Problem with front wheel bearing "wobbling" A2 1.2Tdi

John L

A2OC Donor
MY car recently failed an MOT due to there being too much flex in the front left wheel bearing.
There was no noise from the bearing or anything untoward that I noticed.

The dealer who did the MOT then changed the bearing but reported afterwards that the new bearing had too much flex. Unfortunately I was unable to see for myself if the nature of the flex but wonder if anyone has any ideas based from this of what the issue could be?

The dealer think that the brand new bearing may be faulty and so want to replace it. On a more conventional bearing you would just tighten the nut to remove play but according to the dealer this is not possible on modern bearings such as fitted to the A2.

I also assume as installed by a main dealer the clearance in the bearing housing should have been checked and within tolerances. If this was not so I guess this could cause some wobble.

Could wobble be caused if the hexagon socket nut on the outer joint was reused?

I have driven the car with the new "faulty" bearing and noticed no vibration or noise even at motorway speeds or on roundabouts.

The cause and precise nature of the problem is a bit of a mystery and I wonder if anyone has experienced similar or has any ideas of how to solve this?

Thanks!

John
 
Hi John,

It's not just the bearing that is replaced but the carrier as well. This is pressed into the hub and the spline of the drive shaft passes through the centre of the assembly. The spline should be Loctited (or equivalent) in place. Therefore all wearing parts have been replaced, apart from the shaft, which I assume is OK. The nut should only be used once. Useful video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cpoU90ESq0&feature=youtu.be

The only possible fault, assuming correct assembly, is one in the bearing/carrier assembly, which is presumably supplied by the dealer but I would have thought this unlikely.

RAB
 
Hi RAB,

This is what I thought. I cannot see how/what causes this problem. The whole job was done by the dealer who also installed the "faulty" bearing they took out.
I will ask for photos and a full write up of their findings as the whole problem seems rather odd...

The video makes the whole process seem quite simple. I guess not cleaning the hub cavity could cause some issues?
Similarly a faulty or damaged shaft would presumably make some odd noises or similar?

The car was driving very smoothly before and after the failed repair. The bearing issue was found during an MOT test but no other faults are recorded.

It will I guess remain a mystery until they take a look at it...

Thanks!
 
Hi John,

A faulty drive shaft will produce vibration at certain speeds. Check it for lateral movement but it sounds as if it's OK.

RAB
 
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