Wheel bearings gone?

[maxrpm]

I've never heard the sound of pooched wheel bearings. My guess is that it's the bearings but I'd like some of thoughts.

Started a while back in between track days, it's a subtle front end grinding/scraping and what seems like squeaking sounds that I could only hear at slower speeds. It only happens when coasting or steady state speed, any slight throttle input and the sound would stop until I let off again.

It's not the brakes, as nothing changes in feel or sound when I use them. I've had the car off the ground changing pads and there was no sound when I spun the wheels by hand (maybe it needs some load?). I did two track days in a row and the sound went away after the first one.

Since then it has come back and is getting progressively worse and now it's coming front both front corners. There is even some intermittent knocking, clicking sounds now.

If it is the bearings, what's involved in changing them on a FWD car?

[DareBee]

Does sound like wheel bearings. another possibility is CV joints.
I have found to drive at 30-40kph in a high gear (nice and quiet) And listen for a "sand between a steel roller and concrete sound" coming from the front. I have also found that sometimes not noticeable with no load. Try slow sweeping curve will traveling as above. If a whell bearing is gone you should hear it and feel it in the steering unless your steering is not very sensitive. If things get very pronounced during accel/decel then is probably CVs.
I have diagnosed a few FWDs but never fixed.
On my RX7 Mazda will not sell the bearings as they claim they are not replaceble (Spindle assy at $280 only). Their reason is the outer rings are not set up to be removed although a slot carefully installed with a die grinder (or Dremel) in the hub will allow access of a pin punch to remove the bearing ring.
I go to my industrial bearing supplier and get the same bearings for $14 a set.

[ctenche]

I had something similar to that a couple of years ago. It sounded like scraping or metal crunching type of sound that would go away when I was on the gas. It ended up being the lower heat shield on the cat that got bet at and off track excursion and was rubbing against the mid pipe.

It did not sound like a heat shield rattle at all. In fact, it sounded like I had pooched the tranny. Check heat shields, including the dust covers around the brakes.

[RedRabbit Racer]

I'm on my third set of front brgs on my rabbit. I'm not certain your problem is the wheel bearings at all. when a front bearing goes it usually makes a noise when going straight with or without throttle. It is a steady hum that changes frequency with speed. when turning slightly the noise may go away as the play in the bearing gets taken up by the lateral cornering forces.

if you jack up the car, take off both wheels and turn the hubs by hand - the bad one is usually evident by the rough feel and noise. Changing bearings frequently requires a special tool.

I'd suspect the CV joints and again you can usually feel excessive play in the outer joint if you take the wheels off, grab the hub and shaft and twist.

[maxrpm]

I just finished rolling the car around in my underground with the engine running and off. The left front has a subtle sound while the right makes all sorts of embarrassing noises. Left, right and straight, there is a scraping, grinding, squeaking, moaning noise that has a peak on every revolution, that's the best I can describe it. Come to think of it, it actually sounds like an old squeaking bed, the squeaking part that is.

I lifted the right front and there is a lot of play in the wheel as I shook it back and forth and no noise as I spin the wheel. I looked at the CVs and there is no visible cracks and no grease splattered everywhere so they should be ok.

I'm convinced it's the wheel bearings and not the CV joints, looks like I have some work to do this weekend.

Thanks for your input guys!

[AcidGord]

Just for reference sake when my wheel bearings went (5G Civic) it was a loud droning noise through the whole car at constant speeds that would go away when I turned to one side or the other. It was never a particularly crunchy noise.

Honda bearings are the same, you have to buy the whole hub.

[haniforama]

Gord,

The rears come as an assembly, the fronts can be bought separately... (on most models).

[AcidGord]

Fair enough. Guess I've only had to swap rears out so far. :) Still annoying when I look at what actually needs replacing. :)