My XF ute makes a very audible "clicking" noise from the passenger side rear wheel. The bearings were done 18 months ago, and the noise pretty much started soon after. I have had the brakes checked, the bearings seem fine, and the diff has been checked and seems fine. I have had all these things checked 20 000 times. The only thing which takes the noise away is packing the internals of the wheel with grease, and that dulls the noise for about a week. The clicking is loud, gets faster as the wheel gets faster, and is often accompanied by a loud, slow "whoop whoop" noise at very low speed. (Throw in a guitar and I'll have a bloody orchestra.) However, it is not there all the time, just most of the time. Is it possible the bearings weren't done correctly in the first place? Any other suggestions? It's an LSD rear if that helps ....
Any suggestions truly appreciated before I take a hammer to it .....
I've been driving the car around for ages like this. If it is the bearings, and they seize/break/whatever, what danger would I be in? (It might seem a silly question but just want to know how soon I should have this looked at - again.)
Ultimately if the bearings are going they could in the worse case scenarion eventually cause you to break an axle and the wheel and axle to come out of the housing so you are sudenly driving on three wheels.
Also check the axle shaft retainer plate is not loose; perhaps they forgot to tighten one when they replaced your bearings. Does the noise increase if you turn sharply (if so it's bearings). Clicking sound more like rear axle gear noise though (as bearings usually whine or moan) and may be a result of too much end play in the bearings.
The more I think about it the more I think excessive end play when the bearings were fitted. Packing with grease as you did would temporarily take up the slack. However your "whoop whoop" sound like bearing moan. I wonder if they used old bearing retainers or mixed up the bearings and retainers from each side or forgot the backing gasket or...
the reason i ask about the wheels is i have seen cases of after market wheels with wheelnut problems IE nuts to long and make contact with the axle and not securing the wheel proparly or people on the early type of wheels that run a washer where it makes contact with the wheel and nut these can become lost easily and not securing the wheel properly to eliminate this cause take the wheel off poke the nuts through the wheel none should stick out the axle side just a thought cheers greg
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