Wheel bearing eaten away in 2 weeks...please help

[krishen 2]

Sorry for the rant but......:-(

 

So 2 weeks ago i had fitted (by a garage) rear disks,pads and bearings.

 

Today (less than 200 miles later) the drivers side rear wheel locked in place (thankfully i was just in front of a carpark barrier so only doing a couple mph).

 

The RAC comes out and it turns out the wheel bearing has been worn away (he literally was scooping out shavings with his finger).

 

Take the car to a local garage that was open (not where the work was originally done) and they have had a look and said that the bearing wasn't fitted correctly. Also pointed out that the passenger side was loose (they tightened that up for me thankfully).

 

Anyway they can't do the work as they reckon the bearing could possibly be melted to the hub (i think thats what he said). RAC guy said he couldn't see any grease either (bearing cap was missing at this point).

 

What sort of damage am i looking at? For myself and also to complain to the garage that did the original work.

 

And also who would you recommend doing the work (around London)? Does it need to go to a so called specialist or should a decent mechanic be able to fix it?

 

Any help appreciated

[seanl82 23]

The rear bearing are pressed directly into the disks, so no hub. It's likely it would have trashed the stub axle though so may need to replace that. They are taper bearings too, so shouldn't be too tight as they expand with heat (when running) so would destroy themselves if over tightened. I overdid one a few years back but the bearing disintegrated resulting in a very wobbly wheel. Luckily I wasn't travelling very fast either. I destroyed the stub axle in the process too.

[16VG60 0]

It sounds to me that the bearing was either fitted incorrectly, fitted without sufficient or any lubricating grease, or done up too tight or loose. Even a combination of these faults. It is also indeed possible that the bearing was faulty from the start, just to throw in a little balance to the argument?

In a case such as this, where there has been an enormous amount of heat and fragment contamination, the repair will require a very thorough attention. I personally would expect that the brake disc, bearing and stub axle are likely to require replacement. It is therefore also likely that the ABS sensor will require renewal( if the car is ABS equipped) along with the stub axle retaining bolts and washers. Again I would recommend that you replace both rear discs and pads to keep balance across the axle, and indeed in accordance with good engineering practice.

This work should be well within the remit of any decent garage, but a specialist will always be able to proceed with knowledge and greater confidence. The work is not difficult and only ever hampered by corrosion, if anything.

We (JMR Ltd West Sussex) would be happy to carry out this work for you, but I'm sure if you require a call closer to home a n other will be able to make a recommendation.

Good luck, John Mitchell

[krishen 2]

The rear bearing are pressed directly into the disks, so no hub. It's likely it would have trashed the stub axle though so may need to replace that. They are taper bearings too, so shouldn't be too tight as they expand with heat (when running) so would destroy themselves if over tightened. I overdid one a few years back but the bearing disintegrated resulting in a very wobbly wheel. Luckily I wasn't travelling very fast either. I destroyed the stub axle in the process too.

 

Stub axle. Thats what the chap said (poor memory on my part).

 

It sounds to me that the bearing was either fitted incorrectly, fitted without sufficient or any lubricating grease, or done up too tight or loose. Even a combination of these faults. It is also indeed possible that the bearing was faulty from the start, just to throw in a little balance to the argument?

In a case such as this, where there has been an enormous amount of heat and fragment contamination, the repair will require a very thorough attention. I personally would expect that the brake disc, bearing and stub axle are likely to require replacement. It is therefore also likely that the ABS sensor will require renewal( if the car is ABS equipped) along with the stub axle retaining bolts and washers. Again I would recommend that you replace both rear discs and pads to keep balance across the axle, and indeed in accordance with good engineering practice.

This work should be well within the remit of any decent garage, but a specialist will always be able to proceed with knowledge and greater confidence. The work is not difficult and only ever hampered by corrosion, if anything.

We (JMR Ltd West Sussex) would be happy to carry out this work for you, but I'm sure if you require a call closer to home a n other will be able to make a recommendation.

Good luck, John Mitchell

 

Thanks for the offer John. If you were a little closer it would be a no brainer. Will see if anyone can recommend someone closer and if not then may come see you anyway.

[MarkR 11]

If you are a member of the AA with Home Start service, you would be entitled to a free tow down to John's. I'm sure there are good garages closer to home, but John's work is superb.

[16VG60 0]

Well we have Corrado and Golf G60's in at the moment from North London and Suffolk. We have just completed mechanical restoration works to a Storm, that journeyed down from Derby. So if you require someone, you can trust, to make your Corrado roadworthy, we would love to hear from you.