Can bearings be bad if they don't make any noise?

[Timelourd]

So in my MK1 connect, my inner wheel is grinding against my brake calipers when breaking hard or turning extremely, which would lead me to suspect the bearings are bad but I've got the hub off and the bearings feel smooth as butter.

I've replaced the drive shaft, the drop links, the ball joint and the track rod end.

The only other culprits are brake pads - they look okay but are worn down to 1/2" on the back, but about 1/4" on the front.

Other than that, the track rod end might have put the alignment off, but I'm not sure if that would make inner wheel scrape against the caliper.



It's it possible my bearings are bad despite being perfectly smooth spinning when the wheel is off?

[mallood]

Hard to say, i once had a motorcycle frontwheel bearing that just like yours, felt like butter and looked oke, but when driving it starting to play up....heat friction bla bla.
Its a mather of locating the source of the noise and ruling stuff out. maybe something is just a tiny piece off, with all the stuff you allready put on, you need to retrace your steps, put the bus on a stand and check on anyway possible if you can locate it by manhandeling the suspected wheel. If that doesnt work you have to find someone that you can tie up under the bus and then take it for a spin. just kidding.....the motorcycly bearing took me a while to find out, and i found out that it was the bearing by driving the bike hot, put it on a stand as soon as you can and then rotate the wheel...good luck

[fortyeight]

on my fiesta just replace the front wheel bearing ,no play in it ,a little scraping noise and a little when turning

[Timelourd]

Just took the whole knuckle to a local mechanic. He gave it a spin and said, "I would not replace that." His advice was to check the calipers. Since the calipers are rubbing against the inner wheel when breaking, I'm guessing it's going to turn it to be the brake pads.

I'll report back when I figure it out.

[Timelourd]

Turns out it was the very wheel bearing that the mechanic said he wouldn't replace. Took it to an MOT center and the put it on the shakers, and the shakers didn't lie. I replaced the damn bearing and the noise is gone.

[metalworker0]

"put it on the shakers?"

what's that mean?

all the best.mark

[dumper]

Probably the shuffle plate that shakes the wheel in all directions with the weight on them all MOT stations have them used for one man mot testing.

[marcrbarker]

Probably the shuffle plate that shakes the wheel in all directions with the weight on them all MOT stations have them used for one man mot testing.

they have them here in Spain. A metal plate the wheel sits on that simulates hard cornering