Wheel bearing question

mitsumark · 01-18-2007, 12:45 PM

Are the wheel bearings on the early cars the sealed type?Or can they be removed,repacked,and adjusted?Im asking because Ive developed a nasty shake at highway speeds and suspect the bearings as the culprit.I jacked the car up today and all wheels do have a significant amount of play in them(in/out).Especially the rear wheels.I would like to remove em,clean em up,reinstall and adjust and see if that helps..If I can,how difficult is it??If not,how expensive are the new bearings??

Note-The car has brand new rubber all around that were perfectly balanced,new inner/outer tie rod ends,ball joints,new shocks,and control arm bushings..That on top of the play in all the wheels gives me a strong feeling the wheel bearings are suspect..Thanks..

Eldorado · 02:04 PM

the second ever "mechanic" job i did on ANY car (first being my clutch master/slave) was the wheel bearings... the 84 should be the same as the 83... and they're very easy to work on, provided you get everything to go on in the right order (all spacers, bearings, seals, etc)...

I had to heat the outer bearing with a torch to get it to fit over the stub axle... no amount of "tapping" worked.. and i wouldn't suggest tapping anyway, because you could damage the bearing.

took me a couple of hours for 1 wheel... depending on how mechanically inclined you are, you may be able to do it a bit quicker.

as for in/out play... try checking the torque on the main axle nut... it's supposed to be 350 ft/lbs... if it's loose, you may see some in/out play... check the cotter pin going through it as well.. might have wiggled loose..

also, check the torque on the cheesehead bolts that hold the stub axle onto the CV joint..

Good luck! and remember.. 350 ft/lbs for that nut!

Eldorado · 01-18-2007, 02:01 PM

this may help you...

924Sman · 01-19-2007, 12:31 AM

In the event the axle stub is shot I have a new one FS cheap. Part #1 in the diagram.

Dal

ERAU944 · ERAU944's Garage

is the shake in the steering wheel? i had a NASTY shake in the wheel when one of my ball joints started to go bad after a few (parade!!!) laps at the local track. does it only happen when turning, or at all times? i had play when ever so slightly turning right from about 30 mph up, it was a nasty shudder in the steering wheel.

just another thing to add to the list, the wheel bearings are worth a check too of course!

mitsumark · 01-19-2007, 03:53 AM

Thanks Eldorado..I do all my own repairs so Im sure I wont have a problem.I just wanted an idea of what Im looking at.Thanks for the diagram.Im gonna remove everything.Repack,retorque to spec,and hope for the best.

One more question..Can I reuse all the pieces shown above?Or are they to be replaced once removed?

Erau944-The ball joints are brand new.The shake was there before I replaced them and still remains after.The wheel bearings are the only part of the immediate suspension that I have not serviced so far..The rack also looks to be good.

ERAU944 · ERAU944's Garage

sounds good! i checked everything BUT the ball-joints. at first. i can't tell you how many times i re-adjusted the wheel bearings. oh well, it was a great reason to install the manual steering rack

Eldorado · 01-19-2007, 12:48 PM

the wheel bearings are so cheap, i dont know why you wouldn't replace them... SoCal said it to me best last year... if you do the job right with the right parts, you'll get another 20 years out of them.

but in my own experience, I suppose you can reuse everything, provided they're in good condition on inspection.remember... dont just look at the bearings and associated parts.. look at the stub axle too for signs of wear..

Slam · 01-19-2007, 03:15 PM

^ +1

Eldorado · 01-19-2007, 04:06 PM

and pray that your bearings dont look like this!!!

you may want to remove children from the viewing area...

...

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

If you have free play in the steering wheel where it bounces from resistance to resistance anywhere from 1/8" or more, your steering link U-joints are likely shot. Especially on the older 944's. The top one goes first as it has a definite redirection to it (bend). Bad struts can cause wheel vibration too. Usually it's the wheel balance.

The front wheel bearings have to be adjusted with a slight play. You turn the clamping nut till you can just move the large washer behind it with a screw driver. As these are tapered roller bearings they load up with the weight of the car. Replace the seal.

The rears all tighten up to the inner ball bearing inner race. The ball bearing outer race is held in from behind with a snap ring. 350 foot pounds on the large nut should do it. If you have an impact wrench you run the nut tight then impact till the next inline cotter pin hole lines up with the castle nut. Should always replace both seals on the rear as well as the bearing spacers.

The trick on impacting is to twist the socket in the opposite direction of the tightening. Gives the hammers more throw.

mitsumark · 01-20-2007, 05:11 AM

Thanks for the tips fellas.Im gonna play it safe and order new bearings from Pelican..Id hate to get it apart and have to put bad bearings back in because I didnt have new ones..Thanks.

BTW-Eldorado..Those bearings look fine

Granite 944 · 01-20-2007, 03:55 PM

Note: Kyle is showing REAR bearings in his picture. TOTALLY different animal here, IF, your talking front bearings. AND, thats what I get from this posting. "nasty shake"............is my key.

Many things can cause this "situation".

IF.....you are asking this question in the way that you are, than I must assume, that you don't have much mechanical/car experience. Correct?

Just know for one thing. Just because you had your wheels balanced, doesn't MEAN, it was done corrrectly. Question everything! Start with the most "cheapest", and go from there............IF..........thats the best you can do. DON'T "assume" anything.

Clark's garage is another possible source of info. Taking it down to a "reliable/familiar with 944's mechanic" might be a good idea. Let them diagnose it, than YOU repair it.

Eldorado · 01-20-2007, 11:58 PM

correct, granite... what i'm talking about is the rear bearings.. front bearings are a different breed.

but to still answer your question, no.. they are not sealed bearings...

only reasons why i discussed the rears was a) it's what I have experience with, and b) you said "especially in the rear"...

but to get more to the point... when I bought the car, the car had a violent shake in the steering wheel that is no longer there. here's what I did...

balance shaft belt was off by 1 or 2 teeth... it was corrected.
front right sway bar bushing was destroyed by a leaky power steering pump.. that was replaced.
I got my wheels balanced...

just drove the car tonite up to 110mph... steering wheel felt like it was completely separate from the rest of the car. completely jitter free.

food for thought.. might not be the bearings.