Hi Cyrus,

It may be just one bearing making the noise - if the noise gets worse when you turn right it's probably the left bearing, and vice versa. A wobbly wheel bearing will cause abnmormal tyre wear, can affect the braking - it causes 'pad knock off' which gives you a long brake pedal, also a wheel bearing collapse at speed could be highly dangerous, so if you are worried about it get it fixed.

Front wheel bearings on these cars are a complete self contained unit and there is no way to tighten or lubricate them. They are quite expensive to buy, but 'pattern' parts [about £80 in the UK] are about half the price of main dealer supplied Volvo parts, and are probably the same part in a different box! The bearing on my 850 AWD made a noise for some time before I got round to replacing it.

This is NOT really a job for someone with no mechanical nous! Besides the fact you'll need a few special tools to carry out the work [long 1" drive socket tee bar and large [can't remember the exact size] socket to undo / do up front hub nut, female torx socket for bearing mounting bolts]. Having said that, I'm pretty good amatuer mechanic, and I can change a front wheel bearing in about 75 minutes including cleaning everything up before replacement, which not all shops will do, so that should give you a guide as to what to pay for the job depending on the workshops hourly rate.

As I'm in the UK I can't recommend any dealers in Orlando.

The labor seems a bit steep. Unfortunately, there is no greasing or tightening that can be done. You just replace the whole hub assembly. I know almost nothing about any of the shops in or near Orlando. My daughter got stranded down there the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving, and I used Maitland; Scott was nice. I have a customer that moved to Orlando and uses Cech Bros, and likes them. I have another customer that moved and uses VolTech. I believe you have a plethora of choices.

Hope this helps,

Chris

I did this myself on my S70 using the Bay 13 instructions. I bought the part through a discount parts place for $150. It may take you 2 hours to make the repair. It is not that difficult to do.

This board has Volvo/SAAB Independent Specialist of Florida
PHONE 407.695.3838
ADDRESS1 1307 West State Road 434
CITY Winter Springs

I agree with your assessment of dealers. Keep shoping for a shop you can trust.

Klaus
--
98 V70Rawd(101Kmi), 95 854T(85K mi), 88 245(165K mi)

for the wheel bearing, you don't need a specialist in volvos. remove the wheel, remove the nut for the axle and unbolt the hub assy from the back. easy.

for a c70, you will need a specialist. independent vovo in winter springs does a good job. btw, vovo is spelled right. maitland imports in downtown orlando also does well. i know who cech bros and voltech are , but do not know what they are capable of. i imagine they ok, they've both been in business for a while.

for the brake noise, always use volvo pads and rotors. the rotors just don't have enough to work with when they are turned, especially the rears. too thin to start with. good luck, chuck.

Hello,
Yes, the hubs are an essential component allowing you wheels to turn at lowest resistance. Worn out hubs (this is actually a bearing assembly) will produce heat (from friction) and will eventually leave you stranded roadside.
However, before conceding that you need new bearings, ANY decent mechanic should be able to tell you if they need replacement OR if they can just be "repacked" - meaning re-greased; I don't know enough about the C70 to say with certainty that they can be. Sorry I can't recommend anyone in the Orlando area, but Canada is a long way from the Sunshine State.
Good luck.

Your wheel bearings are shot and must be replaced. They are not regreaseable or adjustable since they are sealed and lubricated for life. They can only be replaced as a unit with the front wheel hub.