a wierd humming

[Bimmerboy91]

so i got a '87 325. and when i get moving there is this humming sound that gets increasingly loud as you get speed in the front right tire. a humming sound that sounds like the tire is rubbing something. and it vibrates as much as it humms.


anyone have any idea of what it could be?

i would apreciate any input! thanks

[Bill-B]

wheel bearings, I just had mine replaced

[NLCarrII]

I would also say wheel bearings. I just had my rear ones replaced. At high speeds, it sounded as bad as a coffee grinder.

Nathan

[Bimmerboy91]

what kinds of things should i look for when i take off the tire that show the its the wheel bearing? or is there no way of telling unless you take everything off?

[craig4ie]

When wheel bearings go, the usually get HOT. After driving the car under normal conditions, check to see of the right front lug bolts are hotter than the lug bolts on other wheels.

[lordofthewaters]

so i got a '87 325. and when i get moving there is this humming sound that gets increasingly loud as you get speed in the front right tire. a humming sound that sounds like the tire is rubbing something. and it vibrates as much as it humms.


anyone have any idea of what it could be?

i would apreciate any input! thanks

Wheel bearing.

[Bimmerboy91]

how hard is it to change one of these?

[Bimmerboy91]

so i lifted it today but since i dont have the tire iron that takes off the lugs i couldnt get the tire off. but when i lifted it today i tired to shake it like in this vid that says the the wheel bearing is gone: http://http://youtube.com/watch?v=Sy...eature=related


but when i did it to my car it didnt even budge.

so how hard is it to change one of these? any special tools required?

[roundel]

oh sounds like a wheel bearing

[Bimmerboy91]

anyone on my last post?

[thectrlguy]

I didn't read it.... I assume no responsibility for your actions, or lack thereof

REAR

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticles/JF-Tech/BMW_E30_3_Series_rear_wheel_bearing.htm

FRONT

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticles/JF-Tech/BMW_E30_3_Series_front_wheel_bearing_replacement.htm

Good luck with her!

[Bimmerboy91]

what is best to get? the whole hub assembly or just the bearing?

[josephb983]

At high speeds, it sounded as bad as a coffee grinder.

Nathan

Wow, now that hits the noise right on the head! Yeah, just did my right front bearing and that fixed it for the most part, though other side needs done too still.

[josephb983]

so i lifted it today but since i dont have the tire iron that takes off the lugs i couldnt get the tire off. but when i lifted it today i tired to shake it like in this vid that says the the wheel bearing is gone: http://http://youtube.com/watch?v=Sy...eature=related


but when i did it to my car it didnt even budge.

so how hard is it to change one of these? any special tools required?

That test shown in the video is 100% untrustworthy. If it does move like that, yes, you need a bearing. If it doesn't do that, that just means you might need a bearing and it's not obvious. I have two bad front bearings, and neither wheel had/has any play at all. Another car I worked on had a bearing siezed up on it, and it the wheel was turning on the thing that the bearing gets pressed onto. No play either. That play test doesn't mean anything except it isn't obviously broken... if I had known this I'd not have spent hours and hours replacing other things (center support bearing, etc), and just done the bearings first. //rant

Down to business. This is the easiest job I've ever done on a car. Other than a small hickup with having to drill the head off of the locking screw that holds the rotor to the hub.

You will need to buy a bearing/hub assembly, a locking screw (look up the part number on realoem.com for your car). You will also want a replacement grease cap, if you can get one. It is good to have a replacement axle nut on hand too, just in case you mangle the nut in the process of removing it.

As far as tools, you need a breaker bar, a chisel to remove the grease cap (only tool that works for this I think), and a puller to remove the inner trace in case it gets stuck on the axle. You can rent the puller from any automotive store, or buy one for around $30. The three-prong type should work fine, but 2 prong might work too if the 3 prong one is rented out. You will also need a 36mm socket (mine cost $18, but you can rent them). Make sure the socket is the black kind, as the are much stronger and can handle the torque. Also, they are the six-sided shape inside, which is much less prone to stripping the nut (a potential nightmare). Bring the replacement bearing with you when you go to buy the socket, as some are a little too fat to fit inside the hub where the nut is. I got mine at Checker auto parts. You will also need a pointed chisel loosen the locking tab on the axle nut, and then a flathead screwdriver to pry it out of the way. Oh, and you will need a 19mm socket to take the caliper off, and a clamp or caliper compressor to make enough room between the pads to fit it back on easily. Also, to pound the new bearing back on I used a 4 inch piece of PVC pipe that fit the inner trace of the new bearing, and hammered on it with a sledge hammer (another tool you may need). An 8 foot length of PVC is like $4, and you can have them cut it to the right length. PVC wont damage the metal, which is nice. That should cover it for all the tools you will be using. I don't think I forgot any.

As far as removing it, it was very simple. Just use a breaker bar, loosen the wheel lugs, jack up the car, take off the wheel, chisel off the grease cap, put the wheel back on (lightly tighten lugs), lower car, put 36mm socket on the now accessible axle nut (grease cap out of the way), and break the axle nut free. I stood on my breaker bar and hopped, and it broke free easily. Then jack up the car again, take off the wheel, caliper, and locking screw on rotor, and remove rotor. Now take off the nut and hub slipped off easily on my car. If the inner trace gets stuck use a puller to take it off. Put the new hub on axle, and make sure before you pound on it that the ABS sensor is lined up with one of the grooves in the bearing. Then pound on the bearing with the PVC pipe, and reattach the rotor using the new alignment hex screw, and put on the caliper, and the wheel, then lower the car, tighten the axle nut to specified torque or as tight as it was when you took it off, and jack car back up and remove wheel, tap on the grease cap, and put wheel back on for the final time, lower car, tighten lug nuts, and your done. Less than an hour if you don't run into problems I'd guess. Took me a couple, as I had to run to the store for a drill bit to drill off the head of the hex screw.

Hope this helps. Use a book, I used all three. Haynes, Chilton, and Bentley.

Lot of little steps, but it is an easy job, the easiest I've done on my car so far. :)

Good luck.