How to tell if wheel bearing or ball joint is bad?, Updated! Options

[GriffGirl]

There are bad, evil, rubbing/grinding noises (sounds dirty heh heh) coming from my rear passenger wheel. Actually it sounds like the backing plate is rubbing against the rotor, but I'm pretty certain that's not what's going on. The sound is definitely related to the rotation of the wheel; it's louder when I go slower too although that could just be because there's less road noise to drown out the sound. The noise sounds not unlike when brake pads are completely worn and it's metal on metal - it's that grinding noise, not a squealing or high pitched noise at all. It's really loud from the driver's side though, I can only imagine what it sounds like outside the car!

I'm leaning toward bad wheel bearing but I wanted to check with you guys first to get some tips and ideas before I go buying the wrong part.

This post has been edited by GriffGirl: Feb 2, 2009 - 12:11 PM

[tysst202]

could be a bearing but it would make whirring noise and get louder the faste you go.could be a cliper piston stuck on or even handbrake shoe catching.i hade same sort of noise on right rear so changed bearing bt turned out 2 be the handbrake shoe lineing had come loose.hope this helps.

[Salica]

thats funny I have the same noise coming from my passenger back. I currently changed my rear struts, when i did this i removed my rear brakes after i had them all installed i realized i installed them (the brake pads) backwards from what they were originally. Not sure if that is the sound but i do know i didnt have the sound prior to my **** up.. SO yea maybe take a look around there.

This post has been edited by Salica: Jan 23, 2009 - 3:44 AM

[Lil-Joe101]

I have a weird noise too. On both sides. It sounds like my tires are loose and bout to fall off, but everything is tight. And its on on both D/s and P/s rear. Any thoughts. not to steal ur thunder Griff.

[jimmykay]

IIRC if its a wheel bearing, then there should be some play in the wheel when you jack it up.

I'd check to see that your brake pads (regular pads and e-brake shoes) and caliper are all in working order.

[GriffGirl]

I will check for wheel play when I get it out to the shop, hopefully this weekend...

Brake pads are new since I did the drum-to-disc conversion in July. It could be the caliper; I don't remember which side it was but when I did the conversion, one of the calipers was seized. We got it all apart and cleaned out and un-seized, but it's entirely possible that it's the caliper from that side that was the problem one.

I think I forgot to say that the sound is not continual (it also isn't doing it today at all! ) - the sound is as though something is hitting a "high spot" on the rotor. I know that's not really what it is, but it's the best way to describe the sound. My braking is totally normal; there is no pulsating or any indication of a warped rotor.

I'll pull it all apart this weekend or next and see what I can see. By next weekend I will have a replacement hub assembly in-hand and ready to install should that be the case. As long as I don't die on the freeway between now and then, I'm good.

Oh and Joe - no worries, you're not stealing my thunder or threadjacking; we're all here to help each other and to learn! I find it more of a contribution when other people can post that they're having the same problem or whatever. Good way to learn from each other.

[LewFX]

thats funny I have the same noise coming from my passenger back. I currently changed my rear struts, when i did this i removed my rear brakes after i had them all installed i realized i installed them (the brake pads) backwards from what they were originally. Not sure if that is the sound but i do know i didnt have the sound prior to my **** up.. SO yea maybe take a look around there.

why did you remove your rear brakes to change your struts?

griff, did you get that rubber seal to go with your wheel bearing?

This post has been edited by LewFX: Jan 23, 2009 - 11:42 AM

[relyks95gt]

this happends to all celicas!!! and we still don't know what that noise is in the back lol its really annoying.does anyone elses stop when you brake?

[GriffGirl]

thats funny I have the same noise coming from my passenger back. I currently changed my rear struts, when i did this i removed my rear brakes after i had them all installed i realized i installed them (the brake pads) backwards from what they were originally. Not sure if that is the sound but i do know i didnt have the sound prior to my **** up.. SO yea maybe take a look around there.

why did you remove your rear brakes to change your struts?

griff, did you get that rubber seal to go with your wheel bearing?

That rubber seal was actually replaced when I did my disc conversion back in July. I am REALLY HOPING Toyota has one in stock though, so I can have another one ready - when I replaced it in July I went all over hell and creation on a SUNDAY no less just to find it. Good times.

So look - there's REALLY bad things happening now. Something back there is seriously broken. Yesterday it started making the metal-grinding-noise from hell again, and when I made a right turn it was seriously like the loudest, worst crunchy/grinding/unhappy metal sound I've ever heard a car make. Then I hit a pothole and the sound stopped. But when I got home I looked, and the rear p/s side wheel is a good 1/2" lower than the rear d/s wheel. Something has, well, "settled".

I'm hoping VERY MUCH that it's either the hub assembly or something suspension-related that I have a replacement on hand for. I will be checking twosrus to see if they ship overnight today - tomorrow is the only day I have to fix my car. If I don't fix my car, I have no way to get to work next week since no one's left here and there's no one to bum a ride from! Oh how FAB!

Anyone have any ideas? PLEASE??? I'm also thinking of playing the dumb chick and taking my car someplace and saying "something's wrong" and getting them to look at it and tell me what's wrong, and then play the I'm Broke I'll Have to Come Back card. I hate doing that, it wastes people's time, but I'm desperate here. What should I look for on my own?

[LewFX]

id try the pencil to the rotor test...have someone spin the rotor while using a spare jackstand and hold a pencil to the rotor, if it skips, your bearing is bad..if it holds the line. then its fine. see if the back plate is rubbing the rotor. just inspect everything back there

[GriffGirl]

I'll try that... it's not just the backing plate though, because that whole corner of the car is lower about half an inch than the rest. I compared distance between top of tire to fender, and it's notably different.

Could a broken endlink do it?

[LewFX]

a broken end link would make popping sounds, might as well check that too, make sure the nuts tight on both ends

[richee3]

When I swapped my suspension out, I had to cut my end links off. So the sway bar wasn't connected at all for a couple of weeks. Every time I went over a bump, it would make a nice thunk like you are talking about. But no grinding noise. However, if your strut is blown, and the end link just gave on that corner of the car, then that could be a possible cause for the car sitting lower. Maybe you have something like I had, where one strut is better than the other, and as long as the sway bar is connected, they help each other out in a way. But if the end link just broke, that strut could be on it's own and not be able to hold any weight. I hope that makes sense to you... If not, just send me a PM lol.

[GriffGirl]

a broken end link would make popping sounds, might as well check that too, make sure the nuts tight on both ends

Would those popping sounds be louder than sh*t if it were combined with blown struts? There were popping sounds, like something popping in and out of whatever it would seat to. I know that's not how endlinks work, but it's the best way to describe the sound before it made the awful Satan Spawning From My Car sound.

Mister Richee - I may need to hit you up for more parts depending on what I find tomorrow. Plz check your PMs tomorrow nt if you're able to. thx!

[GriffGirl]

Hey-
How many sway bar bushings does the car use? 2 right?

(what I want to say is how many sway bar bushings does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop, but then I'd be dating myself, wouldn't I?)

[LewFX]

2 in the rear, 2 in the front, fronts a pain...rears are easy....should be $5-10 each if not cheaper

[trdproven]

rears are indeed easier. never changed endlinks in the front. if it is endlinks be prepared to drill or grind off the old bolt.

[presure2]

defiently sounds like a wheelbearing issue to me griffy.

there is a nice write up dustin or someone did on doing end links, no need for cutting or drilling to get them off.

get the sway bar bushings anyway, theyre like 7$ each, and are super easy to replace in the rear.

[richee3]

a broken end link would make popping sounds, might as well check that too, make sure the nuts tight on both ends

Would those popping sounds be louder than sh*t if it were combined with blown struts? There were popping sounds, like something popping in and out of whatever it would seat to. I know that's not how endlinks work, but it's the best way to describe the sound before it made the awful Satan Spawning From My Car sound.

Mister Richee - I may need to hit you up for more parts depending on what I find tomorrow. Plz check your PMs tomorrow nt if you're able to. thx!

Will do!

[trdproven]

If worse case scenario you have to drill which I recommend over grinding because grinding cuts a piece of the bar sometimes, all you have to do is drill on the nut till you can pop it off or break it off. Your new endlinks come with new nuts anyways. For me that was the faster way. Ive tried grinding (hell) as compared to drilling off just the nut and it worked much faster.

griff - are you trying to install the TRD springs I sold you?

This post has been edited by trdproven: Feb 1, 2009 - 11:49 AM