The one that failed for me, took 1,000 miles of "noise" after
long runs till it turned into a quiet grinding noise getting
louder over the next 100 miles. Not only did it have play,
but didn't "feel" smooth when rotating either.
Of 6 cars, and 100,000 miles in the last 5 years, I've only
had one failure.
TO CHECK:
These are supposed to have almost zero play, so I use one hand
on the top of the tire, one on the bottom and wobble in/out.
(this is much easier with the car raised)
If it exhibits over 1/4" movement at the tread, replace it.
The rebuilt ones from TRF have NO play, though I've seen others
that had a little movement even when fresh.
RECOMMENDATION:
Based on my experience, I'd check them for play periodically, ignore
them till you hear noise, then have them rebuilt by a company that has
already done at LEAST 100 hubs.
A SAFETY ASIDE:
One other car that had no play in the hub, but a cracked wheel...
I noticed the severe warping of the flange with the 4 wheel studs
to the point the wheel didn't seat properly, hence the crack...
Marks on the flange and hub face from a 4-point puller showed what
happens when an inexperienced shop rebuilds them. The hub core is
ruined, the wheel ruined, and the hub will still have to be redone.
This was on a car that I had purchased and driven 300 miles home...
Your life and that of your passengers (and mine if I happen to be on
the same highway, or buy YOUR used car) depends on the tires, brakes,
front suspension, and hubs. Please don't cut corners!
Merry Christmas,
Roger (trying to fix the duplicate posting problem)
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Roger G. Bolick, rgb@exact.com, (512) 794-9567, FAX 345-2879
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