Hello all,

I?m have a problem with the rear end of my ?86 245. I drove to DC from Pittsburgh last weekend, and as soon as I got to my destination I made a 3-point turn and as I backed up, the car started making this dragging, scraping, metallic sound. At first I thought I sounded like a P-brake shoe was rolling around in the drum or something. I did a little diagnosing the next day? 1) There?s nothing wrong with the brakes (that would be too easy), they are fine on both sides. 2) The right side seems to be the source of the noise. 3) There is about 1/8 to 3/16 inch of movement on the right axle (after you take the brake caliper off) when you push it in and pull it out? this may explain some of the noise since the rotor would be subject to this movement inside of the fixed caliper and thus intermittently drag and give. 4) the left rear axle only has about 1/32-1/16 inch of movement in its length. 5) the right side axle doesn?t feel the same when you spin the wheels backward (more intermittent resistance) as forward (pretty normal resistance).

So I?m thinking there?s a problem with the rear axle bearings. However, I just paid Peter?s Auto Works in Portland, Oregon $500 last August to replace both sides? bearings when I was stuck there on a cross country drive. My left side bearing had failed (really loud, but not yet seized), and as a logical preventive measure, I okay-ed their suggestion to replace both sides.

I really don?t want to think that they either did a bad job, or no job, but the problem certainly seems to be in that area. Is there something else that it could be? Could it be something with the differential? My car is still at my friend?s house in DC, and I?m going back on Sunday. Should I get someone down there to look at it/fix it? Drive it back to Pittsburgh (about 250-275 miles) and take it further apart? If I find that it is a problem with the bearings what do you think I should do about Peter?s? I obviously cannot take my car back to portland. do you think they would help pay for the cost of having it fixed again? Getting those bearings changed last summer was the only thing I have ever had someone else do on the car.

Thanks for any advice you can offer...

colbi cannon

Your description does sound like a bad bearing. I've had 4 or 5 fail over the years in my various 240s, and every frigging time I get fooled into thinking it's a pebble stuck 'tween pad 'n rotor.

Every time I was wrong.

Swapping it is not really a tough job. You could do it outdoors in an hour or two providing you have the tools, appropriate (and safe) jacks, and a safe and secure place to jack up your car.

If you can find a junk Volvo with a good rear end and good axles (including the wheel studs), you can take the axle with bearing and its bearing cup, which is pressed into the axle housing, and swap it into your car. I've done that every time and never had a failure.

Remember to keep the bearing cup with the bearing -- they "break in" together and should not be separated after that.

If you pull the axle, be SURE to pack the bearing with wheel bearing grease.

It's entirely possible that you had a defective bearing. It's not common but not unheard of. One of the pecularities of bearings is that they follow a "bathtub curve" lifetime. A good used bearing has a better chance of survival than a new bearing. That is, once a new bearing makes it past infancy, it will last. But sometimes they die young.

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Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

Do you think I can fix it in the street? What all is involved after you get down to the hub? i know i've got to take off those awful brake shoes and lever.... what comes after that? or how do i take off the whole thing to replace it with something from the junkyard?


thanks again guys,

colbi

A lot depend on where the street is!

Yes, you can easily do it on the right street.

Remove the wheel, swing the caliper aside, remove the rotor, remove the e-brake shoes (they're not awful), remove the bolts that hold the bearing retainer on (and the backing plate). You'll see a large hole in the axle flange between two studs -- that's so you can stick your socket through to reach the bolt heads.

The you remove the axle.

The bearing cup is pressed into the axle housing, and you must use a puller to remove it -- though often it's loose enough to slide out with your fingers.

Make a sketch of how the e-brake shoes fit together and engage with the stupid lever, etc. Maybe even some pictures (Polaroid or digital).
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Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)

I had the same issue this winter. I replaced all of my braking components with no results..then I followed Mr Herbst anfd Foster's advice and inspected my bearings. Dry as a popcorn fart in the middle of the Sahara. Not having the parts or the time, I removed the axel, cleaned and repacked, reinstalled in about 40 minutes. Rear has been silent since. I have a new set of bearings sitting in the garage waiting for the first sign of noise...10000km and not a peep/grind/crunch.

"Dry as a popcorn fart in the middle of the Sahara."

That reminds me -- time for a cold one.
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Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)