j-manic

I have a Bentley and I've been looking all over the forums both here and abroad. It doesn't seem too difficult, just looking for a few tips that will reduce my learning curve. I have access to a press and will be doing both sides. I see the stealers give a 2 hour book rate per side. Any help would be appreciated. I hope to take pictures and give you a rundown.

A8CT

on the car. I took some pics which I can dig up if you want. It was a couple of years ago.

Bob

j-manic

It's a 99 A8. Just hit 170k so I figure it's about time. I also have the whup, whup thing going on and uneven wear on the right front tire.

Sleeper8

when you load that bearing. I.e. if you veer left at speed, it loads the right side and the growl will become markedly louder if the right bearing is bad. Then if you veer right, the noise will become quieter.

To me this sounds more like worn control arm issues - way more common - and much more likely to cause uneven tire wear or cupping.

DutchDoofus

I totally agree. My bearings are 193000m old and are still fine. I think you hear a tire (cupped).

j-manic

Thanks to all who have responded. I have done the turning test and yes it goes away, or fades when pressure is taken off. The tire isn't cupped, actually it is worn rather evenly. I rotated the tires to see what that would change and now it is present through the steering column rather than just a noise. I was thinking of replacing everything on the front end anyway, just not this soon. As long as I am under there and have things apart I might as well. I will try to find another set of eyes and ears to diagnose it. I am in Northern Wi. and I probably have more knowledge of Audis than anyone up here. Thankfully there is this forum and all of this experience to draw upon.

A8CT

remove the wheel, rotor and caliper. Then grab and rotate the hub. If the bearing is bad it will jump right out at you.

Sometimes they make noise but don't have any play or vise versa.

As I found out, just grabbing the wheel and checking for play isn't always a true test.

Bob

j-manic

Thanks, it will be nice to find out what the real problem is. Whatever it is, I will be fixing it asap.

gondar

E.g., when you turn left, the right side is loaded, mostly in front, and if the WB is rough you generally can detect a change in noise and noise quality. Its a low frequency noise, linear to wheel RPM, obviously.