Saxo wheel bearing

[Jonathancilia]

Hi, i have a weird one.. my bearing went bad a year ago so i bought 2 bearings from a website cakled autodoc, they were skf brand and i figured they will be good quality. First time i damaged the seal and bearing went bad after 3 months. I replaced it again using a wheel bearing pressing tool, but the hub i hammered it in. Its gone bad again in 6 months time. Is it maybe fake parts? They were pretty cheap 30 euros for both if i recall. Or i damaged the bearing by hammering the hub maybe? I

[CitroJim]

Ive used both front and rear wheels bearings on a couple of AXs sourced from Autodoc with no issues. SKF is indeed a good, well established and respected maker of all sorts of bearings...

Wheel bearings are easily damaged when being installed in their hubs and hammering is a sure way to damage them. So is pressing on their inner races to install them. You must only ever press on their outer races and when pressing in the front axle - the one that has the brake disc and wheel mounting flange - you must firstly freeze the axle to make it shrink a little so that it can slide in a little easier and then press in as shown in the picture below...

This is an AX strut and hub but the Saxo is very similar...

[Jonathancilia]

Yes i pressed the outer races. I really didnt hammer all that much to get the hub in, but i have a slight other issue that may be the cause aswell. When i drive at low speeds the vehicle judders abit and if i stand still while driving at liw speeds i can see a very slight wobble to the vehicle aswell. I need to have a better look at the driveshaft maybe its slightly bent. Even though it was replaced sometime in the past with a J&R druveshaft

[CitroJim]

The judders and wobbles could be responsible for killing the wheel bearings and a bent/damaged driveshaft could be the cause. Also, an out-of-round brake disc or a buckled wheel and/or a deformed tyre. Also, check the strut top bearings, lower balljoints and wishbone inner bushes...

Is it just one side where the wheel bearings are failing or is it both sides?

Certainly critical you resolve the juddering and wobbles before going much further...

[Jonathancilia]

No only one side, the other is still original i believe at 155k kms. Ball joints were replaced. Wishbone bushes are not great, the side ones that connect with 1 bolt has play on the side that keeps killing the bearing. Brake disc is filled with grooves and worn alot on that side aswell. Even though the wheel is not binding and cliper is fairly new and good. I will have to check for bent driveshaft u out of round tyre by running it on jackstands or something

[Jonathancilia]

Just went out jacked that side and turned the wheel by hand i can see the driveshaft slightly kind of out of balance, but only slightly it seems. Can this cause the brakes to get hammeree on that side aswell? I have been chasing this problem for years and dont know whats causing the brake rotors and pads to wear out faster on that side and get fillee with grooves. Even when i replaced everything, pads, rotors, calipers. It still was wearing more

Also i have to point out that the brakes are not the original ones. They are the 266mm brake disc and pads fitted from a peugeot 206 gti. But they have been on the car for a long time now. About 100k kms

[Hell Razor5543]

I would not be surprised for a 'wonky' driveshaft to cause other, less robust parts to fail. Any vibrations (that have not been allowed for) will cause issues over time, and it does not require much to cause problems. I once had a wheel weight come off, and when I was at motorways speeds it caused a LOT of vibration. Once the weight (which was only small and lightweight) was replaced the driving experience was as smooth as silk.

[CitroJim]

Can you feel any vibration or juddering when driving Jonathon? If the drive is anything but smooth that will offer a clue... Does anything make a knocking sound when going over bumps and driving on rough roads?

With brake components wearing more on one side then the other there's clearly a big problem... Does the tyre on that side also wear more too?

The driveshaft CV joints can be checked by driving around with the steering on full lock. Once one way and then the other. A worn outer CV joint will make a distinct ticking sound whereas a worn inner will cause vibration...

[Jonathancilia]

Cv joints do not click, there is a juddering at low speeds. Under 40km/h tyre has slightly more wear in the edges but i think it was because of the loose bearing i had, it had been loose for quite awhile i guess.

Here the roads are crap, everything other than smooth when it stops raining i will get it on jackstands and start the car and let it run on idle to see how to driveshaft behaves. If its bent or not

[Jonathancilia]

Can you feel any vibration or juddering when driving Jonathon? If the drive is anything but smooth that will offer a clue... Does anything make a knocking sound when going over bumps and driving on rough roads?

With brake components wearing more on one side then the other there's clearly a big problem... Does the tyre on that side also wear more too?

The driveshaft CV joints can be checked by driving around with the steering on full lock. Once one way and then the other. A worn outer CV joint will make a distinct ticking sound whereas a worn inner will cause vibration...

Went to have a quick look today, the inner cv joints and outer are tracking straight, but the shaft has a "turn" in it if you know what i mean. I didnt hit any potholes or kurbs, nornal driving on the roads, but here there are alot of roads not good, it is to be said aswell. The driveshafts were replaced sometime in the past with reconditioned ones from J&R about 60k kms ago.. should i replace them with new ones?

[CitroJim]

If you feel they are no right then yes...

I should have asked sooner... How exactly have the latest set of wheel bearings failed and is it only on one side? The side with the suspect driveshaft?

Bad roads in themselves should not routinely kill bearings - unless you regularly drive through deep floods and do not moderate your speed on bad roads...

I can understand your roads after living in Cyprus for a few years!

[Jonathancilia]

Bearing only goes on the left side yes. Also worth mentioning, before i found the bad bearing i got into alot of water when it rained heavy downpour. But maybe bearing stayed.5 mins buried in water not much. Also the "vibration" is only when under 40kmph and only when in gear and going uphill or under load.

The left driveshaft seems to be wobbly more than the other one

[CitroJim]

If you are sure you do not have a buckled wheel and no other clear cause, then certainly swap the driveshaft...

The ones available from Autodoc are good.. My erstwhile white AX ran happily on them...

[Jonathancilia]

I saw a set of ATP ones on ebay that are new, any idea if they are any good?

[CitroJim]

I saw a set of ATP ones on ebay that are new, any idea if they are any good?

I've no direst experience of them.. Hope someone on here has... Check the listing on eBay to see if you can easily return them if they are no good ...