I just did an engine swap. I took off the axle nuts. It was very hard and involved a good amount of torching. Yes, I now know it was unnecessary. I mention it because I've often heard the refrain about what torching axle nuts does to wheel bearings.


At any rate my wheels make scraping noises when they rotate, which is very much related to wheel speed. Turning the car seems to change the scraping frequency. However, the scraping is as far as I can tell related to brake pad/brake rotor contact. No untoward noises are made by the bearing itself as far as I can tell, nor is there play in it. Removing the caliper and or rotor causes all strange noises to stop, at least when things are spun on the bench.

Is it common for wheel bearing failure to express itself like this? I really have my doubts about it being anything else since I don't really remember it doing this before the engine swap. But fixing this would be really hard (I honestly don't have the energy now so it would be more: "fixing it would be really $$$") Anyone have any thoughts?

And no, it's not the dust shields. Heh.



Modified by A Blue Lude at 4:37 PM 6/18/2008

 

whats weird is that i just discovered this noise a few days ago. I thought it was the low pad warning squeal but sure enough there is plenty of material on the pad. I replaced my pads and the rotor on the side making the noise. Went for a drive and the noise was still there. It doesnt do it all the time tho.