a mouse stuck in my front wheels??!!

[dandare]

Hey folks , ive just returned from a round trip to ibiza , the old van held up brilliantly, the only prob i had was that on the way back i noticed that i was getting a squeak from the front when i was driving at about 30/40mph. i was just wondering if anybody had any ideas what may have caused it, since my return i havent heard the mouse, so i was thinking it may have been something to do with the prolonged use, the heat out there??? dunno just a guess.
both sides had new discs and pads before i left!!
if anybody has any ideas on what it may have been and if it may need looking at please chip in, as im making the same journey again heading off hopefully on monday so i just want to make sure its all hunkydory before setting off.
ta

[MrMPuk]

I would say wheel bearing or seized caliper.

[AndyG]

Ford or replacement pads/discs

[dandare]

i'm not sure about the disc/pads they were done by the garage when it went in for its mot.
would the wheel bearings/siezed caliper be an intermittent problem as there is no squeak at the moment?
ta

[rover]

I would say that would be worse senario, most probable is the pads getting too polished, the surface gets very hard and makes them squeal, most autos do it after a while (including mine) cos of the constant heat so I would assume (even though yours is not auto) that the heat generated by your long up and down journey has caused the same thing, just take the pads out and rough them up a bit with a wire brush then put a film of copper grease on the backs before refitting them.

Rover.

[dandare]

ta, ill get the wheels off at the weekend and have a nosy about.
hopefully it is just the pads

[dandare]

also while i remember i was topping up the gearbox oil before the last trip and noticed that the plastic shroud/ccover that goes around the box was missing a clip, that was fixed with a cable tie but i did notice on the gearbox a rectangle opening maybe 2" by 3" and i could see into the box, should this by open or should there be some type of blanking plug in it ???
finally where on the load plate pass, side do you get the max carrying capacity? its probably staring me in the face but i cannae see which one it should be?
ta

[MrMPuk]

When you say you can see in gearbox do you mean at the front on the bellhousing? If so then it's okay, there is a rubber bung that goes in there but it's not important.

[dandare]

aye, i reckon thats the same bit we are talking about, further towards the front from the oil top up point, hidden by the shroud and you can look in and see the clutch plate?? im not exact on what it is but think that's what is in there.
it def looks like a a plug should be there, but if it's no big thing, thats good. i just wanted to make sure.
ta

[MrMPuk]

The hole is there so you can get into the clutch fork, the only van i've ever had that still had it was brandnew! I'm very suprised yours still has the shroud, has it still got the bellpan under the engine as well?