[1BlackLightning]

Hey everyone. I have a 2001 GT. I am preaty shure my rear wheel bearings are going out. When I am driving and I get above 25mph I hear a squeek that gets louder as I speed up. I have jacked up the rear end and put it on jackstand to run the car and listen for were the sound is coming from. Might not have been a smart idea but o well it worked and it dident fall. the squeek appers to be coming from the ends of the axle housing right were the bearings are located. I know its not the breaks I have cleaned and checked them. there all great. I am wanting to replace them my self. I am prety mechanically inclined but i have never changed them befor and I have a few questions?
1. 1-10 how hard are they to change?
2. Are the bearings pressed in? (I have herd yes and no)
3. What bearings do i need?
4. Differentia fluid? (How much, what kind and weight)
5. Do I need any special tools?
6. Could I Be mistaken for another Problem?
7. Anything extra I should Know?
8. If I neglect to change them or put it off for to long will my wheel eventually fall off.
9. Are there any step by step instructions to inshure I do everything right? (Don't wana mess anything up, Im so tired of having a car that sounds like a champ but squeeks like a bed.)

Thanks for all the help.:bigthumbsup

 

[Snackmaster]

Welcome to AFM! I moved this to the 4.6 Tech section for you to help get your questions answered.

Thanks for joining!

 

[piplipton]

Hey everyone. I have a 2001 GT. I am preaty shure my rear wheel bearings are going out. When I am driving and I get above 25mph I hear a squeek that gets louder as I speed up. I have jacked up the rear end and put it on jackstand to run the car and listen for were the sound is coming from. Might not have been a smart idea but o well it worked and it dident fall. the squeek appers to be coming from the ends of the axle housing right were the bearings are located. I know its not the breaks I have cleaned and checked them. there all great. I am wanting to replace them my self. I am prety mechanically inclined but i have never changed them befor and I have a few questions?
1. 1-10 how hard are they to change?
2. Are the bearings pressed in? (I have herd yes and no)
3. What bearings do i need?
4. Differentia fluid? (How much, what kind and weight)
5. Do I need any special tools?
6. Could I Be mistaken for another Problem?
7. Anything extra I should Know?
8. If I neglect to change them or put it off for to long will my wheel eventually fall off.
9. Are there any step by step instructions to inshure I do everything right? (Don't wana mess anything up, Im so tired of having a car that sounds like a champ but squeeks like a bed.)

Thanks for all the help.:bigthumbsup

They will begin grinding and making a horrible, un-ignorable amount of noise, all but forcing you to replace them before it gets bad enough to fall off.

A quick test you can do to make sure that's the problem. Jack the back end of the car up, and place it on jack stands*, then grab the outsides of the wheel and rock them about. If the bearings are going there will be some side-to-side play and if it's something else you won't be able to detect any play in the wheel.

It was too damn cold outside when mine started going so I had the shop around the corner swap them out. I can't remember what it cost, I'll see if I can dig up the receipt for you when I get home.

 

[sillyrabbit0420]

The only reason it's a PITA to change axle bearings is because you have to deal with gear lube, which is stinky, messy, and nasty.

Go rent a slidehammer from Autozone to help remove the old bearings.

I recommend Timken bearings. Obviously, get new seals while you're at it.

I use Royal Purple gear oil, but everyone has their own opinions.

I don't see how your wheel would fall off since it's held in by the axle which is c-clipped into the differential, but if you let it get bad enough, then it would be rendered undriveable. I'd think there would be far worse noises than squeaking at that point. You'd have to be pretty ignorant.

 

[UASSTANG]

Not saying that your incorrect, but before you go spending money are you 100% sure its not a U-joint in drive shaft? They will squeak and chirp when they are going out and could easily be mistaken for a wheel bearing without further testing...

 

[1BlackLightning]

How can I check to see if it is a U-joint

 

[UASSTANG]

You can do a couple of different tests for the wheel bearing and u-joint.

Does the squeak get louder when you corner one way or another? A bearing will normally get louder and even growl when cornering due to the added pressure on that side while a drives shaft joint would stay constant regardless.
If it is a u-joint there could be some play in the shaft causing a clunk which you find when engaging it into gear if its an automatic, and if its a manual it will make this when you begin to engage the clutch. You can test for this while your car is in park also by attempting to turn your drive shaft watching for play. Also note if you feel any vibrations while driving which normally would be u-joint related. Look to see if your u-joint is grease-able (most are not these days) and shoot a couple of shot of grease into it if it is to see if that helps the noise. If you are not 100% sure you can wait until its bad enough that there is no mistake ( not my option).

You can always take the option of replacing the u-joint which is cheaper at about $18 for a low end joint and IMO easier to do. If that doesn't do the fix then you move to the bearings and seals I would recommend doing both sides at the same time but that is me).

Last if you are not sure and want it fixed you can always take it to a local shop and tell them the issue asking for an estimate if they are free and then go and do it yourself saving the cost of their labor rate.. Not sure if I am helping you here or not but a lot of this decision to replace or not can also be based on the mileage of your car and how you use it, how much money you have and if you have the skill to do it. These are a few things you can do. sorry for ranting.