Wheel bearings...

[bzwyatt]

Got new tires, had them installed last Friday. Dealer was cheapest for install, so that is where I went, though I bought the tires elsewhere. They told me they think my front/driver side wheel bearings are going bad. Above 30mph there is a loud pulsing sound that I thought was road noise from the tires or bad alignment, because my car was repaired from an accident last summer and my tires were worn, so I was paranoid that when I got new tires, it still wouldn't drive the same.

So when I got in my car after new tires were installed and hear this sound, I'm thinking, fuck! the alignment is totally fucked even with new tires! But then I thought, maybe I'm noticing the bearings more because I have brand new tires, so there isn't any road noise to drown it out, which was happening before with the old tires. I was worried the dealer sabotaged my car too, 'cause the sound wasn't like that before, I thought it was just old tires, but maybe not.

So, maybe my wheel bearings are bad... but that isn't really a wear item, at least not at 78k miles, is it? So what happened? I need a jack man, all I have is ramps for oil changes. Need to get the car up and I think I'll be able to hear/feel the bearings if I spin the wheel. And a Nator is a week from Saturday...

So, who knows about wheel bearings? They expensive? I'll go look at onlinemazdaparts.com...

[tommydorsey]

Don't know about wheel bearings, but I'm not sure that new tires would necessarily have less road noise. I think it's more in the design of the tread, but I'm not an expert. Looks like bearings are about $20.

Jim

[TRex]

my saab 92x (impreza) rhythmic hum that increased with speed, it was a pulsing (kind of like going over small bumps in the road constantly), i knew it wasnt road noise because i could hear the tire noise underneath it

turns out it was a wheel bearing, this is the second on this vehicle (it has 150K) but that is a known failure for subies

it had none of the other symptoms of a bad wheel bearing when i took it in (loose wheel, chatter when turning, ect...) it was only the pulsing hum

[Matrix311]

Here watch this video. This will tell you how to test if you have a bad wheel hub bearing or a bad tie rod etc.

How to Find a Bad Wheel Bearing - EricTheCarGuy - YouTube

How to Find a Bad Wheel Bearing - EricTheCarGuy - YouTube

To change the wheel bearing you'll need a bearing press. IF you have a buddy that has one at a shop and knows how to do it then your best bet would be to just jack the car up, pull the axle and the strut, disconnect everything from the hub and remove it completely out of the car. Take the hub to your buddies shop or any shop for that matter, buy the new bearing at NAPA ($60 give or take) and have the shop press the old bearing out, press the new bearing in and reassemble everything. Not to difficult to do at all. Dont let the dealer try to charge you $200+ to do this job when you can do it for $60 in parts and a 6 pack of beer for your buddy with a bearing press. Get it changed out ASAP before the bearing seizes and your wheel goes flying or something like that.

Oh and our cars have a limited slip so you can't do the exact test he is doing fyi but you'll get the gist of it.

[Raider]

There is a how=to for the rear CX-7 bearing. If AWD dont just jack up the front.

[Mandinca]

Originally Posted by Raider There is a how=to for the rear CX-7 bearing. If AWD dont just jack up the front.

My wife's CX7 sounds like it has a bad bearing, I put the rear on stands to check which front bearing it is right ?
Then jack one front wheel up and run the car in gear to listen for the bad bearing ?

Any idea if there is a front hub how to anywhere, can't find one....not digging the MSF search and google site: hasn't produced anything useful either.

[motherfnmonsta]

Originally Posted by Mandinca My wife's CX7 sounds like it has a bad bearing, I put the rear on stands to check which front bearing it is right ? Then jack one front wheel up and run the car in gear to listen for the bad bearing ? Any idea if there is a front hub how to anywhere, can't find one....not digging the MSF search and google site: hasn't produced anything useful either.

I think the front hubs are pressed in bearings, so you would need to take the knuckle out and takeit to a machine shop or a napa that has a machine shop and have them press the old bearing out and I would suggest to have a new spindle, then have them press in the new spindle and bearing into the knuckle, also make sure they pay attention to how the bearing comes out, cause the speed ring is built into the bearing and if not installed correctly it will throw a abs code.

The rear is simple especially if your cx7 is not awd, if it is not awd just take your brakes apart take out a few torx bit bolts out from the back and bam there you go easy peasy

also it is hard to find wheel bearing noise when there is no load on the vehicle, the best way to find bearing noise is to drive side to side and when you take load off the suspected bearing it should get louder and then when you put load back onto it, it should get quiet

[Mandinca]

Originally Posted by motherfnmonsta I think the front hubs are pressed in bearings, so you would need to take the knuckle out and takeit to a machine shop or a napa that has a machine shop and have them press the old bearing out and I would suggest to have a new spindle, then have them press in the new spindle and bearing into the knuckle, also make sure they pay attention to how the bearing comes out, cause the speed ring is built into the bearing and if not installed correctly it will throw a abs code. The rear is simple especially if your cx7 is not awd, if it is not awd just take your brakes apart take out a few torx bit bolts out from the back and bam there you go easy peasy also it is hard to find wheel bearing noise when there is no load on the vehicle, the best way to find bearing noise is to drive side to side and when you take load off the suspected bearing it should get louder and then when you put load back onto it, it should get quiet

Thanks, it's definitely a front bearing. Question.....when you say spindle, is that part of the hub ? Or is it a separate piece altogether ?
I'm trying to remember the diagram.....
Remove wheel to expose hub and rotor. Remove caliper and rotor comes off after screws are drilled out. Remove center nut and hub slides off driveshaft, right ? At least as long as it's not welded itself together, right ?

[motherfnmonsta]

Originally Posted by Mandinca Thanks, it's definitely a front bearing. Question.....when you say spindle, is that part of the hub ? Or is it a separate piece altogether ? I'm trying to remember the diagram..... Remove wheel to expose hub and rotor. Remove caliper and rotor comes off after screws are drilled out. Remove center nut and hub slides off driveshaft, right ? At least as long as it's not welded itself together, right ?

Yes spindle is part of the hub it is what your wheels bolt up to. Instead of fight with the screw with a drill you can do two things. Take two hammers and lay one over the screw then use the other hammer and smack the other Hamer a few times and then use a Phillip head to remove it. Or go harbor freight and get a impact that put a bit in then hit with a hammer and that will get it out

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[bzwyatt]

Thanks guys. I'll check it out.

[bzwyatt]

So I checked my car, took the wheels off, it isn't the bearings or anything at the wheel, something up in the transmission. My dad and uncle checked it with me, say maybe the differential is fucked. I don't know what all the parts are up in there, just that basically it gets power to the drive axles and shifts gears. So I guess I'm taking it back to the dealership, gonna talk to the guy who did my warranty work and see what he says. There is a Mazda specialist in town, might talk to them. Is it a Nissin tranny in our cars, or something? I think I read that... Anybody have a link to info on it?

[bzwyatt]

Took it to the dealer, they said it's a bearing. I still don't believe it - I had the wheels off, listened to it, put it in drive and watched the wheels spin and stop, spin and stop, while a terrible grinding sound was going on (should post clip but I don't have it) - but they say if the bearings don't fix it they won't charge me. So they are ordering the parts and fixing it tomorrow... same guy who did a bunch of warranty work jst before 60k, gave me a new turbo and valve cover kit, other stuff, is working on it and I trust him... so we'll see...

[Orangatang]

go about :38 sec in. basics.

How to check for a bad wheel bearing basics - YouTube

How to check for a bad wheel bearing basics - YouTube

[Mandinca]

I looked again last night after I posted. It looked like the spindle is separate on the end of the drive shaft and the splined end slots into the female splines of the hub and the nut goes on the end.....or am I seeing it wrong ?

[motherfnmonsta]

Need pics bro

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[Mandinca]

I mean I looked at the diagrams available online :-)

[Project_dog]

To add to thread. My driver side rear wheel bearing is going out. It doesnt have any play in it. but make it making a lot of noise like what everyone is describing. Ordered from Rock auto. no one had one in town, plus everyone wanted about 180-230 for it. I got it 140ish with 2 day shipping.

[Project_dog]

Installed my new wheel bearing. Super easy. It didn't come with the holes for the rotor screws but oh well. I just put some washers on and a lug nut on. Then put my caliper on. Then bam. Done. Would like to do this again.

[Black Helmet]

I also just finished a rear bearing job on my 2007 CX-7 AWD. Both sides were bad, drivers side MUCH worse than passenger. Now, when I go over bumps I hear a rattling/clunk sound from the rear end. Double checked everything is tight and present - ? Is the suspension just stove up from hanging at full extension or something? Car drives great, no vibration and much quieter now (other than the weird noise). Maybe I over-traveled my shocks......

[Project_dog]

Check your end links

[Black Helmet]

Originally Posted by Project_dog Check your end links

Will do, thanks!