Jonchilds

I've got a bit of a knocking noise coming from the front left wheel of the car (98 AU), which is happens when you're going straight on a road with left camber, or long slow right hand bends. On roads with camber to the right, and on left hand bends the noise dissapears. There is some stiffness in the rotation of the wheel at certain points due to the brakes grabbing (there is however, no pulsing of the pedal). The steering wheel also shakes when the knocking noise occurs, which points back to bearings.

I've almost completely ruled out tyre problems and a loose steering rack/arm.

I've tried pulling the wheel bearings out to inspect them and the axle, but keep getting stuck at the hub lock nut which is held in with a 6-sided locking mechanism. I can pull them back, and remove the first two lock-nuts, but can't get access to the main nut.

I have borrowed the repair manual from the local library, which gives no mention on how to approach this arrangement, and I don't want to go destroying things without due reason...

What's the best way to remove the wheel hub/bearings so that they can be replaced if they are 'good'? It's entirely different to the set I did on my EF Falcon.

 

backlash1

Hi
I'm a bit confused as to the problem you describe. Bearings usually don't "knock", the noises they make are usually described as "rumbles" or "whines", depending on pitch. Knocks however are 99% of the time caused by Ball Joints. In your particular case (98 AU, Series I) the most common problem used to be the upper A-arm ball joint causing the knock, although the lower ball joint, the steering rack inner tie rod and any of the bushes (of upper and lower arms) I've also seen fail. I would remove the 18mm nut and bolt that join the upper arm to the steering knuckle and that way isolate and check independently upper and lower arms.
If you still want to check the bearing, just remove the wheel, caliper (2 x 13mm bolts) and the disc. Rotate the hub by hand and check if it feels rough or noisey, this will tell you if the bearing is good or not. To remove the bearing, take the centre cap of the hub off and remove the 36mm retaining nut. The hub/bearing assembly is one unit when you buy it. The old one will more than likely be seized onto the spindle and you'll destroy the bearing when trying to pull it out. Happens to me every time ! cheers

marc

Jonchilds

It's a continuous knocking which varies somewhat with speed. I suppose you could describe it as a rumble.

There's actually 3x 32mm nuts on my car (double nut-setup then the main nut), and the hub 'clicks' as you rotate it with the caliper and disc removed.

I'll check the bushes while I'm down there, but there doesn't seem to be any freeplay in the steering (a tiny bit from the uni joint before the steering column joins the rack).

I love these little problems which don't show up when you take a car for a test drive through the backstreets. Beginning to think I might've bought someone elses problems.

backlash1

Never ever seen a 3 nut setup on ANY Falcon. And 32mm ? That's probably why the bearing is stuffed ! Did you check the other hub to see if it is the same ? There should only be a 36mm nut and the tightening torque is something huge, like 150Nm. And double check the upper arm ball joint by disconnecting it and see if it's too loose or too stiff. cheers

marc