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RSteers
New User
| Posts: 2
| Joined: 12/11
Posted: 12/17/11
08:45 PM
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About a week ago my Caravan began to wobble a bit as if I had a broken belt in one tire. I HAD to drive it this way to school and back (about 50 miles) for finals. By the time I got home the front driver's side had developed a severe rattle. It gets bad at speeds over 45 mph and makes a horrible rattling/grinding sound when I brake. I no longer suspect the tire... I pulled it apart but couldn't see anything obvious. Any ideas of what this could be?
Should probably mention it still pulls to the right after having an alignment a month ago.
Thanks for your help!
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Posted: 12/17/11
10:20 PM
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how are the brake pads... on the outside and the inside??
how are the front wheel bearings.. 
one really important thing.. if the wheel bearing has failed.. a bunch more stuff has to be checked.. unless you know that the car was exposed to deep water.. while sitting still...
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RSteers
New User
| Posts: 2
| Joined: 12/11
Posted: 12/21/11
04:22 PM
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Brakes look great. I just changed them a few weeks ago.
What should I look at to determine if the wheel bearing has failed? Will it be obvious on pulling the hub?
What else do we have to consider? It has been raining quite a bit here in TX, but I'm not in the habit of leaving my van in standing water...
One other thing... the van has 160,000+ miles on it, is it that unlikely that the wheel bearing would fail in that amount of time?
Thanks!
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Posted: 12/21/11
04:59 PM
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at 160K... yep.. could be going bad..
using an automotive stethoscope to carefully listen to the spindle area with the wheels spinning..
jacking up that corner of the car.. grabbing the top and bottom of the tire... seeing if there is any vertical play...
spinning it by hand and listening.. or just feeling the rumble..
it will sometimes change slightly when you turn to the right or the left at 35MPH or so..
there are 2 sets of rollers in there.. trying to keep the wheel straight.. when wear out.. they tend to rumble..
stop by a repair shop.. ask if they have any old hub and bearing assemblies for you to feel a bad bearing..
then feel how smooth a new bearing it..
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