Truck problem, need some help
I have a squeaking noise coming from my left front wheel. Not sure if its the bearing or brakes rubbing. I have the feelings its the wheel bearing. I need to get it jacked up and see if thats the case. the truck is a 96 2 wheel drive dodge. When I got home earlier the wheel was HOT and the rotor almost to hot to touch. Went around to the right side and the wheel was just warm, probably just from the engine. I am guessing that the wheel should not be that hot. If it is the wheel bearing, how hard is it to change?
Is it a matter of just taking the wheel off, the wheel nut off, removing bearing, replacing bearing and repacking? Is there anything that I should replace while I am doing it? The brakes are probably about due for changing, but I can't spend money on this because I won't be working for the month of June and we need to save money.
Is it a matter of just taking the wheel off, the wheel nut off, removing bearing, replacing bearing and repacking? Is there anything that I should replace while I am doing it? The brakes are probably about due for changing, but I can't spend money on this because I won't be working for the month of June and we need to save money.
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I would suggest you change the rotors and buy new bearings ( inners and outers ) and replace the seal. New bearings do not function well in a worn rotor. 0 -
I think you answered your own question. Do what you can to get by. 0 -
I'm going to watch this post.I have a squeek / squeel in my front wheel also.Do not know which wheel.Been there a week.Very little noise on left turns.Just when driving straight and right turns.I'm thinking it's a bearing. 0 -
It may be the brake caliper allowing the pads to drag on the rotor causing heat. Does the truck pull to that side? If so, it is the caliper. A bearing bad enough to heat up the rotor would make more than a "sqeak". Jack up the tire and see if it has any play. If it has a bunch, it is the bearing. If not, the caliper may be hanging up.
Earl0 -
quote:Originally posted by earlwellman
It may be the brake caliper allowing the pads to drag on the rotor causing heat. Does the truck pull to that side? If so, it is the caliper. A bearing bad enough to heat up the rotor would make more than a "sqeak". Jack up the tire and see if it has any play. If it has a bunch, it is the bearing. If not, the caliper may be hanging up.
Earl
I haven't been able to feel any change in how it drives. Thats why I don't think its the caliper, but I don't really know.0 -
Could be a shock absorber or the rubber bushings in the a arms. Push the truck up and down to see if it squeaks. Spray the bushings with white litheum grease and your noise might stop. 0 -
The advice about shaking the wheel is good and will tell you about the wheel bearing very quickly. If you roll it back and forth, you may be able to hear it pop or crack.
I haven't been in a Dodge, but I'd be surprised if the procedure was much out of the ordinary. If you need to change it, the inside cone is usually about the only thing that can be a bit difficult, since the inner and outer race can be reached with a punch and hammer with the wheel removed, and the outer cone and bearing will normally just drop out. Look for a pair of cuts in the hub on the backside of the race and put the tip of the punch there if it has them to drive the race out.
The inner can usually be popped loose with a chisel wedged between the back of the bearing or cone and the inner end of the mounting area, and then struck with a hammer. A couple of blows and it should shake loose for you.
Two new bearings, seals, and a little grease to pack it and you should be ready to go. Make sure when you draw up the nut to preload the bearing that you just bring it up a tiny bit more than snug, and then back it off a notch or so. Put the wheel back on and spin it just to make sure it spins fairly freely.
BTW, new rotors at AutoZone run around $25 for original equipment grade, and a pair of new pads will be around the same or a bit less unless you want the lifetime warranty units. They aren't hard to change on most vehicles.[:)]0 -
quote:Originally posted by earlwellman
It may be the brake caliper allowing the pads to drag on the rotor causing heat. Does the truck pull to that side? If so, it is the caliper. A bearing bad enough to heat up the rotor would make more than a "sqeak". Jack up the tire and see if it has any play. If it has a bunch, it is the bearing. If not, the caliper may be hanging up.
Earl
If it is the caliper, what would cause this? Crap in it or what? Bad front master cyclinder?0 -
Worn pads can do that if you are starting to get metal to metal contact, or the pistons could be failing to ease off when you release the brake.
Ford had that problem a few years ago with some pistons that would swell and then stick in the cylinders, keeping the pads in greater contact than normal, and acting much like "riding" the brake.[:)]0 -
Don't most newer autos have a wear indicator on the brakes.
It is just a small metal piece that rubs and squeals if the brakes are worn out.
I had one that got bent and it squealed bad. Brakes were OK according to the dealer.
AC0 -
It would seem that both my front brakes are sticking as both are draging. To compound the problem, I have had a loose lug nut that seems to have screwed up the stud. What could cause both calipers to stick? 0 -
quote:Originally posted by acdodd
Don't most newer autos have a wear indicator on the brakes.
It is just a small metal piece that rubs and squeals if the brakes are worn out.
I had one that got bent and it squealed bad. Brakes were OK according to the dealer.
AC
No. Wifes '04 cruizer does not have the wear indicator. guy told us they stopped doing that on pads. After he told me $600 I changed rotors and pads on it myself for $180 and it was a breeze.0 -
I don't think a bearing would cause your wheel to heat up. More like a sticking caliper.
This is a repair that if you are mechanically inclined you can do yourself in a couple of hours.
Get a new caliper, rotor and pads (for each side - you could just get 1 caliper though), and brake fluid and replace everything. Shouldn't be more than 1-2 hours/side in the driveway.
Disk brakes are a cynch. I can do the pads in 10 minutes/side0 -
Rotor should be too hot to touch after driving. Might want to jack it up and put a pry bar under the tire and give it a tug up if it squeaks it is the upper or lower ball joints. 0 -
Another vote for stuck caliber. Very easy to do. Also check to make sure your brake line hasn't collapsed. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by s.gun
I'm going to watch this post.I have a squeek / squeel in my front wheel also.Do not know which wheel.Been there a week.Very little noise on left turns.Just when driving straight and right turns.I'm thinking it's a bearing.
Don't rule out bad needle bearings in your drive shaft. They alway sound like it's from the front wheels.0 -
If you check wheel hubs temp AFTER normal in-city driving, they should be hot, as the brakes are "friction brakes".
The chance of a bearing failure causing heat is minimal.
Growling noise that gets louder as the steering wheel is turned (when driving) indicates bearing failure.
I guess if bearing failure symptoms were ignored long enough you might get squalling or squeaking noises as the metal pieces ground themselves to bits in the hub, but in 30 years dicking with trucks and cars, I can count on one hand that type of extreme failure.
Those vehicles also had severe wheel flop and very low brake pedal as the pads got pushed WAY far away from the rotor face as the wheel flopped around and the pedal would have to be pumped at least once to obtain any kind of brake pressure.
So I vote change the brake pads....0 -
quote:Originally posted by shoff14
I have a squeaking noise coming from my left front wheel. Not sure if its the bearing or brakes rubbing. I have the feelings its the wheel bearing. I need to get it jacked up and see if thats the case. the truck is a 96 2 wheel drive dodge. When I got home earlier the wheel was HOT and the rotor almost to hot to touch. Went around to the right side and the wheel was just warm, probably just from the engine. I am guessing that the wheel should not be that hot. If it is the wheel bearing, how hard is it to change?
Is it a matter of just taking the wheel off, the wheel nut off, removing bearing, replacing bearing and repacking? Is there anything that I should replace while I am doing it? The brakes are probably about due for changing, but I can't spend money on this because I won't be working for the month of June and we need to save money.
Depending on the year, you may have to replace the entire hub. You cannot just replace the bearing on my truck...I've replaced both hubs, but I think one of my replacement hubs is going bad...0 -
The trickest noise I ever had to find was a bent backing plate! This was on a Toyota though, found it easier and cheaper ($20 vs $689) to get a knuckle and axle from the pick yard than to pay a shop to replace a wheel bearing. (bearing was $29 at Advance) Then spent about an hour trying to find that shhh-shhh-shhh sound. [:(!] [B)]
This was one that the race was the only thing left and it was pretty chewed up! Talk about wheel flop! [:0]
If both front brakes on a disc/drum vehicle (dunno bout disc/disc) are dragging and its not the calipers check the equalizer valve(or whatever it's called)that keeps a bit of drag on the disc brakes. (aftermarket ones are adjustable) Or possibly the spindle castle nut has been tightened too much. Don't laugh I've found them that way. Also with no cotter pins and the nut ready to drop off. You never know what your going to find till you get that wheel off.
good luck
Allen0 -
Hey Shoff - I have a Haynes manual for '94-96 Full Size Dodge Trucks that I do not need anymore. I would be happy to send it to you if you plan on doing some work yourself. Just shoot me an e-mail if you are interested. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by HandgunHTR52
Hey Shoff - I have a Haynes manual for '94-96 Full Size Dodge Trucks that I do not need anymore. I would be happy to send it to you if you plan on doing some work yourself. Just shoot me an e-mail if you are interested.
I certainly would be interested!
The problem turned out to be my brakes. I should have had them changed a while ago. There must have been no wear indicators on these pads. The left side pads were very close to metal to metal and they were dragging. I am still not quite sure why they were dragging. However, the rotors where to thin to turn down, so I put new ones on. As ECC said, these rotors come with the hub in one casting, so I installed new bearings. I cleaned the caliper bolts and made sure the moved has free as the seem they should. Put new pads on, put it all back together, after two trips to napa for the correct bearing seals, I was able to get it all back together. I checked to make sure the calipers were moving, they were, put the wheels back on and everything seems good. It took a lot longer then it should I, but this is the first time I have done this. It wasn't to hard at all.0 -
Good job! Most of those kinds of things aren't too hard if you just take your time, pay attention, and lay things out in the order that they came off.
The next time, you'll cut your time waaaayyy down, I'll bet.0 -
quote:Originally posted by dlrjj
Good job! Most of those kinds of things aren't too hard if you just take your time, pay attention, and lay things out in the order that they came off.
The next time, you'll cut your time waaaayyy down, I'll bet.
speaking of paying attention, I usually do, its my job. So after I am taking one of the rotors out of the box, purchased at advanced auto, I was about to install the back bearing and seal. I look in the center open area, hmm, thats weird, whats that black stuff? Rub my finger on it, aha THE PEOPLE CASTING IT DIDN'T REMOVE THE SAND! If I hadn't caught that, I would have been doing this all over again next week.0 -
Bout six months ago I had a squeel in one of my other cars front end.Thought for certain it was the brakes although I knew those pads were 50% + just a couple months before.Opened things up anyway for visual inspection and found a 3/8 inch piece of slag/rock stuck between the rotor and tin backing plate.
This problem now will have to wait for the week end.0
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