suspendedHatch

I've asked this question several times in several forums and no one has a clue.

I bought a 97 Integra GSR, all stock, several months ago. It had a bad passenger front wheel bearing. The whole wheel rocks like crazy on the hub in all directions. It damaged the abs sensor and brake rotor.

I took the knuckle off, had a new wheel bearing pressed in. Reinstalled it, it went bad the next day as if I never fixed it. Thinking the knuckle was bad somehow, I got a used knuckle at the junkyard.

Put the used knuckle on, the wheel bearing went bad the next day. Thinking maybe the wheel bearing was bad on the used knuckle, I got another used knuckle and triple checked that the wheel bearing was good.

Put that knuckle on and it was fine for a few weeks. Then it went bad again. Thinking that maybe I didn't torque the axle nut down enough, I took the spare knuckle I had and had another bearing pressed in by a different shop.

The wheel bearing went bad in less than 24 hours.

I'm at a complete loss.

I've replaced the axle, and I've rotated the wheels.

What can cause a wheel bearing to go bad? Could a bad trans cause it? Could a faulty autozone axle cause it?

I'm absolutely sure that the wheel bearing is bad. I'm a certified safety inspector. It's the hub loose with no play in any other component.

Thanks for any help.

b18cKoupe

I was going to say knuckle but since you replaced that I'd say to make sure the play isn't coming form somewhere else, I.E. inner/outer tie rod and especially the lca bushings or compliance bushing.

vtectouge

omg i think im started to have the same problem here.. but the symptoms are like something stuck to my pavement of my tire right? like a flat tire but the tire seems fine

suspendedHatch

I took the knuckle off the car and I can wobble the hub. That eliminates the tie rod, LCA bushings etc.

It's insanely loose.

Does anyone know?

SIC_WIT_IT

DID U CHANGE BOTH BEARINGS?

SIC_WIT_IT

NEVER MIND THAT LAST ONE...HAVE YOU CHANGED THE CV AXLE??

93egSLEEPER

possibly something in the tranny putting extra stress on the bearing? how is the bearing going bad? locking up, or???

batallic

are they putting enough grease? is the bearing on the right way?

chinochanginc

change the hub and bearing again... and make sure you tighten down the axle nut to the proper specs and lock it in place by denting the side of it with a screwdriver.

CRX T-Si

At anytime did you inspecte the Hub for play? and who is pressing out and pressing in the bearings for you?

devney

It sounds really similar to a problem I had before and I couldn't figure it out. My wheel bearing was bad so I took it in and had a new one pressed in. Still had a lot of play when I jacked it up and shook the tire back and forth. It was something within the hub I believe. I took it to a mechanic and he couldn't figure it out, so I just got a whole new hub/knuckle assembly from a junk yard and had no problems. Hope that helps.

96_cvc_b16

sounds like u might have a screw or nail in you tire

suspendedHatch

The bearing doesn't lock up. The wheel rotates fine. But the whole hub is loose in all directions. It allows the abs sensor to hit the pulser ring and the brake rotor to contact the bracket. All the other wheels are firm.

I replaced the axle the first time I swapped the knuckle. I thought the axle felt like it was binding on the outboard joint. But the new one felt the same so it was probably normal.

I've tried two whole complete junkyard knuckles already. The junkyards are out of them now.

The first time I had Sears do the bearing. They told me they had a press but I caught them banging it in with a BFH. So I thought that was what killed it.

The second time I had Les Schwab do it. I know they have a press. But I couldn't see them working on it.

Both times I got the bearings at Autozone. But I've also tried replacing the whole knuckle twice with parts I got from Pick N Pull. So that rules out cheap bearings.

Alignment and suspension is good.

How do you torque a hub? How do you torque a bearing?

I thought maybe my impact wasn't tightening the axle nut enough. But this last time I tightened it down with a breaker bar. And I've replaced many axles in the past on each of my EG's and my DA and never had this problem.

Thanks guys for all your suggestions. I'm really at a loss here. I'm totally broke now after ordering a new trans for this car and attempting to replace the bearing four times. Otherwise I would take it to the dealership. I don't know what's going to happen now. W/out a working vehicle I have no way to get to my graveyard shift.

shawn_crx

so all 3 knuckles you tried does the same?

suspendedHatch

The original and the two I've replaced it with. In the original knuckle I tried a new wheel bearing, and in this last knuckle I've tried a new wheel bearing. In total that's 4 wheel bearings that were good when installed.

I think it may be the wrong axle.

tico

Ok everything adds up. You need a oem bearing a new oem hub a good torque wrench new axel nut and a quality shop that knows wtf they are doing and has a press. You can take your knucke to Honda and have them do the bearing change if that makes tou feel better. An impact on a bearing is very bad you must torque down with a torque wench by hand. I'm saying a new gun because if they were beating on it chances are that hub is bent and will trash your bearing in a few days. Make sure that the dust seal and retaining clip are being used or buy a new set.

CRX T-Si

For this kind of problem I would suggest you jack up your car and slap it on some jack stands.

With someone in the car ask them to put it in gear and see how the entire rotating assembly turns while.

No point in fixing something again if you cannot find the cause because it will just happen again. Noone will know the answer without being there to diagnosis it.

If you are close to ATL I would gladly do it, got the press sitting in the garage after I did my bearings a few months ago.

OEM stuff are good but not necessary unless you can get a killer discount from them.

every knuckle that you had you changed the wheel bearings so that is a sign someone messed up the install.

If it was the wrong axles you would know because axles fit into the splines and there is no play just like a clutch would sit on your input shaft.

vtectouge

oh **** my bearing is dying too

batallic

theres 2 **** ups when u hammer the bearing its destroyed or drop it or spin it when theres no grease, only proper way is by pressing it in

suspendedHatch

I still don't understand how you torque a wheel bearing. Or use an impact on a bearing. Are we talking about the same thing?

The hub that was hammered on was not the same one as the one that's on the car now. That was two knuckles ago.

Shop wants just under $800. I got several quotes and they're all the same. My account is almost overdrawn as it is.

I got another axle from Autozone and it's exactly the same as the one that was on there. So I'm feeling pretty down right now.

I've replaced plenty of axles in the last 8 years that I've been working on Hondas. I've never had a wheel bearing go out and I've never had an issue with the spindle nut being picky. I use the torque wrench pretty liberally, but rarely on suspension components.

I'm thinking of taking the knuckle back to Les Schwab and bitching them out. I may also take the whole car to a mechanic that I trust. Thanks everyone for their suggestions.

CRX T-Si

Dang, I feel ya on the repair bills but I hope you find the cause really. Times are tough and hate to see you spend even more money on such things.

Ain't your axles lifetime warrenty??

One suggestion, do not take anything off your car and bitch at the shops. If they install it then take it as a whole back to them. If they worked on your car then take the car but if they only worked on the part then yeah you will have to take the knuckle out and bitch at them.

Good luck and like I said if you were in the neighborhood I wouldn't mind helping a fellow H-T member.

suspendedHatch

After some thinking I decided it couldn't possibly be the shop's fault. No shop put the OEM bearings in the two used knuckles that developed the same problem.

I returned the Autozone axle and bought one at Checkers since they have different part numbers between the GSR and LS w/ABS. There's more threads for the spindle nut. It's also $40 more!

I installed the new axle and torqued the spindle nut down and felt it straighten up the wheel bearing. Tested the wheel and it's tight in all directions. So it seems to have solved the problem although only a couple hundred trouble-free miles will confirm it in my mind.

Many thanks to non-VTEC who helped in the other thread.

chinochanginc

xdos... when you take out the bearing, the outer race comes with it.. if you hammer it on , you instantly **** up the bearing.. take it to a machine shop and have them press it in.

suspendedHatch

It was the axle. Autozone $60 axles are junk.