My 1998 audi a4 2.8L Quattro (103,000 miles) needs new wheel bearings. I bought the car this spring. As I go through the records from the previous owner I notice that the wheel bearing have been replaced about every 30,000 miles along with tie rods and other suspension parts. Is that about right or is there something I can should do to make them last longer?

The details are that all work, before I bought the car, was done by a dealership. Four wheel alignments were done at about30,000 mile increcments (or everytime work was done on the suspension). I see the last right rear wheel bearing was replaced 13,000 miles ago. This bearing is really bad...I am thinking that there should be other parts that I should consider replacing along with the bearings. I am already planning to replace the stabilizer bar links.

I bought the car from the original owner. It was driven in Chicago with horrible pot holes. He also drove it like a jack rabbit so I am not surprised that the brakes and suspension needed constant work.

Any advice about buying stronger suspension parts? I don't have a space (or tools) to replace those myself. So that will be done by my mechanic. I will have the brakes and rotors done at the same time. The mechanic will let me choose my own parts for both the suspension, brakes and wheel bearings. This is not a race car but a daily runner...and even with all its problems flies on interstate highways.

Thanks for any advice!

 

What size wheels are on the car (offset too)? How much do the wheels weigh?

 

Thanks for looking at my post. The wheels are original to the car. I believe they are 16 inch. No mods have been done. Just called my friend who used to own the car. Everything is just stock. All parts were stock from the dealership. I should have added I do not like the dealership that he used to do his service...but that is where he had his work done.

I was just thinking that maybe I would get a suggestion of what other parts I might consider using.

I know this model A4 goes though tie rods and wheels bearings much faster than most cars. I can live with that. But if you have a suggestion that would keep the rear bearings from going out after only 13,000 miles I would love to hear about it.

It is always possible that the car was abused during the last 10,000 miles but looking at the records it seems all the wheel bearings need to be replaced much earlier than even my research on the internet suggest they should have to be replaced.

 

I am having the same issue on my 2000 A4. It is a great car and love to drive it. I don't drive it like a nut case in dry or snowy conditions. I replaced my rear bearing hubs at 108,092K and now need replacing again at 137,000K. Is there a site we can purchase these parts and how much? Why do the rear hubs go every 30,000 miles? Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Aaron

 

I'm not sure why your bearings are wearing so quickly. I had a front passenger one replaced at about 130k, and I'm not replacing both rears at 170k. Only one rear is making noise the other one i'm replacing because it has 170k miles on it. If you're replacing so soon either other parts are at fault or they were installed incorrectly.

To buy wheel bearings online go to http://www.ecstuning.com/ and you can get wheel bearings for ~$50 a wheel. Just select your car and go to drivetrain -> bearings and you'll be set.

 

The bolt must be replaced when the bearings are done. If the dealer cheaper out this could lead to early failure. They are stretch bolts and are use once only.

 

Make sure you're differentiating between the bearings and the hubs. They are not the same thing. Some cars have integrated hubs/bearings, but our Audi's are not. The "hub" is pressed through the inside of the bearing, while the outer surface of the bearing is pressed into the suspension arm/knuckle/whatever you want to call it. Hubs are super expensive compared to the bearings, and shouldn't need to be replaced, unless they're warped.

Now, if you're finding that you're chewing up bearings at an alarming rate and everything was done correctly (ie. pressed correctly, new bolt was used, etc) then you may be looking at a warped suspension arm/knuckle or hub. If so, it would probably be easiest and cheapest to go to a junkyard and find a replacement for about $100. And you may get lucky and have a decent bearing in there as well. They can get warped if you let the bearing go for too long (don't ask me how I know this) and the bearing overheats and warps something. I was told that the best way to figure out if it's just the bearing or if something else is warped is to see if the noise goes away on corners. If the noise goes away on a turn towards (right turn/right bearing noise) then it's probably just the bearing. But if it's let go to the point where the noise doesn't go away, it's probably warped something (again, don't ask me how I know this).

Just some food for thought. Also, why do you think that different suspension parts would solve/improve your bearing woes? They really aren't all that related. Potholes are somewhat hard on bearings, but what's worse is sliding into curbs and other lateral loads on the bearings. Unless your suspension parts are worn, I wouldn't worry about that part.