Diagnosing CV joint versus Wheel Bearing

[RBRx]

My fathers car (05 aveo) has had a loud rumble for awhile so after ruling out tires we guessed bearings as a cause. Last time the car was driven I was told it was twerking the steering wheel quite a bit and deemed the car unsafe to drive so he's using mine for the time being while I repair his.

So now on to today after diagnosing* which side it was on (front passenger) ruling out brakes im not sure of the cause since there was no slop in the hub and the CV shaft seemed fine. At this point in time I chose to replace the bearing and I already have taken the hub off the bearing via a slide hammer which by the way I don't recommend unless you feel like slamming it constantly for 2+ hours.

* Side was diagnosed by removing the brake calipers and putting the tires back on then jacking up the car one side at a time then while in drive see which side made more noise.

So here are my questions

1: Do aveos commonly show bearing problems while under load but have no slop while up in the air?

2: Is there any other clues that would show a CV shaft issue besides looking at the boot and flopping it around like a kid?

3: Could it be farther up near the transmission that could be felt/affect in the steering?

4: Im thinking of buying a press to have and use what tonnage would you recommend for pressing bearing in/out like the ones on the aveo?

5: Anyone know a part number/link for the cir clip that retains the bearing since I demolished the one in the knuckle trying to remove it after bearing guts had it wedged in pretty good?

[avguy]

Here's some feedback based on my own '05, along with quite a bit of reading other reports on this subject.

The bad passenger side bearing did not show symptoms during any of the 'wheel shake' tests. It was only apparent when I had the knuckle/hub in my hands, and could feel the VERY slight play between those 2 parts. The symptom on mine while driving was a non-metalic clicking (more like whup-whup) which increased from 15-40 mph according to speed, and also increased during left turns.

If the CV boots are intact, then it's much more likely to be the bearing(s) being bad. Try making very slow full circles in reverse. If there's no noise while doing that, the CV is just about ruled out as the problem. However, if you're feeling this through the steering wheel, that may be a sign of a bad ball joint or LCA bushing. It's possible you have that problem, and also a bad bearing as well.

Can't help you on the minimum specs for a press, but 12 ton is what I see most often mentioned. I used an ATD-8625 bearing adapter kit, which worked very well for everything except removing the hub from the spindle. IMO, the simple and easy way to do that job is to completely remove the spindle/hub from the vehicle, and then drive the hub out using a socket.

I was able to reuse the snap rings, so I can't help you with that. If not available from Rockauto, then it might be best to shop at Chevy for those.

[RBRx]

There was no "clicking" to speak as a matter of fact the issue was only audible in the cabin and could be felt holding onto the coil spring but you hardly hear anything outside. The best way I could describe how it sounded inside is roller skates moving on a hardwood floor.

In my experience I've never encountered a ball joint issue first hand so I wouldn't know what that would be like but I wouldn't put it past me to have multiple problems caused by a previous issue with my luck :P
From the way I understood it if there was any intermittent drag in the drive linkage like a bearing it would cause the steering to shift back n' forth much like hitting repeated potholes...

Hub removal is no longer an issue since it was pulled with a slide hammer today, what remains is how pull the bearing out of the knuckle and press it all back together.

I could probably salvage the snap ring but would rather not if I can find one, the problem is actually identifying what/where it goes on parts sites which come up with nothing relevant in searches.

[exodus0784]

The roaring sound you describe sounds like a wheel bearing.

The snap ring is beefy. No issues keeping it, you'll just need proper snap ring pliers to get them out. The ones from horror freight may work.

The bearing should be pressed out from the back of the knuckle towards the front/outside of the knuckle (where the hub came out). I would recommend using a press. Take the knuckle off and take it to a machine shop, they'll have it done in 20 minutes. Have them press the hub back into the bearing while you're there.

Otherwise:

Press the bearing out from the rear of the hub toward the outside (again, where you removed the hub from). Once the bearing is out, clean up the inside of the knuckle with brakekleen/cloth. It should be super shiny. If it's badly scored, it should be replaced. The bearing needs a smooth surface to be pressed in to, and the outer race will form microwelds to the surface. I recommend starting the press process on a vice to get the bearing started straight, then move to the press. Using the old bearing, if it's still intact, as a plate works great to make sure the outer race of the new bearing is being pressed evenly. Once the bearing is fully seated, move on to the hub. You *MUST* support the inner race of the bearing when pressing in the hub, otherwise it will be pressed out. Push the hub through the bearing from the outside of the knuckle towards the inside until it seats against the inner race of the bearing.

[petrified.rabbit]

it only takes one needle or ball in the bearing to start making noise and wearing the races. If the rest stay intact for a little longer they will not show play with the "normal" tests, and releasing the load makes it "better".

Bearing removal is a pain, its worth it to take your parts to a local shop and pay to have them done. You can usually get both switched for about $20-30. I do my own. When I did mine I thought the spindle was going to break before the bearing are out.

I am not sure how to tell you how to do it without a press.

[exodus0784]

if you have a decent press (and drivers), it's not too bad. I just picked up a 20ton from horror freight for $160

[RBRx]

I am not sure how to tell you how to do it without a press.

Well I was thinking of going the bearing adapter with a threaded rod approach for removal and installation.

[avguy]

Well I was thinking of going the bearing adapter with a threaded rod approach for removal and installation.

As I said above, the adapter set worked very well for me. I greased the driver threads and used a small bit of transmission fluid to lube the parts being pressed in, which I believe helped quite a bit. The most difficult part of this whole job for me was freeing up the rusted-in-place snap rings, but fortunately you're beyond that already.

Edit: Your spindle not being detached from the vehicle may make it more cumbersome to use the adapter, but I know of one other report where someone did that same thing successfully.

[RBRx]

Welp after some research an adapter kit versus having a local shop press it, having a shop do it would be cheaper.

I finally freed the knuckle after the lower ball joint put up a hell of a fight with a pickle fork which need to be replaced now but it's prepped and ready for the shop tomorrow.

I still plan on obtaining a press because it's handly and adapter kit but those can be obtained at my leisure instead of beating up my wallet all at once

Also thx everyone for the input.

[exodus0784]

The ball joint... just remove the two bolts that connect it to the control arm next time... a hell of a lot easier

You can do the bearing with the ball joint still attached to the knuckle without it being (too much) in the way.