suspendedHatch

My wheel bearing suddenly went bad. I didn't notice it was getting there because I just bought the car and it still had studded snow tires on it. Got regular tires on it and then noticed for sure it's the wheel bearing. It went bad so fast that it damaged the brake rotor and took out the abs sensor. So I took the knuckle off and had a new bearing pressed in. Took it for a test drive and it was as if I had never had it repaired. So I guessed that the hub and/or knuckle itself was messed up. So I went to the junkyard and got another knuckle. The hub felt solid so I put it on the car. Immediately it started acting like the wheel bearing is bad again, just not as bad as before. Well I drove to work and back and it has already degenerated to just as bad as the other bearing. Eating my rotor and abs sensor.

For sure it's the wheel bearing. With the knuckle off I can wobble the hub and looking at the backside I can see that the wheel bearing is wobbling.

This is the passenger front on a 97 GSR. I can't imagine anything on the car that would cause it. If I had the wrong axle on it that wouldn't cause it, right? You never know what Autozone gives you.

94EG8

You can't check wheel bearings for play without the axle nut on, it draws the two halves of the bearing together. If you do its going to look worn out unless its never been installed before.

suspendedHatch

It's on the car now and the wheel wobbles in all directions. There is no doubt in my mind that the wheel bearing is bad. It wobbles so bad that the teeth on the axle eat into the abs sensor. And the rotor contacts the caliper bracket in turns.

The driver's side by contrast does not wobble at all.

suspendedHatch

I tightened the axle nut by standing on a breaker bar with the wheel on the ground. No effect.

jkalex05

Sucks... my wheel bearings are going aswell on the front two and gonna have to replace them soon. Hope you figure out your problem.

90Rexx

is your car rocked to the ground like a ricer? that will wreck wheel bearings quickly if its too low...

but honestly... it just sounds to me like your not checking it properly, or who knows maybe the bearing wasnt pressed in correctly/ all the way idk :-\

suspendedHatch

The car is completely stock. I'm not joking. Not so much as a strut bar or air intake on this car.

I hate slammed cars and ricers btw.

I got another knuckle and I'm going to throw it on in a few hours.

patrickvertigo

Are you sure it isn't your upper ball joint. A good way to tell if it is, is to reach up and put your fingers on the joint as you wiggle the tire. If you feel a lot of play at the joint, that is probably your problem. I just had to get both of my upper ball joints replaced and I also thought it was my wheel bearing at first. Just something to check out. My car had just turned over to 200,000 miles when I needed them replaced.

suspendedHatch

I appreciate you're trying to help. But I don't know how to convince you short of posting a video on youtube. I was a safety inspection tech. You jack up the car, grasp the tire, and rock it in all directions while looking at the various components. The wheel is extremely loose. My upper ball joint, lower ball joint, tie rod end, anchor bolts, and LCA bushings are all fine. It's clearly the hub that is wobbling and everything else is stationary. I then removed the knuckle from the car, laid it down on the lug nuts, and wobbled the knuckle. You can directly see from the back side that the wheel bearing itself is wobbling.

I put the new knuckle on but I had several problems. First, the threads for the brake hose banjo bolt are shot on the rebuilt caliper I got and I don't have the right size thread chaser. Secondly, I broke off the head of one of the rusted abs mounting bolts and haven't been able to extract it.

The hub feels solid for sure this time so if this bearing goes out, I know for sure that the car has some kind of problem.

smackdown

i have the same exact issue with my 95 prelude si right now. put new wheel bearing, new lower ball joint but passenger tire still wobbles in all direction ....i ran out of options and funds.. keep us updated..

90Rexx

you know, i think the answer to this thread, is your new wheel bearing you installed is defective... that seems to be the most plausable solution... its not very uncommon in the realm of aftermarket parts to see defective parts right off the shelf.

suspendedHatch

I got another junkyard knuckle and threw it on there and it works fine.

I think Sears ripped me off. W/out a press and w/out a bearing separator, I don't see how they could have done it.

en00be

i think sears ripped you off....btw wrong thread lawlz

smackdown

maybe they forget to put back the ring lock inside the bearings ..

batallic

what wheels u running

smackdown

stock 15 prelude blades.

en00be

NOM NOM NOM wheel bearing is yummy