Hi all,

As per the title I am after some advice. To give you some background, my focus (2001, 66k) recently developed a drone from the offside rear, typical wheel bearing noise. It should be noted that there was little or no noticeable play, just the noise and a roughnes when the wheel was rotated by hand.

Figured I may as well do the lot, bearings, drums, wheel cylinders and shoes. So I sourced all the parts, including a pair of drums with the bearings already pressed in.

Did the job on the weekend and this is what i found when I took the old drum off:

[img]
OSR Stub Axle [/img]

(Obvously I had also taken off the shoes at this point)

The first thing I noticed was what appeared to be a wear mark on the cylindrical, non threaded, part of the stub axle. First thought was that the inner race had been slipping, but there was no correspinding marks on the inside if the inner race. Then I spotted the grooves on the shoulder and the mounting plate. This is the vew from the front:


[img]
OSR Stub Axle_2 [/img]

Notice the same groove onthe axle and accompanying mark on the shoulder and mounting plate.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong but to me this is the witness marks from someone cutting of the inner race of the wheel bearing with an angle grinder, then trying to tidy up the damage and causing what I had thought was a wear mark.

This car has been in my family, or extended family since brand new. I have 99% of the service records and know it has been going to the same garage for years. I haven't got all the paperwork with me but know the rear bearing have never been replaced. However, I am pretty sure the rear brake shoes have been replaced in the past. My theory is that when replacing the shoes, rather than remove the axle and drum as a unit by undoing the stub axle bolt from behind, the garage has undone the hub nut, pulled the drum off and the bearing has split, as is known to happen. Then, rather than using a puller on the inner race they have attacked it with an angle grinder.

So, having found this I had little choice but to proceed with the job as I needed four wheels back on my car. Having put the new parts on, I have notced a judder whilst driving. Turns out I have loads of play on the OSR wheel bearing. This could be a faulty bearing but could it be becasue the stub axle is worn and doesn't provide a good fit for the bearing?

Have I got any come back from the garage? I don't know how long ago the work would have been done but can find out.

From the poiunt of view of fixing it, if I replace the stub axle can I re-use the new bearing ir will it be too damaged so should replace it again?

Thanks in advance, sorry for the long post.

Rich

ETA: Until I got the car about 6 months ago, no private work was ever done to this car. Local garage only.

[Edited on 3/4/12 by jamesbond007ltk]

i'd say you have no proof they did it, and its there word vs theirs, and as you just did the last piece of work they'll claim it was you that did it.

good luck

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Originally posted by nib1980
i'd say you have no proof they did it, and its there word vs theirs, and as you just did the last piece of work they'll claim it was you that did it.

good luck

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I doubt you'd get anywhere with the Garage, just chalk it up to experience and their loss of a family customer.

Scrappies must be full of Focus parts, I wouldn't think they'll cost much.

get Q to sort it lol

From the picture, yes it looks like it was done cutting the inner race off. Never had one siezed on a Focus (tight, yes), though I have heard of it and cutting is often the best way (if it's too tight for a puller). It should only need one cut though, not quite all the way through and then a sharp blow with hammer and chissel to split it. Done in a spiral and it won't mark the stub at the back. Your's is a butcher job! If I'd needed to do that then I'd have told you the problem first and the risk to the stub and charged for the bearing (and stub if needed).

Can you absolutly garrentee that nobody else has had a go themselves instead of taking it to the garage? Afterall, you just have... and if you can, can you proove it? Is there no chance it was taken to another garage at some time? (when on holiday maybe?). It's also unlikely that something that could have happened 10 years ago will be remembered so the garage are unlikely to hold there hands up to it. Chances are it was done by an under-supervised apprentice who won't be there now. No excuse but it happens. You'd have to be a pretty good customer before I'd say "Don't think we did that, don't know how it happened... but I'll sort it at my expence anyway".

As long as the stub has been cleaned up so the new inner race sits flush then it shouldn't effect bearing wear (or result in play, so look for something you've done wrong or the incorrect replacement bearing for that) as the inner race doesn't move on the shaft and is clamped firm when the hub nut is tight. The groove does provide a stress riser though where failure of the stub could occur, but I suspect they are over speced by quite a bit; So not good practice to leave it but you'd be unlucky to get a failure. The cut will also effect the inner seal and early Focus bearings were known to fail due to poor seals anyway due to water ingress; For that it should be changed.

I thought those pics looked familiar.... I just had mine apart the other week (leaking wheel cylinders on mine this time )
although mines done nearly double the miles that yours has (2001, 119k)

quote:

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Originally posted by jamesbond007ltk
Now, correct me if I'm wrong but to me this is the witness marks from someone cutting of the inner race of the wheel bearing with an angle grinder, then trying to tidy up the damage and causing what I had thought was a wear mark....
.... the garage has undone the hub nut, pulled the drum off and the bearing has split, as is known to happen. Then, rather than using a puller on the inner race they have attacked it with an angle grinder.......

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Originally posted by jamesbond007ltk
My theory is that when replacing the shoes, rather than remove the axle and drum as a unit by undoing the stub axle bolt from behind...

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Originally posted by jamesbond007ltk
So I sourced all the parts, including a pair of drums with the bearings already pressed in

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Originally posted by r1_pete
I doubt you'd get anywhere with the Garage, just chalk it up to experience and their loss of a family customer.

Scrappies must be full of Focus parts, I wouldn't think they'll cost much.

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Originally posted by JAMSTER
get Q to sort it lol

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Originally posted by adithorp
Can you absolutly garrentee that nobody else has had a go themselves instead of taking it to the garage? Afterall, you just have... and if you can, can you proove it? Is there no chance it was taken to another garage at some time? (when on holiday maybe?). It's also unlikely that something that could have happened 10 years ago will be remembered so the garage are unlikely to hold there hands up to it. Chances are it was done by an under-supervised apprentice who won't be there now. No excuse but it happens. You'd have to be a pretty good customer before I'd say "Don't think we did that, don't know how it happened... but I'll sort it at my expence anyway".

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quote:

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Originally posted by adithorp
As long as the stub has been cleaned up so the new inner race sits flush then it shouldn't effect bearing wear (or result in play, so look for something you've done wrong or the incorrect replacement bearing for that) as the inner race doesn't move on the shaft and is clamped firm when the hub nut is tight. The groove does provide a stress riser though where failure of the stub could occur, but I suspect they are over speced by quite a bit; So not good practice to leave it but you'd be unlucky to get a failure. The cut will also effect the inner seal and early Focus bearings were known to fail due to poor seals anyway due to water ingress; For that it should be changed.

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OSR_Wheel_Bearing

NSR_Wheel_Bearing_2

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Originally posted by jamesbond007ltk
....or had a replacement drum off an older Focus.

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Originally posted by mcerd1

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Originally posted by jamesbond007ltk
....or had a replacement drum off an older Focus.

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or a pattern part from the motorfactors - I've found they tend not to get updated when ford update the parts


case in point is the front anti-roll bar drop links - the old stlye alloy ones are crap and I was only getting 8k out of the £15 ones from the motorfactor (I checked several times that they were the right ones)
the newer steel ones are a few mm longer still dont last long enough (fitted on the facelifted models)
but it turns out that ford now make a steel one that replaces both types (for nearly £50 each ) but so far they have lasted 4 times longer than the alloy ones so.....


btw my focus still had the old style seals at 90k with no issues, I only replaced them becuse the drums had nearly had it

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Originally posted by jamesbond007ltk
Did you replace the seals? As in the rubber part on the stub axle and the metal ring in the back of the hub?

Where did you get the parts from? Just called my local Ford Dealership's Parts+ department and they had no clue what I was talking about. I was under the impression you could buy the two parts of the seal as a kit, which was what they retro fitted on the early models. Have I got this very wrong?

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Just a quick update on this. I went back to the shop where I bought all the parts and explained there was excessive play in one of the bearings. They were very helpful and agreed to send out a replacement hub c/w bearing. In the meantime I got a replacement stub axle off a scrapped car, that had no signs off wear or damage as above. Fitted the new hub and axle at the weekend. Zero noise and/or play from the offside rear!!

Good news, however, now the nearside rear is beginning to hum and there is noticeable movement when the wheel is rocked. OK so it is less than a mm, but surely I should feel no movement at all??


So where do I go next? I could go back to the shop again and get a replacement hub/bearing for the other side (if they will replace this time), fit it, but then end up in the exact same situation again!


In retrospect I should have gone to Ford as you can get a hub c/w bearing for £60, but I have paid out on the ones I have now. I wonder if the best route would be to get a genuine, or at least better known quality, bearing from Ford or a factor and get a garage to press in the new one to the hubs I've just bought (or do both sides while I am at it).

ETA: I think the damaged stub axle was a red herring, as suggested above.

What do you guys think?

Is it me or the bearings?????

Rich

[Edited on 17/4/12 by jamesbond007ltk]

quote:

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Originally posted by jamesbond007ltk
Good news, however, now the nearside rear is beginning to hum and there is noticeable movement when the wheel is rocked. OK so it is less than a mm, but surely I should feel no movement at all??

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Originally posted by mcerd1

quote:

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Originally posted by jamesbond007ltk
Good news, however, now the nearside rear is beginning to hum and there is noticeable movement when the wheel is rocked. OK so it is less than a mm, but surely I should feel no movement at all??

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that doesn't sound right back in the old days of adjustable bearings you'd want feel just the smallest amount of movement...
but on my focus I can hardly feel anything at all (with new bearings and drums form ford, new hub nuts preperly torqued, no damage to stub axles etc...) and I deffinatly don't get any noise from them


its still worth checking the basics first though (the hub nut still tight etc....)

the other question is how were your new bearings fitted, any chance they were damaged by being pressed in incorrectly ?



[Edited on 17/4/2012 by mcerd1]

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235Nm doesn't feel like much to me, but then I have to borrow my dad's 'slightly' bigger wrench to go over 200Nm


Torque !

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Originally posted by mcerd1
235Nm doesn't feel like much to me, but then I have to borrow my dad's 'slightly' bigger wrench to go over 200Nm


Torque !

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Originally posted by jamesbond007ltk
Only problem would be though, not having really long arms I wouldn't be able to torque it while "turning the hub in the opposite direction", as per Mr Haynes. Not sure if it makes much or indeed any difference but thought I should do everything by the book.

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