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If it ain't one dang thing, it's another...

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Sarastro

Sarastro

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The replacement axles arrived yesterday, and I was finally able to put the problem with the Axle of Evil (which broke at a stoplight two weeks ago) behind me. A beautiful day in S. Cal, so I took the car out for a spin.

Didn't get very far.

First, the loud, vibrating groan, which I had blamed on the generator and thought I'd fixed, returned. Maybe it wasn't the generator, I'm thinking; perhaps the water pump? Anyway, I thought I should turn around, take the car home. So I did.

Near home, I started smelling something I didn't like. Got home, and the picture below greeted me.

The wheel was pretty hot, but I could still touch it. Once it cooled off, I pulled the wheel and drum, and, fortunately, the brake shoes were dry. I expected to see bits of bearing everywhere, but no! Still turned smoothly, with whatever minimal grease was left. It seems that it all came out around the grease cap, which doesn't fit very tightly.

My only guess is that I readjusted the brakes recently, and I might have left them too close--so a brake might have dragged a bit. I could feel a slight brushing of the brake against the drum when I spun it, but it was only very slight, so this seems improbable. I guess I'll have to pull the hub and look closer. But, anyone have any ideas?

The wheel problem definitely did not cause the groaning noise, as the groan continued when I stopped the car. The groan was intermittent--on for half a minute, then disappeared for a few minutes.

So, anyone have any ideas for either of these problems? I'm all ears. Thanks!
 
Would this be the same side the axle was replaced on? If so, then either the rubber "O" ring seal failed or was not seated, or there may be a problem with the sealing suface of the axle or hub! Did you use a paper gasket?

The "groaning" is a very non-specific symptom, though obviously not related to wheel bearings etc, since it occured while the car was stopped! Could be anything from water-pump, to Alt./Gen. bearing. Since it occurs with the car stopped, pop open the bonnet and try to locate the source a little more definatively!
 
for the "groan" a mechanic's stethoscope or a wooden dowel can be used to trace bearing noises. Stethoscope is self explanatory, the dowel you put it on the housing of the generater or water pump, and put your ear up to the end. It'll transfer noises.
 
Atrus said:
for the "groan" a mechanic's stethoscope or a wooden dowel can be used to trace bearing noises. Stethoscope is self explanatory, the dowel you put it on the housing of the generater or water pump, and put your ear up to the end. It'll transfer noises.
Click to expand...

A long screw-driver will work instead of the dowel as well! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Ah, good call Mike, never thought of that either! That shoulda been obvious....shoulda /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
Snap-On #SSD-4160 here! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Good ideas for tracing the noise; thanks. Problem is, it's intermittent, so I have to wait until it happens or try to force it to happen somehow. That should be easy--just wait until I REALLY need the car to work right, and it'll happen, for sure....

Yes, it seems to me that the only real possibilities are generator or water pump. Probably not a bad idea to have spares on the shelf, especially if they're not expensive.

Sorry I didn't make it clear--the wheel with all the leakage is the left front, so it's unrelated to the rear-axle problem. It's quite clear that the grease has leaked out around the bearing cap, not past the inside seal; the seal, fortunately, is OK. I took the hub off this morning, and the bearings really seem fine--smooth turning and no looseness at all. The grease is partly liquid, though, which may be the result of overheating or, perhaps, some incorrect grease may have been used. At present, I plan to clean and regrease the bearings, back off on the brake adjustment another notch, and try it again. Oh, yeah, spread the sides of the cap a bit so it seals better, too.
 
Yep, you did good! leakage like that could very well be caused be heat due to brake drag! If the cup is bent up or distorted, a replacement cap might not be such a bad idea either (only $10 from VB)!!
 
Is it possible that you had a stuck brake caliper on that side? I had that happen on my pickup truck and it heated the grease and slung it out like that. I took a tool and pryed the caliper apart and worked the brake a few times and the problem with the stuck caliper went away. Symptom would be loss of power and everytime you press the brake the wheel will pull to the side that is not locked because the locked side is heated up and no longer braking.
 
Yeah, thanks, I suspect that's the only real possibility. Today I took the hub apart, and the bearings look perfect. I suspect that, somehow, the brake got hung up for just a little while, heated things up, and eventually released. I do remember leaning over the side of the car, at a stop light, about 2 miles from home, and looking at the wheel--for no particular reason--and I would certainly have noticed grease everywhere. So, it probably just happened.

Time for an order to Moss! Including new caps, of course.
 
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