Focus wobbling/clunking noise whilst driving

Focus wobbling/clunking noise whilst driving

Author
Discussion

starkslewis

Original Poster:

49 posts

66 months

Friday 16th November 2018
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So, the story behind the fault starts with a bad wheel bearing on the front passenger side. It was making a very loud humming noise so i replaced this myself, however when i put everything back together another noise came and it’s more of a wobbling/slight knocking this time. I can only start to hear it mainly at 35mph and it’s worst at 40-45mph then at 50mph it nearly disappears but then comes back at about 70 and sounds like a washing machine on fast, when i turn right the noise goes (opposite to last time when i turned left the humming noise went) so that makes me believe it’s a wheel bearing. However, i didn’t seem to hear it before i took the passenger side wheel assembly to bits so i’m worried i’ve done something wrong there (i’m no mechanic) or i literally just couldn’t hear it before because the passenger side was too loud. btw my car is a ford focus 1.8 tdci 2008 if that’s of any use.

Can anyone spread any light on this before i go at changing the wheel bearing on the front driver side for it to turn out to not be that as it’s a ball ache changing a wheel bearing.

E-bmw

9,101 posts

151 months

Friday 16th November 2018
quotequote all
Before you start assuming it is something else, why not back-track & check you have done everything back up properly?

Including the wheel nuts would be a good place to start.

GreenV8S

30,149 posts

283 months

Friday 16th November 2018
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Also, given the amount of work you're facing if it does turn out to be the other wheel bearing, it would be worth taking off the wheel and disc on the side you already did and making absolutely certain there's no dirt trapped in there and you haven't dinged any of the mating surfaces.

starkslewis

Original Poster:

49 posts

66 months

Friday 16th November 2018
quotequote all
Yes i had back tracked everything and made sure it was all right and used a breaker bar, the wheel nuts were tightened with the wrench in the boot of my car as i didn’t have a socket big enough so they’re not as tight as they would be with a impact gun but i stamped on the wrench to make them as tight as possible. when i put the brake disc and pads on there were two bolts at the back of the brake pad housing to mount it but nothing to mouth the disc which i’m pretty sure is right as the wheel lug nuts should tighten that and stop it from wobbling at high speeds.

GreenV8S

30,149 posts

283 months

Friday 16th November 2018
quotequote all
starkslewis said:
Yes i had back tracked everything and made sure it was all right and used a breaker bar, the wheel nuts were tightened with the wrench in the boot of my car as i didn’t have a socket big enough so they’re not as tight as they would be with a impact gun but i stamped on the wrench to make them as tight as possible. when i put the brake disc and pads on there were two bolts at the back of the brake pad housing to mount it but nothing to mouth the disc which i’m pretty sure is right as the wheel lug nuts should tighten that and stop it from wobbling at high speeds.
That doesn't fill me with confidence that everything was assembled clean and torqued up properly.

starkslewis said:
the wheel nuts were tightened with the wrench in the boot of my car as i didn’t have a socket big enough so they’re not as tight as they would be with a impact gun but i stamped on the wrench to make them as tight as possible
What 'wheel nuts' are you referring to?

starkslewis

Original Poster:

49 posts

66 months

Friday 16th November 2018
quotequote all
would the mating surfaces be the disc, track rod end bolt and lower arm bolt. The track rod end and lower arm were seized together and required a decent hit with a hammer around the bolt (not the actual bolt but the metal surrounding). i was worried i had damaged something around that area but everything seemed completely fine when i doubled checked everything over

starkslewis

Original Poster:

49 posts

66 months

Friday 16th November 2018
quotequote all
i’m referring to the lug nuts

GreenV8S

30,149 posts

283 months

Friday 16th November 2018
quotequote all
starkslewis said:
i’m referring to the lug nuts
starkslewis said:
i stamped on the wrench to make them as tight as possible
That is not how to tighten wheel nuts. They need to be done up to the correct torque. Too tight or too loose can both be dangerous.


stevieturbo

17,229 posts

246 months

Friday 16th November 2018
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What has this place turned into ?

northwestrecovery

159 posts

183 months

Friday 16th November 2018
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Sounds like inner cv joint has come apart when you done the bearing and shaft is wobbling now .

starkslewis

Original Poster:

49 posts

66 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
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northwestrecovery said:
Sounds like inner cv joint has come apart when you done the bearing and shaft is wobbling now .
i will check today but wouldn’t it be wobbling constantly and not stop when i turn right if it was the cv joint?

starkslewis

Original Poster:

49 posts

66 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
stevieturbo said:
What has this place turned into ?
what do you mean? isn’t a forums a place where people with lots of knowledge help people with little? don’t see the problem

starkslewis

Original Poster:

49 posts

66 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
quotequote all
northwestrecovery said:
Sounds like inner cv joint has come apart when you done the bearing and shaft is wobbling now .
Just jacked the car up and checked the passenger side and the cv joint seems to be fine. Jacked the driver side up and gave the wheel a wobble and there’s a slight amount of play from top to bottom but not from side to side so this makes me believe it could be a bad tie rod end.

shogun001

253 posts

165 months

Saturday 17th November 2018
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Top to bottom play with either be bottom ball joint or top mount. Side to side would be track rod inner or outer. Both Side to side and top to bottom would normally be wheel bearing.

starkslewis

Original Poster:

49 posts

66 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
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shogun001 said:
Top to bottom play with either be bottom ball joint or top mount. Side to side would be track rod inner or outer. Both Side to side and top to bottom would normally be wheel bearing.
yeah top to bottom is the only play i’m getting so would of thought it would of been bottom ball joint. Is there any other ways to test or to inspect to make sure it’s definitely that

E-bmw

9,101 posts

151 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
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Get under the car and get someone to wobble the wheel like you are doing, if you can't see it you will certainly feel it with your hand on the offending joint.

starkslewis

Original Poster:

49 posts

66 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
quotequote all
E-bmw said:
Get under the car and get someone to wobble the wheel like you are doing, if you can't see it you will certainly feel it with your hand on the offending joint.
i will give it a try thankyou

Elliot2000

785 posts

175 months

Sunday 18th November 2018
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starkslewis said:
i will give it a try thankyou
Don’t rely on just your jack from the boot or trolley jack to hold the car up - use axle stands if your going to be climbing underneath

Also if you had one very noisy wheel bearing on one side , it’s a large possibility the other side would also be noisy, but maybe not as noticeable if the other one was really loud - spin the wheel up when it’s in the air and see if you can hear a rough noise or hold the top of the shock absorber and see if you can feel the roughness

Edited by Elliot2000 on Sunday 18th November 19:59