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mb230s
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SWFL
Vehicle(s): G-less for now, vintage MBs, FJ40
| Front hub/seal/bearing problem??
I think I have a problem. I noticed a odd pattern on my front left rim. The substance is greasy. It looks to me that the centrifigual force of the wheel created it. I think my hub is leaking. 1st picture is the rim that caused me to look further, the 2nd and 3rd are the hub of the same side, the final picture is the right side - just to show less oozing. What do you suggest? Do I have a bad seal or need the front rebuilt? The truck drives and handles fine w/ only 44K miles. I'll need to jack up the car and feel for any wobble/play or friction. The failure happened in the last 300 miles, probably yesterday on a road trip.
Edited by mb230s 10/30/2006 3:18 PM
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 g500hub0001.JPG (102KB - 9 downloads)
g500hub0002.JPG (106KB - 8 downloads)
g500hub0003.JPG (133KB - 8 downloads)
g500hub0004.JPG (128KB - 8 downloads)
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hipine
Date registered: Jul 2006
Location: US, CO, Bailey
Vehicle(s): 460 1980 280GE w. 617A
| RE: Front hub/seal/bearing problem??
I don't see any pix of a hub. I see the wheel and I see some leakage from a swivel housing ball seal. I'd be surprised if the two are directly related It's tough for grease from the ball to get to the wheel. You may indeed have a leaking hub seal, but in order to get a look at the hub you have to pull the wheel. The hub is the part that the wheel bolts dirctly to. The hub spins like the wheel as the car goes down the road. -Dave G. |
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460332
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Europe
Vehicle(s):
| Re: Front hub/seal/bearing problem??
Substance is greasy, but is it oil/grease??
Maybe you washed your car and the dirt from inside the rim was smeared outwards? Pull the wheel off..! |
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fourbyfourclub
Extreme Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: New Jersey, USA
Vehicle(s): 300G
Posts: 302
| RE: Front hub/seal/bearing problem??
Axel boot is gone |
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mb230s
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SWFL
Vehicle(s): G-less for now, vintage MBs, FJ40
| Re: Front hub/seal/bearing problem??
I'll pull the wheel Tuesday. How big of a job is the axle boot? I'm quite frankly terrified of having the dealer work on the front end under warranty, but I don't want to pay for it out of my pocket either. |
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DUTCH
Administrator Doppelgänger
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: US, GA, Atlanta
Vehicle(s): 2015 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI,2018 Sprinter
Posts: 9963
| Re: Front hub/seal/bearing problem??
mb230s - 10/30/2006 8:11 PM
I'll pull the wheel Tuesday. How big of a job is the axle boot?
Major surgery, if that is the problem. It's the boot on the CV joint inside of the swivel ball housing. You have to take the whole thing apart to get to it.
Pull the wheel. You may find that the grease cap on the hub has loosened or is leaking. That's minor.
Have you topped off the swivel balls recently? |
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mb230s
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SWFL
Vehicle(s): G-less for now, vintage MBs, FJ40
| Re: Front hub/seal/bearing problem??
No, I haven't topped them off in at least a year. |
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dai
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Oregon USA
Vehicle(s): 300GD 300TD BMW R100RS Landini 80F
Posts: 2110
| Re: Front hub/seal/bearing problem??
Could just be a hub seal failure. A warranty item in your case. It does involve R+R of the hub if that is in fact the problem. To do it requires the special hub nut tool. It is a bit time consuming and you want the stock MB seals only as replacement. The swivel ball looks normal. You don't want that goo on the brake rotor. Best of luck,
-Dai
Edited by dai 10/30/2006 10:49 PM
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ewalberg
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Past: San Francisco. Present: Germany
Vehicle(s): 2000 g500
Posts: 1887
| RE: Front hub/seal/bearing problem??
i'm pretty sure the factory swivel grease is whitish and i know the grease in the CV joint (which the boot contains) is a dark grey/ metallic black. First thing i'd do is pull the wheel and pull the set screw that's used to fill the housings and see what color you've got inside the swivels.... check both sides for comparisons sake. If it's looking black then the boot is likely.
Another thing i'd do is take it for a test drive (careful not to use the brakes) and then carefully feel the different parts of the axle to feel the left side and right side for heat. Differences between left and right can give you an idea of where the problem might lay, if there is a difference and a problem that's heat related. Evenings on the highway is a good way to do it so you can pull of shortly after an exit and check it.
I'd also check your front axle fluid level. If it's low you have a pretty good idea it might be coming from there.
Also take a look at the brake lines. Any chance it's leaking brake fluid from somewhere?
I'd also just clean it up (including the inside of the rims) and see what happens. Could be some wierd fluke of liquid splashing in the wheel. |
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mb230s
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: SWFL
Vehicle(s): G-less for now, vintage MBs, FJ40
| Re: Front hub/seal/bearing problem??
I'm just paranoid. All is fine. Fluid levels, color, free play, etc. I most have driven through some spilled oil. |
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