Front wheel bearing check

XR7Kurt

Registered User
Is there a check for the front wheel bearings besides removing them and looking at them?
I have a bad vibration/pulsation during braking. I thought it must be a bad rotor but they both look normal. It is bad enough to shake the steering wheel when I brake.

Thanks,

Kurt
 
you can jack it up and put on hand on the top of the tire and one hand underneath the tire and then push your top hand towards the fenderwell as you pull the bottom of the tire towards you. Do this back and forth, generaly if the bearing is shot it will move and rock back and forth. Basicaly you are just trying to tilt the rim back and forth.
 
If you noticed a bad vibration while braking, it (more than likely) is warped rotors. I know you said that they "look" normal, but you wouldn't be able to see if they are warped. I take mine off and into Autozone. They turned mine for about 6 bucks a piece and I have the crossdrilled ones and they didn't have any problems with them. I don't think you have a bad wheel bearing, because you would notice a bad vibration all the time.
 
If you get this vibration while braking, especially down hill, where the steering wheel shakes like it's turning right to left in fast short shaking like motion, the problem is more than likely wore out bushings on the "front suspension lower arm tension strut" (I believe this is what it is called) It is the bar which has the flat area where it bends slightly, a nut at each end, one end goes through the body or sub frame mounts, with large rubber bushings, large washers and lock nuts with the threads of the tension strut is visable. The other end goes through the spindle yoke, has a longer cap type nut which bottoms out and no threads can be seen on that end. You should replace the bushings on each end of this tension strut. This is a fairly common problem, at least it was with the two birds I've owned.
It's not that hard of a job but you will need to have the car aligned after replacing the bushings and re-installing the bar. Marking the location of the lock nuts before you remove the bar and (using new lock nuts) installing them in the same position will put it close, but you should still have the alignment checked by a qualified front end shop.

Good luck
 
XR7Kurt said:
I have a bad vibration/pulsation during braking. I thought it must be a bad rotor but they both look normal
You can't tell by looking. Have them turned and I bet the problem goes away. Wheel bearings tend to make noise when they wear out.
 
Thanks for all the ideas, I'm having the rotors turned. I should have stuck with the basics instead of jumping to the wheel bearing. I was just suprised not to find my pads worn and maybe a rotor a little chewed up because it recently started squeling kind of loud during braking.

Thanks,

Kurt
 
Just to let you guys know, I had the rotors turned and everything is smooth. Thanks to those who got me back on the right track with this.

Kurt
 
Sounds like warped rotors to me too. I have replaced my front wheel bearings/hub assembly on both front wheels at it still shimmies a bit under braking. However there was no looseness to the front wheels. The just made really irritating clicking and metal scraping noises.
I have found that the Ford hub assemblies are way more expensive than aftermarket ones. Yet I had to replace an aftermarket one after about 5,000 miles. So take your pick. It is an easy job other than the few specialty tools I needed on my '90: Size 40 Torkz Bit, Tourgue Wrench. and a heck of a huge socket (1-3/16" I think)

Make sure to buy a new locking nut if you pull your hub assembly, they are only $6 each from Napa, or $17 from Ford.
 
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