SV21 Keeps destroying front wheel bearings

[senn]

Full disclosure, car is running a 3sgte swap which isn't helping. However running good quality Koyo bearings and being a daily driver...not a track hack I'm still surprised it's killing them within a few months. My thoughts are that either steering "knuckles" the bearings press into are worn out (toyota don't make them anymore apparently?) I've tried 2nd hand ones but god knows if they're in better condition. If anyone has had similar issues and has found a solution, please help me out, this is making me want to ditch the car as redoing the bearings every few months is a PITA....

[lexsmaz]

What happens to them, as in is it always the inner or outer race & in spot all over the bearing surface that breaks down & how do you press them in ?? & after fitting New bearings do the wheels spin freely or drag ?? or have excessive wheel bearing clearance ?? & as its a engine swap are the drive shafts the same ones that suit the hubs ..

No offence but I suspect you are doing something wrong or something is not compatible since the conversion as you know they should be good for an absolute minimum of 100-200,000 km or even the life of the car in some cases ..

[senn]

I didn't do the conversion but it has st185 shafts. Maybe the box is lined up wrong and putting extra stress on them. After a few months they click and whirr. Chucked new hubs in it too. Pushed thru castrol htb grease...

[lexsmaz]

Alignment of the box etc wont be an issues as the CV's will cancel out any alignment issues, to long a drive shaft could cause issues as the shafts could be side loading the wheel bearings if they bottom out Within the CV's under suspension compression, but I'm sure if that was the case the CV's or gearbox would have issues first ..

Do both the drivers side & passenger side front wheel bearings go bad ? or just one side only .

The noise you describe sounds very unusual for a wheel bearing, have you pulled apart the wheel bearings when you replaced them to see what is happening inside the races & are you doing the bearing swap or paying some one & as I asked earlier on is the wheel tight to spin after putting in new bearings etc & how do you fit them etc as the above post asked ..

[senn]

Long shaft side goes first, then the other. I can't remember free spinning the wheel after the last lot i put in...

[senn]

I install them with a bearing press using a socket on the outer bearing housing. I don't know what I'd be looking for as far as wear?

[japlish]

did you replace the whole hub and bearing or just the bearing?

[lexsmaz]

Wear wise it will be in the form of pitting to the bearing race surfaces ( cup & or cone or both ) & sometimes the balls themselves, as that's the only thing that will cause noise / failure, discoloration of the bearing surfaces in itself will not cause noise, but is not a good sign for longevity of the bearing & shows something is not right or lacking in grease etc ..

So you need to pull apart the bearing races if you have them or wait for the next lot to fail & clean & check them thoroughly & post up pictures too ..

Because if they look fine the issue is something else, unlikely as it seems to fix it, but the noise you say it makes is what makes me think otherwise, wheel bearings create a rumble/ growl type noise ..

[senn]

did you replace the whole hub and bearing or just the bearing?

Hubs and bearings the first time. didn't bother 2nd time as it was only 3-4 months later. I'll post up photos when I pull it apart again, thanks for your help so far.

[wa5]

it seems that a lot of people (shops included) have trouble replacing bearings in front hubs (left/ nearside/ passenger side, always seem to fail first ... at least that's what I sell more of).. Cant say why this is so.. but the nuber of people who simply give up and put in a good second hand hub.. after 1,2 or more bearings have died in a short time after just being replaced..

Just go ad find a free turning second hand set.

[japlish]

using old hubs may cause more problems, especially if heat was used to remove old bearings. Replace the whole lot again and see what happens.....i can get them at cost price if you like

[allencr]

Too tight or too loose. Are they blue & baked or pitted & crunchy?
Passenger side gets the wetter lumpier side of the road and higher loading from faster turns.