'01 Blazer Pinion AND Carrier Bearings?? Hmmm..
Paul T
05-29-2009, 07:19 AM
It all started off about a month ago when OLD MASTER and others were helping me diagnose an SES condition in my 01 Blazer.
Things changed so quickly... I was doing the front brakes and saw that I had a bad idler arm which I initially thought was a bad front wheel bearing because I could hear that "groan" associated with a bad wheel bearing. I took it to my mechanic and yes, it was an idler arm.
This gets much better.
The groan as it turned out was a bad pinion gear. He told me he could do the idler arm one day and reschedule in a few days for the pinion gear. When I went to the shop to pickup the Blazer, they were working feverishly on the pinion gear. He told me that he had some time and as long as it was on the lift, decided to go ahead with the repair. They didn't finish until after dark on a Friday night.
The pinion gear cost me roughly $300.
I drove the vehicle about 200 miles and dang-it if I did't start to hear that same pinion bearing groan. It started off low dB but after another hundred miles it was louder than ever. I brought it back. He said it's not the pinion bearing but rather sounded like a U-Joint and told me to drop-off the vehicle Tuesday (this week) and that there was a possibility that the pinion bearing he replaced a week before may need "adjustment".
It gets better.
Tuesday late afternoon he called me saying he had bad news. That BOTH Carrier bearings had to be replaced. I told him that I thought this was odd since the carrier bearings are RIGHT THERE with the pinion. He said he saw nothing unusual with the carrier bearings when he worked on the pinion.
Wednesday he told me that he cannot find ANYONE with the propr shims for the new carrier bearings. That he had to get them shipped in special out of state and I would be without my beloved Blazer one more day.
{Q. Aren't there shim kits available or wouldn't a GM dealer have these or would it be possible just to be very careful and use the old shims? I don't know.}
Thursday (yesterday) afternoon he called me at work and told me he was taking it out for a test drive and he was CERTAIN it could be picked up last night. I asked him what the monetary damage was. He told me $384.
On the way home from work, 2 hours after he took it for a test drive he told me it wasn't ready, that it still groans and needs adjustment. I just said okay but I am furious.
I'm thinking that this guy fouled up the first pinion bearing job and God knows what else.
Now, I could ask, "Is all that this guy been telling me possible?", and the answer would be YES. It is possible.
My qustion for the forum:
"IS ALL THAT THIS GUY HAS BEEN TELLING ME PROBABLE ?
Any gut feelings? And the prices. I don't know...I just don't know.
And going on 5 days without my Blazer.
Any help or comment?
THANKS-IN-ADVANCE
Things changed so quickly... I was doing the front brakes and saw that I had a bad idler arm which I initially thought was a bad front wheel bearing because I could hear that "groan" associated with a bad wheel bearing. I took it to my mechanic and yes, it was an idler arm.
This gets much better.
The groan as it turned out was a bad pinion gear. He told me he could do the idler arm one day and reschedule in a few days for the pinion gear. When I went to the shop to pickup the Blazer, they were working feverishly on the pinion gear. He told me that he had some time and as long as it was on the lift, decided to go ahead with the repair. They didn't finish until after dark on a Friday night.
The pinion gear cost me roughly $300.
I drove the vehicle about 200 miles and dang-it if I did't start to hear that same pinion bearing groan. It started off low dB but after another hundred miles it was louder than ever. I brought it back. He said it's not the pinion bearing but rather sounded like a U-Joint and told me to drop-off the vehicle Tuesday (this week) and that there was a possibility that the pinion bearing he replaced a week before may need "adjustment".
It gets better.
Tuesday late afternoon he called me saying he had bad news. That BOTH Carrier bearings had to be replaced. I told him that I thought this was odd since the carrier bearings are RIGHT THERE with the pinion. He said he saw nothing unusual with the carrier bearings when he worked on the pinion.
Wednesday he told me that he cannot find ANYONE with the propr shims for the new carrier bearings. That he had to get them shipped in special out of state and I would be without my beloved Blazer one more day.
{Q. Aren't there shim kits available or wouldn't a GM dealer have these or would it be possible just to be very careful and use the old shims? I don't know.}
Thursday (yesterday) afternoon he called me at work and told me he was taking it out for a test drive and he was CERTAIN it could be picked up last night. I asked him what the monetary damage was. He told me $384.
On the way home from work, 2 hours after he took it for a test drive he told me it wasn't ready, that it still groans and needs adjustment. I just said okay but I am furious.
I'm thinking that this guy fouled up the first pinion bearing job and God knows what else.
Now, I could ask, "Is all that this guy been telling me possible?", and the answer would be YES. It is possible.
My qustion for the forum:
"IS ALL THAT THIS GUY HAS BEEN TELLING ME PROBABLE ?
Any gut feelings? And the prices. I don't know...I just don't know.
And going on 5 days without my Blazer.
Any help or comment?
THANKS-IN-ADVANCE
MT-2500
05-29-2009, 07:53 AM
About 6-8 hrs flat raste rate time to set up all rear end bearings right.
But remember It takes a good rear end tech to set up a rear end.
This site has a lot of info on checking rear end noise and setting them up and also parts.
http://www.differentials.com/install.html
Good Luck
But remember It takes a good rear end tech to set up a rear end.
This site has a lot of info on checking rear end noise and setting them up and also parts.
http://www.differentials.com/install.html
Good Luck
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