PLEASE HELP!! Does this look like a Bad Axle?
PLEASE HELP!! Does this look like a Bad Axle? I have a grinding sound coming from my rear end; sounds like
it's coming from the passenger side near the hub. The car feels as if the rear is wobbling. I feel a jerk on turns, not so smooth ride, and really bad wheel hop when trying to accelerate from a stop while turning. My car also seems as if it is always braking and has been getting worse mileage.
This weekend I pulled my axle, expecting to find some pitting or something common to a warped axle. I see nothing really wrong with it, and the bearing seemed to rotate just fine in the axle.
Does there look like there anything wrong with these pictures?
it's coming from the passenger side near the hub. The car feels as if the rear is wobbling. I feel a jerk on turns, not so smooth ride, and really bad wheel hop when trying to accelerate from a stop while turning. My car also seems as if it is always braking and has been getting worse mileage.
This weekend I pulled my axle, expecting to find some pitting or something common to a warped axle. I see nothing really wrong with it, and the bearing seemed to rotate just fine in the axle.
Does there look like there anything wrong with these pictures?
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 157
Likes: 0
From: Way Out In The Boonies Chasin' Hill Billies, North GA
My first step would have been to put it up in the air on jackstands, have a friend put it in gear and run it up to speed, and listen w/ a mechanic's stethoscope to the pinion bearing, carrier bearings, and axle bearings for anything "abnormally" loud / noisy. Since you've already got it apart, there's no telling unless you can visibly see trouble somewhere. Where either of the axle seals leaking? If so, you've likely got an axle bearing that has worn...and should be able to feel play in the bearing by rocking the hub up and down.
Axle itself look perfectly fine...but you rarely have trouble w/ the axles themselves unless they're seeing lots of abuse...like high-RPM high-traction drag strip launches.
Good luck to you.
Axle itself look perfectly fine...but you rarely have trouble w/ the axles themselves unless they're seeing lots of abuse...like high-RPM high-traction drag strip launches.
Good luck to you.
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The axle is no longer out of the car. I just ripped it out to take some pictures and lok for pitting. This is my DD so I can;t have it down for too long
If it is a bad bearing, wouldn't it leave some kind of mark on the axle?
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It could be a bad axle bearing even though the axle looks fine. Just clean and inspect each roller before taking it out.
Could also be the carrier bearing, those are on the sides of the differential (the piece that holds the ring gear).
When I changed the gears on my 2002 with 34,000 miles on it I found a badly pitted carrier bearing race. It never made any noise though but it would have if i didn't notice it during the gear swap.
If you pulled the axles, you're just four bolts away from dropping the carrier out. If you do make sure the iron spacers and caps stay on the side they came from.
Could also be the carrier bearing, those are on the sides of the differential (the piece that holds the ring gear).
When I changed the gears on my 2002 with 34,000 miles on it I found a badly pitted carrier bearing race. It never made any noise though but it would have if i didn't notice it during the gear swap.
If you pulled the axles, you're just four bolts away from dropping the carrier out. If you do make sure the iron spacers and caps stay on the side they came from.
I think the carriers fine because I used the stethoscope method and traced the sound to about where the axle bearing is.
How would I be able to tell that the axle bearing is shot by looking at it?
How do you take it out and replace it, and where can I get a new one?
How would I be able to tell that the axle bearing is shot by looking at it?
How do you take it out and replace it, and where can I get a new one?
You could tell if a roller was pitted, you have to turn each one to see all sides of it.
If the race was pitted you won't be able to see it and it doesn't come apart. Any autoparts store should have the bearing. But if you change it you should put a towel over it and break it apart with a hammer and inspect the race. This way you know if you changed a good bearing and have a problem somewhere else, or you see a bad bearing and can be sure you fixed a problem.
A lot of times noises will travel through the housing.
If you pull the axles again you'd be a fool to not take four more bolts out and check the carrier bearings.
If the race was pitted you won't be able to see it and it doesn't come apart. Any autoparts store should have the bearing. But if you change it you should put a towel over it and break it apart with a hammer and inspect the race. This way you know if you changed a good bearing and have a problem somewhere else, or you see a bad bearing and can be sure you fixed a problem.
A lot of times noises will travel through the housing.
If you pull the axles again you'd be a fool to not take four more bolts out and check the carrier bearings.
I might pull it all apart this weekend to check all the bearings. Problem is, I don't know anything about rear ends. Learning by doing here.
I don't know how to take the axle bearing out. I don't know how to remove or what to look for on a carrier bearing. It took my 3 hrs to figure out how to remove my axle; I didn't know where the TCS sensor was.
I don't know how to take the axle bearing out. I don't know how to remove or what to look for on a carrier bearing. It took my 3 hrs to figure out how to remove my axle; I didn't know where the TCS sensor was.
I might pull it all apart this weekend to check all the bearings. Problem is, I don't know anything about rear ends. Learning by doing here.
I don't know how to take the axle bearing out. I don't know how to remove or what to look for on a carrier bearing. It took my 3 hrs to figure out how to remove my axle; I didn't know where the TCS sensor was.
I don't know how to take the axle bearing out. I don't know how to remove or what to look for on a carrier bearing. It took my 3 hrs to figure out how to remove my axle; I didn't know where the TCS sensor was.
I would not recommend taking the pinion out at your experience level.
If you do you will need to get a new crush collar, have the car way off the ground, have a dial type inch pound torque wrench, etc.
Just take the carrier out and look at the bearing races and rollers.
If all that looks good degrease the bearing, squeeze the rollers with your hand
and twist, this way you usually feel pitting on the inner race. Or just change the
carrier side bearings. It's not that hard just be sure you keep the spacers and caps on the side they came off of.
The axle bearing comes out with a slide hammer type tool, pretty sure you can rent those. Tap it back in with a hammer and big socket.
From what you've said before you might want to take the carrier to a machine shop with the new bearings and have them press the old ones off and new ones on.
The one near the ring gear is almost impossible to remove without a press, the other one can be worked off with a punch. If you're real desperate you can cut the cages off and use a cutoff wheel to go almost through the inner race in two spots, then hit it to crack it off.
Then hammer the new ones on with a big socket or piece of pipe.
Makes you want to just take the carrier to a shop doesn't it? I hope so.
The one near the ring gear is almost impossible to remove without a press, the other one can be worked off with a punch. If you're real desperate you can cut the cages off and use a cutoff wheel to go almost through the inner race in two spots, then hit it to crack it off.
Then hammer the new ones on with a big socket or piece of pipe.
Makes you want to just take the carrier to a shop doesn't it? I hope so.
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 157
Likes: 0
From: Way Out In The Boonies Chasin' Hill Billies, North GA
From what you've said before you might want to take the carrier to a machine shop with the new bearings and have them press the old ones off and new ones on.
The one near the ring gear is almost impossible to remove without a press, the other one can be worked off with a punch. If you're real desperate you can cut the cages off and use a cutoff wheel to go almost through the inner race in two spots, then hit it to crack it off.
Then hammer the new ones on with a big socket or piece of pipe.
Makes you want to just take the carrier to a shop doesn't it? I hope so.
The one near the ring gear is almost impossible to remove without a press, the other one can be worked off with a punch. If you're real desperate you can cut the cages off and use a cutoff wheel to go almost through the inner race in two spots, then hit it to crack it off.
Then hammer the new ones on with a big socket or piece of pipe.
Makes you want to just take the carrier to a shop doesn't it? I hope so.
It sucks I did all this on Xmass eve. I have to wait 2 days to find a shop that has the bearings instock, and can install them. My cars gonna be in pieces until then. Pepboys said there'd be a 3-5 day wait on the part and Autozone says they don't even have it in their system. I guess I can check the dealer. I just hope I can find it early weds morning so I can get everything put back together.