Amber Gramps

It's me again and I have another question.

I'm driving in my car today and I make a very slow left hand turn. I notice the right front brake squeak ever so slightly but I know what it is right away. Just then the phone rings and it is Steve Weiner about shocks. He tells me it's 35 out so I tell him I have the windows down. We chat while I drive the five miles home and he has me look under the car at a fiew things. I remember the squeak and go tug on the wheel.....CLICK<CLICK>CLICK...Wheel bearing. I can't see it move and I can't hear it move. The set is $17.00 at Performance. 1. Should I spend the $17.00 before I even go in? 2. should I hold off 'cause I may need new races too? 3. should I just re-pack and tighten?

Ball's in your court...and yes, all are welcome to play.

Peter Zimmermann

Whew, you don't make it easy! First, replacement bearings come with new races, and you should never put a new bearing against an old race! Second, you really need to lift the car far enough so that the wheel/tire isn't touching the floor so you can make a more positive diagnosis.

Now, about your click - did you put a wrench on your lug nuts to make sure that they're tight?

Amber Gramps

Pete, Can I say you sound like my grandfather (in a good way).(Picture a smiley yellow dot here if I knew how to do that) I know he would have killed me if I just put a wrench on it and put it back together. If bearing and race come together that would explain why I cant find the race for sale. I'll jack it up before I run off this morning and give it a proper shake. What about the seals, rear spacer, and the O-ring listed on Pelican? The Bentley book has me thinking I can press the race in my self with a little heat and some grease. Dare I try, or should I take it to a shop?

thank you,
douglas

Peter Zimmermann

Lug nut torque = 94 lb/ft...

You do not need the spacer or o-ring (don't remove either from the spindle), just the inner seal. Old races can be very difficult to remove. If you've never done wheel bearings you'll need a couple of hefty punches, a good, heavy ball peen hammer, plenty of latex gloves, a couple sections of 2x4, and a race driver set to install the new stuff. You have to remove the caliper (perfect time to do brake hoses and fluid!), then remove the rotor and hub as a unit - no need to separate them. Before taking it apart remove the clamp nut and thrust washer (under the dust cap), and pull the outer bearing off the spindle. Examine closely the surface between the rollers, if the bearing is failing you'll see little bits of shiny metal flakes. Have plenty of those handy, blue shop "towels" near by (AutoZone sells them by the roll), along with some type of cleaning fluid and a fresh tub of amber, disc-brake wheel bearing grease.

Seriously, check the lug nuts. I had a customer come to the shop one afternoon with the same symptom. Turns out that someone tried to steal his wheels, got the nuts loose but couldn't get past the wheel locks! All we did was re-torque the nuts and he was on his way...

84_Carrera

And have something to "catch" the bearing when it falls out, so it doesn't go dirt-surfing in case it's not the problem.

Amber Gramps

I have a fear that this is just the tip of the iceburg. I could have lost the rotor and the pad. so it may be time for drilled zimmermann's. But that is an episode of "ASK FRED"......

84_Carrera

Doug, I'm more than happy to tell you how things went on stuff I've done, but believe me you're at 2 of the best guys to have "Ask X" threads with already.

I'm learning about the 911 as I go as well. This ain't your older brother's Taurus after all.

Peter Zimmermann

Not really, your brake pad wear light would have turned on...?!?

Amber Gramps

I'm back at the office with two sets of bearings and seals (so I have an extra if I screw one up or so I can do the other side) and a fuel filter. Not sure how that got in the bag, but what the heck it's shinny.

If I don't get the front wheels to lock up togeather I'm going back for pads, rotors, and the lines tomarrow.

Amber Gramps

As feared I have lost the rotor and pads in this mess. I remember getting on the brakes a couple weeks ago and locking up the left front and not the right. So, When I found the outer pad looking rather cup shaped I figured it's time to chuck it.

I can get drilled zimmermanns at PP for less than $100 where as the standard disks came in at about $80. Is that an ok way to go or do I have to do all 4 at once? What pads do I go with?

Steve Weiner, Do you stock brakes and can we get them here in time to make San Diego this weekend?
Thanks guys, I know the disks were suppose to be another episode of "ASK FRED"....

Amber Gramps

So I do the right front and am all proud of the newly installed drilled zimmerman rotor and Mindex pads only to turn back into the driveway to hear the left front brake drag on the rotor....yep, click, click, click. good thing I got two of everything.

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Hi Doug,

Do you still have the original rubber brake lines on the car??? Inquiring minds want to know,...

Those deteriorate due to time, not necessarily mileage.

Amber Gramps

Steve, I purchased the steel D.O.T. lines and the blue fluid, but didn't get them on the car. I figured I will do the rear rotors and pads in a month and do it then. At this point I think I'm looking at needing turbo tierods and all the poly-bronze parts we talked about. If I purchase them over the next couple of months it won't hurt so bad. Just finding original production markings still lined up in the grease caps tells me I had original rotors, I could see the Boge struts were most likely original, the wear sensor just crumbled, and to see the tie rods still stock makes me want to just freshin up everythibng all at once.
I still have echos of my rich uncle telling me not to buy a german car with less then 50,000 miles 'cause the suspention will be too stiff. That alone makes me not want to do tortion bars, but I am looking forward to the Bilsteins. we are going to have to design a system and a plan for this car that is soft on my back but firm in the corners that is affordable but true to the name on the car. you know me by now, what would you do?

LUCKe27

Interesting thread. I'm not sure I'm really learning anything that I could actually use, but it's fun to read about what more competent mechanical folks are capable of.

Amber Gramps

Luck, this was a very simple job to do. Getting the races out of the hubs was not hard, it was getting them back in that was the killer. I wasn't paying attention to the "stop" in the inner hub and really over pressed the inner race. I used a 32mm socket for the outer race and a 1 5/8 for the inner race I think. The torque on the rotors sure felt light. dang it gotta go