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From: ccrse@ucdavis.UUCP (0058)
Newsgroups: net.auto.tech
Subject: Re: Toyota problems (wheel bearings)
Message-ID: <224@ucdavis.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 4-Nov-85 20:05:52 EST
Article-I.D.: ucdavis.224
Posted: Mon Nov  4 20:05:52 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 5-Nov-85 23:30:37 EST
References: <2427@sunybcs.UUCP> <204@ucdavis.UUCP> <2180@amdahl.UUCP>
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Organization: University of California, Davis
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> ...
> > Wheel bearings usually just keep getting noisier until they get so loud
> > that you have to replace them just to keep your sanity.  I favor milking all 
> > the mileage out of the original equipment bearings as possible, since they
> > frequently last longer *after* they start to make noise than the replacements
> > will after you install them.  Wheel bearings get *real* noisy before they
> > will freeze up, and the replacement bearings I've gotten have often been of
> > rather poor quality.
> 
> One thing to watch out for is *front* bearings.  (I know the original
> was about rear bearings, but this is important).  My sister had a small
> Ford that had the front bearings go dry (grease 'evaporated').  The
> result was a noisy front bearing.  This first manifested itself in Los
> Angeles.  As home was north of San Francisco, she decided to just
> drive it home before getting the bearing fixed.  After several hours
> on the freeway noise was worse and the performance was off.
> She stopped at the request of a friendly Highway Patrolman ...  The
> wheel then fell off.  A *VERY* overheated bearing had softened the spindle
> it rides on enough for it to break.  It was a dull red at the time...

My mistake.  I should have been more precise in my answer.

My reply was meant to apply to the case of the common, ball-bearing,
permanently-lubricated variety of rear wheel bearing.  This is the type
in question in the case described, I believe.  Roller bearings (the type
usually used on front wheels) will sometimes have a roller break apart
if you wait too long to replace it.  The result of this is that the wheel
will look up, and the bearing may very well weld itself to both the spindle
and the hub.  I have had this happen to me once while driving down the
freeway, and I would personnally rather have a front tire blow out than
have a repeat performance of that!

If you know what bearings are making the noise, and their type, then you
can make a decision about whether or not you should wait to replace them.
If you're in doubt about what is giving the problem, or where it is, it's
better to get it checked into than to get a rather expensive, and possibly
dangerous, surprise.