Gary said:
Tex-normally people don't jack up their vans to check how axles are different in how they move in and out.Could you please tell what make you do this??. :?:
I was referring to the wheel bearings . Sorry for the confusion , I was not referring to the axles , just agreed with someone about C-Clips
http://www.tpub.com/content/constructio ... 73_333.htm
Quote from this link
heat during operation. The center of the tread flexes upward and does NOT touch the surface of the road. Underinflation will cause rapid tread wear, loss of fuel economy, and possibly ply separation (plies tear away from each other). Uneven tire inflation pressure can cause steering wheel pull. For example, when a vehicle that ha's the left front tire underinflated and the right front tire properly inflated, the vehicle has a tendency to pull to the left. The low air pressure in the left tire has more rolling resistance. This action tends to pull the steering wheel away from the normally inflated tire. Tire Vibration Problems When one of the front tires is vibrating, it can be felt in the steering wheel. When one of the rear tires is vibrating, the vibration can be felt in the center and rear of the vehicle. Tire vibration can be attributed to several problems, such as out-of-balance condition, ply separation, tire runout, a bent wheel, or tie cupping. Tire and Wheel-Bearing Noise Tire noise usually shows up as a whine due to abnormal tread wear or a thumping sound caused by ply separation. Tire replacement is required to correct these problems. Wheel-bearing noise is produced by dry, worn wheel bearings. The bearing will make a steady humming type sound. This is due to the rollers or balls being damaged from lack of lubrication and are no longer smooth. To check for a worn wheel bearing, raise and secure the vehicle, and rotate the tire by hand. Feel and listen carefully for bearing roughness. Also, wiggle the tire back and forth to check for bearing looseness. It may be necessary to disassemble the wheel bearing to verify the problem.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... =firefox-a
My 1979 Corvette has 38000 miles and has the original rear wheel bearings.
What are the signs that the rear wheel bearings need replacing?
Type of noise while driving?
Handling of the car?
How to check for excess bearing play?
Jack up the car and grab the tire and move it at 3 & 9 o'clock.
If you have a lot of play, should only be 001-008" I would look closer. Typical factory settings are in the 3-4 range. You will probably find more play at 6 & 12 from the side yokes, The orignals were soft and by 40k miles were worn more them 050"
GTR is right on the 3-9 test. I think its the best way to check. My right rear made a sound like crushing gravel when it finally went. The left rear never went beyond a chirp.
Another test is to use an ir gun and check the temperature of the 4 wheel hubs. If your brakes are all good, a bad bearing will be hotter at the hub than the other wheels. The ir check works for ujoints too. A bad joint will be hotter.
Just a couple examples that shows that it is common to check for wheel bearing wear this way