Ok, one or two more things. I think I need to completely remove the (left rear) caliper and clean / lube it. Now, the manual says to clamp the brake hose before removing it from the caliper - what can I use for this? Do auto parts stores carry the necessary item(s)?

And, where do I clamp it? The 'hose' feels like a thin metal pipe to me, don't see how you can clamp it directly?

One other thing, actually...I don't think I'll know for certain if the underlying problem is my caliper or a bearing until I actually test the thing on the road. Would it be possible to just leave the left rear caliper off (with the hose clamped down), put the wheel back on, and drive it a hundred feet or so?

Thanks,

Mike

 

Mike i will be able to help you, however i am not 100 percent sure on what you are trying to do, is there somewhere else i can look at a previous post?

 

i would not try that. if you step of the brake pedal while the caliper is free and still attached you will send the pistons flying. and if it is disconnected and the hard line is capped it will send the cap flying, and brake fluid all over the place... i need to know your vin number and exactly what you are trying to accomplish here and i will get you exactly the info from the manufacture you need according to your vin. i understand it is a griding noise however sounds travel and the pull doesnt limit it. The bottom line is, that you should not have to drive your vehicle with the brake caliper undone to diag the problem. you can remove the caliper pins and see if they are lubricated or 'read' the wear on your brake pads to see if the caliper is biniding, more wear on the inside pad as opposed to the outside/right side pads is a huge inication. start there first.

 

Yeah, that's a great sign. I vote bearing.

 

I still think it is a brake issue.
DO NOT clamp the hard metal line, what they mean is to clamp the rubber line going to the caliper.

 

Well, I haven't had much time to work on my truck this past week, but hopefully this weekend will be better. I did order a 2 1/16" hub socket, which arrived today.

Anyway - I jacked up the other side and took the other rear wheel off. Now, after comparing them, I think the problem is a wheel bearing (left rear). The right side turns a bit more smoothly, and also the right side has pretty much zero play in it when I try to move the hub in various ways. The left side, on the other hand, has probably a couple of millimeters or so of play.

So now my goal is to get to the hub bearings.

However, I'm having a heck of a time getting the left rear axle to come out. Is there any trick to this? I can pull it out about an inch or two, but then it gets stuck. When it is all the way in, I can turn the wheel on the other side. If I pull it out about an inch, it disengages and the axle turns freely (the splines are clear). But if I pull it out more, it just gets stuck.

Not sure what kind of force I should use? From what I've read, it should come out pretty easily. Could it be getting hung up on that inner seal, I think between the stub axle and the axle housing? And might that indicate a problem with the seal?

Thanks for all the help folks!

Mike

 

And the culprit is: Wheel bearing!

I finally got the left rear half axle out using a pry bar - it was easy with that. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I think just clearing the splines past the inner seal was the holdup.

Anyway, when I pulled the hub assembly off, pieces of the bearing just fell out on to the floor. The whole bearing housing was destroyed, and several rollers were destroyed as well.

A couple of questions:

1. Do you think the hub needs to be replaced? I guess I should clean it out, make sure all the bits are removed, and feel for any unevenness that might indicate damage?

2. About those rear brake discs. They're the original discs, but they (both sides) don't look particularly bad. There are some smooth grooves, but the same pads have been on the car for three years now, and haven't worn out yet. Leave 'em on? I had new discs put on the front back in '06, btw.

Thanks,

Mike

 

Argh, I got my new bearings today, and as I was cleaning the old grease off of everything, I noticed that the stub axle was scored pretty badly. It was covered in grease before, and I hadn't even thought to clean it off and look.

So I reckon I need to replace it. Just ordered a refurbished one...but it will take a couple of more days to get here, unfortunately.

Lesson learned: Don't wait until parts arrive to do preliminary stuff like cleaning ;-)

Mike

 

Get new seals while your at it. ;;; I went synthetic in my bearings too ,, You might have been able to buff your stub ( refurbished ) and use it ,,,

 

It's depends on where the damage to the stub axle is. I've reused them when scored badly but it wasn't on a bearing surface.
Use the RTC3511 defender seals, they are double lipped and better than the stupid OE Discovery hub seals.
I strongly suggest you replace both bearings in all 4 hubs. The bearings are only about $12 each and $5 or so for the seal. So less than $30 per hub. Well worth it.
BTW, do not reuse the old bearing races in the hubs.