LCR wheel bearing replacement help

[Slimy]

I might have misread your post, but by the sounds of it you've put your hub nut on with 230nm + 90 degrees? I'd say you've overtightened it by a considerable amount, which might be where the noise is coming from. You 'shouldn't' be able to crush the tapered bearings that sit in the hub, but I'm not sure whether that still applies after what you've put them on with.

The reason why it's tight when you remove it is that it's had x number of years sat in the same position. For most bolts the torque required to remove them is far in excess of that needed to tighten them.

Personally I'd release the nut, give the driveshaft a tap to dislodge it a tiny amount, then do the tightening procedure again. At least if nothing else than to see if it gets rid of the noise.

 

[PSX]

Yes my post was slightly lengthy, sorry 230nM + ~90 degrees is how I set the final torque. So I'm guessing it's on there at something like 265-300nM..

I was just puzzled that 50nM plus 60 degrees felt like nothing.. my assistant did comment that the last tighten was achieved with such a long bar, after having already hit 200nM to secure it. I was just worried about it being safe as the torque felt so low. Is threadlock recommended?

Thanks,

Alex

 

[PSX]

Alright.. this is patchy but gradually becoming clearer..

Looks like there are two different versions of wheel hub for the Audi TT. Bonded hub, with an initial torque off 240nM and a final of 265nM. Alternatively a greased hub, with an initial torque of 190nM and final of 190nM + 90 degrees. (Reference here: http://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=196676)

How to tell a bonded from a greased hub? The suggestion is that the bonded version will require a puller to release the hub from the stub axle whereas the greased does not. I have the 17mm allen bolt not the 30mm 12-point nut, and the stub axle knocked out of mine with so much as a tap from a mallet and extension.

So with all that in mind, it looks like my final torque should be 190nM + 90 degrees?

Alex

 

[seatturbopower]

You won't remove that nut with an impact driver, an air gun would possibly do it but the best option is a breaker bar. And as you say they come in very useful elsewhere. This is what I bought;

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/p...230-1-2-drive-breaker-bar?da=1&TC=SRC-breaker

I usually take the centre cap out of the wheel, put the wheel back on and drop it to the ground. Then undo the centre nut/bolt (part 16) with the breaker bar, with the weight of the car stopping the wheel and hub turning. Then once it's loose, jack it back up and undo everything.

Don't forget you'll need a torque wrench to put it back together again.

another method i know for removing the hub bolt and i have done this a few times is to use a breaker bar(normal size metal one)and use a tow bar crank that on the end and you have yourself a 4ft breaker bar lol works a treat.with the wheel on the ground also.if you have no touque tool,if you start at a 12oclock postion you know to turn it back to same postion when finished.with stupid tight bolts if i have the room ill use the towe bar cant go wrong

 

[alias]

The thing with removing a drive shaft from the gearbox (or more accurately the differential) is to make sure the diff doesn't move. If the diff moves you'll have one he'll of a job getting back into position. A diff lock is needed here which can be jimmied, but you'll need to know that it fits ok.

 

[PSX]

Replacement hub bolt is on the way - will be trying 190nM + 90 degrees and see how that feels. Hoping it's as Slimy suggests and that the bearings are pinched too much under load for any grease to be behind them.

If this doesn't sort it, then I'll be looking at CV joints.. Googling suggests that inner CV joints will grind, outer CV joints knock - but inner CV joint noise would be present all the time, not just whilst turning. My next course of action would be to try and pack more grease in the outer CV and see if that has an effect.

Alex

 

[csd_19]

Worn inner CV joint will also give a vibration under acceleration

 

[PSX]

Hm, so it could well be the inner then.. the exact circumstances of the noise are leaving junctions, tight roundabouts and generally with some power applied - I suppose I shall try going round a few roundabouts and see if the noise changes if I come off the power

Alex

 

[PSX]

I freed up the hub bolt last night, raised the car, loosened by a few threads, used a mallet to tap the axle free, replaced the bolt and retightened to 190nm, lowered the car, checked torque at 190, then added 90 degrees of turn (this did cause the bar to flex)

The bolt feels fairly tight still (as you'd hope) - the noise seems to have lessened but is definitely still there. On certain mini roundabouts where I was definitely hearing it before, I think it's gone away. However when I am taking a tight turn and applying the power, or looping a roundabout, the noise can still be heard. It seemed like the noise didn't immediately disappear coming off the power either. I did marginally bend the brake disc guard away from the disc whilst I was there (it wasn't touching before, just close).

So now I'm sort of stuck - either the wheel bearing was damaged by having overtorqued it first time round.. or maybe it needs time for the grease inside to find its way back around all the bearings in the outer race..

..or maybe I'm looking at an inner CV or a differential problem?

Alex