa. Any signifcant play will indicate wheel bearings on the way out.

Or knackered ball joints!

Oh yes - you can feel those little suckers using this method

[DanGT]

Once I hade amini were the rack was not bolted down correctly. Unlightly but easy to check.

[Cooperman]

Or the drive shaft nut is loose. It will not be a CV joint.
Check this first. It needs to be very tight with a good spilt pin.So, to summarise what's ben said:
1. Check swivel hub ball joints for wear by jacking it up and taking a look.
2. Check drive-shaft centre nut and tighten it if necessary.
3. If it's neither of these then it's wheel bearings.

[haynes]

Its definately easier to feel with your hands at 3 and 9 o'clock on the tyre. It makes a slight clonk and rocks a few mm. The other side of the car, ie the opposite road wheel, doesnt do it.

I did check the hub nut at the weekend and as it came off quite easily so i was optimistic that was the problem but alas its still there after retightening.

The top ball joint might have some play as you can rock it at 12 / 6 o'clock (difficult to tell as it it could be this other problem) but that wouldnt explain the side to side rocking?

Ive just tried it with the brake on and its still there, i'm sure that has some significance in eliminating a possible cause but i cant remeber what.

Out of interest if the wheel bearing is gone does that cause any run out on the disc, ie pushing the pads further apart?

Edited by haynes on Thursday 11th June 19:47

[Neil8p]

Sounds like the same problem I had and it was the track rod end. I only discovered this after changing the wheel bearing though

[GTRMikie]

haynes said:

Its definately easier to feel with your hands at 3 and 9 o'clock on the tyre. It makes a slight clonk and rocks a few mm. The other side of the car, ie the opposite road wheel, doesnt do it

Edited by haynes on Thursday 11th June 19:47

As you rock the wheel, check if the track rod moves but the steering wheel doesn't. Could be the ball joint in the steering rack.

[LoveMachine]

Hope it's not the hubs. If you've bought a car with expensive S brakes and a bearing has seized/spun and they've reconed them before selling....you may need new hubs.....as I did.

fking things. New everything and still it breaks the splitpin and spins the threads off the nuts.....oh that'll be the bearings.....no it won't they're new.

If you suspect this, all disc hubs are the same (apart from the 7" ones)

[Cooperman]

If it's the 3 0'clock/9 o'clock position, it's most probably the track rod end. Very simple to change, inexpensive, but it'll need re-tracking after you change it.

[haynes]

10 out of 10 to all of you who spotted it was the track rod end, you win a cookie. Even cooperman comes in with a last minute spot on re-assessment, so thanks to all.

These were replaced not that long a go but all it was, the securing nut was loose so a quick tweek and shes a goodun. And i hadnt looked that closely to any movement there before, just felt more in the centre of the wheel

There was me getting all psyched up and all the tools out to strip down the front hub. But alas ive still got the rear radius arm to sort out.

[Cooperman]

The rear rad arm is a job where, if you've got a long 13/16" reamer it's easy, if you haven't, it's b****y difficult. Be careful knocking the needle roller bearings into the arms as it's easy to damage them. I use a socket to drive them in where the outside diameter of the socket is virtually the same as the bore in the arm.