Rusty Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 Hi, Slight play in front wheel bearings, can they be adjusted, or have they got to be replaced, (Fiat Ducato 2002) Pointed out on having MOT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 Not known for play. Get hub nuts checked for tightness, otherwise wait until they get noisy. You will hear a distinct rumbling noise when they need replacing. Fiat bearings are over £100 but Euro Car Parts have them for about £45. PS. If you take it to a Fiat dealer they will tell you you have to buy new hubs as well as bearings because there has been an upgrade; it is bull because you can still buy the old bearings and chances are during a camper van's lifetime you will not have to do it again anyway. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Posted September 16, 2010 Author Share Posted September 16, 2010 Nick, Many Thanks, for your info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 Dave have a look here these are original parts http://www.delfindesigns.co.uk Alf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Grumpy Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 Our 04 2.3jtd Fiat (40k miles) has a noisy off side front bearing but it's not started rumbling nor does it get hot on a run. The MoT, last July picked up a "slight play but not significant". I thought 40k miles was a bit early to run a bearing but put it down to over 75% of our miles being done in France, on the wrong side of the road. Does anyone know if driving on the opposite camber has any effect on bearing life? Also is it OK to keep running on this bearing, as long as we can put up with the noise, or should it be replaced ASAP? Is it the sort of job a local garage can be trusted with or is it a main dealer only job? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted September 16, 2010 Share Posted September 16, 2010 If I hear ANY noise from a wheel bearing - especially a front one I will replace it as soon as possible. If you ever saw what happens when one siezes up or collapses so would you! You are gonna have to do it sooner or later so why risk failure in an out of the way location - in the wet - in the dark? Remember Sodde's Law? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Although it is not a highly technical job, the garage that does it will need something like a 50T press to separate the hub/bearing/drive flange due to the interference fit and the corrosion that builds up. We used to heat the bearings up and cut them out, then use the residual heat from that operation and a bearing that had been in the freezer for half an hour which literally fell in! Sadly, the bearings do not have metal races inside any more and the heat we used caused the now plastic races to melt which knackered them. Ironically, since we don't have a big enough press and a specialist that we used has made some mistakes we now use our local Fiat commercial dealer to fit bearings that we source elsewhere. Nick PS The Delfin bearings are the much earlier 2 part bearings, the later vans all use a single cartridge type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solwaybuggier Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 I've just had 2nd front bearing done on an 02 Ducato - 1st one was in March this year. Not a Fiat dealer - but a reputable garage (Merc service agent) - he had a hell of a job getting the bearings away from the hub, eventually managed, but cost was £265 + VAT, compared to £250 + VAT for first one. I did ask whether they should really be going at just over 40k miles - garage owner (who is a caravanner himself) said possibly not but the ground we go over onto sites will have a possible effect on bearing life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Solwaybuggier - 2010-09-20 7:57 PM I did ask whether they should really be going at just over 40k miles - garage owner (who is a caravanner himself) said possibly not but the ground we go over onto sites will have a possible effect on bearing life. What a cop out! In that case Land Rover wheel bearings should fail every year unless you drive you van like a Land Rover up the side of a mountain? No? I rather thought not - just another example of adequate engineering design as opposed to design with a safety margin of extra strength and durability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 have replaced front wheel bearings on several Fiat Ducato motorhomes now, I use a 10 Tonne press to remove the old bearings and fit the new ones. Toughest one took eight Tonnes of pressure and heat before it gave with a bloody loud bang 8-) and made me spill my coffee. Not a particularly technical job but the size and weight of the components involved (plus the torque setting of the main hub nut 8-) ) dictate that it really is not a viable DIY job. If there's any play at all the bearing needs replacing. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter lambert Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 My Rapido (Fiat) has intermittently squeeking front wheels (bearings??). It has just done 16000 miles in 5 years, and has been squeeking for about a year. Should I be looking to get my bearings changed too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Hi Peter, I would think your noise is more likely to be brakes than bearings. Next time you hear the squeak try gently pressing or dabbing the brake pedal and see if the noise goes. If it does then I would suggest you strip, clean and re-assemble the front brakes using a good anti-seize compound designed for brakes such as Copaslip. At only 16,000 miles you are probably still on your first set of pads and it is very unlikely they have ever been removed or cleaned. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Fiat Feb 2001 - Recommendation on MOT January said slight play in all 4 bearings. Looked at tyres before setting off from Carcassonne and all looked ok. By the time I got to just north of Mauriac I could feel vibration in the driver's seat particularly when right-hand lock applied. When I arrived back in the Auvergne I took it to the local mechanic who found the front nearside tyre bald halfway across (new May - obviously very dangerous so I was lucky to have arrived in one piece. All the repairs have now been completed at a cost of 1156€ i.e. 2 Agilis tyres, metal valves (obligatory now on Michelin's orders), all balancing and tracking (this was at least 1cm out and I have nerver "kerbed" it), 2 wheel bearings for the front wheels, 2 back wheel bearings tightened, 2 front disc brakes (these were badly gauged out), 4 brake pads and 6.5 hours labour at 30€ hour. Knowing absolutely nothing about mechanical repairs this all seems very reasonable to me and at least I can face the journey home to England with confidence. I would be interested in the views of others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Mr. Grumpy - 2010-09-16 6:53 PM Our 04 2.3jtd Fiat (40k miles) has a noisy off side front bearing .............but put it down to over 75% of our miles being done in France, on the wrong side of the road. Does anyone know if driving on the opposite camber has any effect on bearing life? ................ Assuming the tongue was not in the cheek, no. Remember, these are Fiat vans, made in, er Italy, where they (mostly! :-)) drive on the right. They are sold all over Europe, where they also drive on the right. They are adapted for right hand drive for UK etc, but apart from the steering wheel and pedals being on the right, and wiper arcs reversed, the remaining mechanicals are basically identical.Depending on the design and layout of the van, it may well be that the front "axle" is running permanently close to (or over :-)) its designated loading limit which, IMO, is a more likely culprit than the camber of the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunartraveller1 Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 We too had MOT advisory on uor 1999 Lunar so with the help of one of my sons ( we are both reasonable DIY mechanics) did all the dismantling and re-assembly and a local commercial garage did the bearing fitting. Saved loadsalolly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickideano Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 most bearings can be matched by a bearing specialist /wholesaler, and any good machine shop should be able to press old ones out and replace new with new ones , which as some body else said saves loadsa money , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickideano Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 most bearings can be matched by a bearing specialist /wholesaler, and any good machine shop should be able to press old ones out and replace new with new ones , which as some body else said saves loadsa money , nb vehcles that do not get used to frequently often suffer with premature bearing failure through to much standing idle the same as tyres , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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