Date:         Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:53:40 -0500
Reply-To:     Jonce Fancher <streetbugs@VERIZON.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jonce Fancher <streetbugs@VERIZON.NET>
Subject:      Fwd: Re: Service Interval, Real Wheel Bearings
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

>Hi
>Pull the wheel, Drum and Hub, see if the grease has a burned smell
>to it. Grease in a syringe shoot it in the bearings behind the seal.
>This should buy time till you can have it fixed / Swapped. If you
>can take a syringe and poke it through the Boot to the CV Joints and
>fill it up with grease as well. This should shut up the Dry CVs.
>This is NOT a Fix. Just a bandage to get you where you want to be.
>C-ya Jonce
>
>
>>Just completed a 4,000 mile San Diego to Brownsville, Texas
>>roadtrip.  Mostly successful.  But as I neared Yuma, AZ, on the
>>freeway, started feeling and hearing some rear end vibration and
>>clatter.  Pulled over to the side, and as I slowed, the vibrations
>>and clatter got worse, much worse.  One big "scrape" per
>>revolution.  I pulled off the freeway to a frontage road, and crept
>>along at 35 MPH; noise would come and go to varying degrees.  When
>>it got worse, I slowed down; sometimes putting in reverse and then
>>braking hard seemed to help.
>>
>>I figured a brake shoe was hanging up or something.  Best I could
>>do in Yuma was Pep Boys.  The sound was horrible.  After an hour of
>>waiting, the guy put it on the lift, took off the wheel and drum;
>>"looks OK" he said.  Then, he started tugging the axles...the LEFT
>>one seemed sloppy compared to the right.  I always thought the
>>passenger CV joints went first.  Anyway, they called around for CV
>>joints or axles.....no luck.  Mechanic then thought to take it for
>>a good test ride to hear the problem himself.  Heard NOTHING!  Then
>>I drove it...HARD...accelerating hard in corners left and right,
>>and I heard nothing.  Amazing.  They charged me $0.87 (yes, 87
>>cents) and I was on my way with a noise-free ride (something about
>>free brake inspection but you pay the tax).
>>
>>Well, not for long...about 20 miles later, the noise came
>>back.  Not as severe.  Yes, more intense when I put the gas pedal
>>into it; backing off, so did the noise.  White-knuckled my way from
>>below sea level in El Centro to over 4,000 feet about 20 miles
>>later; yes, on some of the steeper sections I could hear the
>>click-click-click.  CV joints, of course, right?
>>
>>Stopped by my mechanic to discuss before finally arriving home.  We
>>have come up with 3 potential problems:  brakes, CV joints, or rear
>>wheel bearings.  Some history:  the vehicle is a 1985, with 180,000
>>miles.  Had a crummy rear brake job at 90,000 miles, and replaced
>>both axles at 95,000.  Like most, have never done any rear bearing
>>maintenance.  Sounds like voodoo to me...spindles and such.  I
>>don't have a clue.  I understand CV joints and drum brakes a little.
>>
>>So here's the question:  what is the service interval for Rear
>>Wheel Bearings?  How long should they last (I do almost exclusively
>>long-distance freeway driving)?  How expensive of a job is it
>>(parts and labor...I looked up bearings...those things are pretty
>>pricey, inner and outer and seals)?  I haven't heard much
>>discussion about rear wheel bearings on the List...are they bulletproof?
>>
>>Should I just go for it?  As much as I love roadtrips, and the
>>reason I have a Vanagon, that sick feeling in the stomach quickly
>>erases the last several days of adventure and good times when
>>mechanical problems erupt.  I would rather error on the side of
>>overdoing it:  all new CV joints, all new rear brakes (at 90,000
>>the mechanic said that would be the last time for resurfacing the
>>drums, worn out), and new rear bearings.  All of this has got to
>>cost $1000 or more, got to.
>>
>>Any advice?  I'm taking it in tomorrow.  My suspicion is CV
>>joints...with no service on them whatsover, they've lasted 85,000
>>miles.  Since servicing them costs almost as much as replacing them
>>(paying a mechanic) and they "always" give gentle click-click
>>warnings before failure, that's the route I went.
>>
>>Rich
>>85 Manual, not a Westy, 180,000 miles of gentle roadtrips
>>San Diego