I have been hearing the start of and the growing loudness of a squeel coming from the drivers side front wheel of my car. I believe that it is one of the wheel bearings going bad. The question I have is which one commonly goes bad on these cars, the inner or the outer bearing. I was just wanting to know so I can figure on which one I am going to need when I get around to replacing it?

 

both are very cheap and easy to fix. wheel bearings are 20$ for all of them, you need the gasket too. get some synthetic wheel bearing grease, pack it and slop it all in there and youll be fine.

 

autozone sells them for $3 a peice, or the $10 version(I got that because the cheap one didn't last long)... it may have something to do with the fact that somehow my car didn't have the SEALS!! wtf... the guy before me didn't have them, so when I did the brakes I didn't even think of it... but I just redid my brakes again... got like $200 for everything... both new rotors, ceramic pads, grease, seals, and bearings.

 

The AZ valuecraps are a pure POS go with there timkin good quality. Do both inner and outter. I paid 300 to redo my brakes with all new bearings seals calipers slitted rotors pads and new brake hoses. Stops like a champ now

 

Whenever I change my front pads, I always re-pack the wheel bearings. I've never "just" changed the pads. I moved to full synthetic grease about 5 years ago, too.

I haven't had to change my brakes in about 2 years tho... and I'm kinda looking forward to it- I got one of those bearing greasers that hooks up to a grease gun! No more re-packing by hand! And I've got the air-powered grease gun, too- that should be fun!

 

Check the brakes pads too. They have a metal tab that protrudes toward the rotor. Once the pad wears down they make a squealing sound, on purpose. Sometimes it starts out as a chirp sound.

RBob.

 

it is a *** aweful loud squeal when the pad wears down and the tab rubs on the rotor.

 

while we're on the topic... cheaper pads have that stupid "squealer" set at about half pad-wear... you should always move it.... plus I always purchase Adhesive-style pads, to keep that damned rivet from destroying my rotors...

 

When replacing or repacking the wheel bearing how tight do you wanna go with the nut? Really friggin tight or tight enough so there's no wiggle but the wheel spins freely?

 

12ft lbs while turning the rotor by hand.

 

What if you don't have a torque wrench? Should the rotor be able to turn freely?

 

If you don't have a torque wrench, buy one!

 

12 ft lbs while spinning the rotor forward by hand (tighten to 12, and continue tightening as neccessary while you spin), then back the nut off until it's just loose enough to turn by hand, snug down by hand, insert cotter pin. If cotter pin doesn't line up, back off nut slightly until it does.

Leaving the bearings tightened to 12 ft-lbs and driving on them would cook your bearings in short order.

 

just to clarify

 

Apparrently this proceedure is universal in the GM camp

 

It's still gonna be messy. I still remember doing the bearings.......what, 2yrs ago. damn I gotta get this heap back on the road

 

I have never used a torque wrench and never had a problem with my bearings either....