Rear wheel hub / bearings?

[Matt_LeBaron]

Hi group,

So well, I'm in trouble again and'd need some help...

Here in Austria each car has to pass a yearly examination to be allowed to drive... Well this year I didn't pass it because of a "rattling noise" while braking. I've known this noise for quite a while now. As soon as you brake the whole car begins rattling and shaking.
I did some examinations on that and found the rear right brake rotor is not running smooth. First I thought it'd be the rotor itself, but today - as I installed a new one - I found that the issue didn't change. So I dismantled the wheel bearings. There may be a little bearing play from normal wear over the last 15 years, altough I wasn't able to proove that with trying to move the mounted wheel (or the rotor) left/right. Anyway I decided to install a new set of bearings. The last part that could produce the rattling then is the wheel hub. I am still waiting for my new bearings so I wasn't able to test this, but anyway I'd like to be prepared for the worst-case since this has to be repaired soon or I'll loose my permission to drive the LeBaron. I looked through different catalogs and asked at different local stores (also tried rockautoparts.com), but I wasn't able to find a place where I could order the rear wheel hub. The front wheel hub can be purchased nearly everywhere. It's quaint that I was able to find the rear wheel bearings very fast, but havn't seen any front wheel bearings yet. Do you know any reasons for that?

By the way my car is a 1993 Chrysler LeBaron Sedan LE (or here in Europe: Saratoga LE) 3.0l V6...

Do you know where I could order a new rear (!) wheel hub with this ABS ring? I already figured out that there're two different parts. One with ABS and one w/o ABS ring... but still I cannot find them...

Best regards,
Matt

[madmanmapper]

Hi Matt! First of all, if I'm not mistaken, at least in America, the only way you could get rear discs on a LeBaron sedan, and many other Chryslers was to order the ABS package. So I'm thinking there's no such thing as a LeBaron with rear discs and no ABS. Besides, doesn't the ring come off and you can put it on the new hub? It's pressed on I think. By the way, are you sure you didn't order those bearings for a rear drum LeBaron? I can't find the hub anywhere either. Why do you need the hub? There's a bearing in the hub, that's probably pressed in, can't you replace only that? Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with Chrysler's rear disc systems.

I do have a simpler solution for you. Move to America, and ship your car here. More specifically Chicago. Here, we don't have any driving tests for cars, just emission tests. *AND* any cars from 1994 and before are exempt from emissions testing! Forever! So my 94 Concorde and my 93 LeBaron could both be blowing clouds of blue smoke, have no catlytic converters, or be dropping nuts and bolts on the road and nobody can tell me not to drive them. But my cars are actually in very good shape... plenty of parts in the junk yards here.

[Lee_Baron]

Originally Posted by madmanmapper

any cars from 1994 and before are exempt from emissions testing! Forever! So my 94 Concorde and my 93 LeBaron could both be blowing clouds of blue smoke, have no catlytic converters, or be dropping nuts and bolts on the road and nobody can tell me not to drive them.

Sure, but we know you wouldn't... I was following a stock 68 or 70 Dodge Charger, and boy did it stink! Just normal light traffic driving - I sure am glad 99% of cars DO have working Cats. The price of gas is going to turn all these stinky V8's into sunday cars. And I LOVE old cars, I can't imagine what non car people think.

Back to the topic - wouldn't a bad bearing make noise all the time, not just while braking? Maybe there are missing anti-rattle clips or similar on the caliper?

[Matt_LeBaron]

Hello group!

Thanks for the answers

Well, just to keep you up-to-date: the new bearings arrived last week and I tried to replace the old ones today. While I was removing the two bearing rings which are pressed into the hub I realized that the hub is slightly oval than perfectly round. That still can be just an optical illusion so despite that I'll mount the wheel hub and the brake disc tomorrow and see if the edging noise still exists at some point when I turn the hub.

Besides, doesn't the ring come off and you can put it on the new hub?

- Yes, but there's still a risk of breaking the ring and anyway the ring isn't new anymore, so I'd like to replace it if possible.

Why do you need the hub? There's a bearing in the hub, that's probably pressed in, can't you replace only that?

- Yes, that's why I ordered just the bearings at first, but as Lee_Baron said, a defect bearing should make a constant all-time noise or at least one should be able to move the mounted wheel back and forth / left to right a bit. All that's not the case on my car. Anyway I hoped the bearing would have got slant from wear or something, but as it seems that's not the case.

I do have a simpler solution for you. Move to America, and ship your car here.

- Believe me, if that solution would really be simpler I'd be there already... It's very difficult to move to the US these times... Somehow a vicious circle. To get a job I'd need a work permit, but there're only two ways to get one. Either winning in the green card lottery (which I have participated in every year since 2005, but had no luck) or having a good job offer. Well, it's hard to get a job offer without a work permit. Even harder when I face the fact that I can't simply come by for a personal interview... but of course, if you knew of a company who's looking for a good technician (especially an electronic and computer specialist), hit me up!

I'll keep you up to date, have a nice day,
Matt

[Lee_Baron]

Try some of that anti-rattle 'glue' on the brake pads and see if it helps, it's a cheap and easy think to try.

Austrian eh? Well I think Canada is right up your alley (mountains, trees, snow...) and here we don't have nearly as many guns or people as the USA (or Austria). And it is hard to get in but not as hard as the US because our resourse-based economy is booming thanks mostly to the Chinese. Basically, if you speak and write english (or french) and have a skilled trade - you're IN ...

[Polygon]

Just a correction, all GTCs from 1989 - 1992 had rear vented discs regardless of whether or not they had ABS.

[madmanmapper]

BTW, I've never had rattling brakes... only if the stupid metal shield type thing is touching the brake rotor it makes a rattling noise on some cars. Rattling noises when brakes sometimes also come from a muffler shield thats loose and moving around. Have you checked under your car in the back?

Oh and I assumed you were one of those anti-american europeans who hates us... sorry!