Front wheels turning with difficulty ( Not steering, MOT fail )

Had noticed that the front wheel were " heavy " in turning, " turning around " as opposed to when steering, also with the clutch engaged while driving, also noisy.

The garage has just put it on the list of failures for the technical check.

Only one of the front wheel bearings failed the test, would one faulty wheel bearing make both front wheels difficult to turn ?

Any comments gratefully received, as would a link to any thread on here that addresses the problem.

TIA

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Have you a copy of the test sheet? Might be an idea to post that it’ll be easier to get a diagnosis


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Test sheet ? Over here ( in the Netherlands ) we just get a grease stained piece of paper, with illegible scribble in ball point that would make a doctor proud.

bad wheel bearings, dragging brakes
Did you have the axles replaced lately as a wrong clip with roundy ears can cause the wheel to eother spin with difficulty or not at all.

Place the car in Neutral Jack both sides up and remove the wheels.

Remove the Calipers

If the wheels spin free, then it is a brake bind if not, you can remove the axles from the diff and see if it is the axles or the bearing.

Thanks Briano, wise words.

New bearings getting pressed into the hub as we speak.

BUT, on the passenger side, where all the bolts were difficult, the 30mm drive nut was unbelievably stiff, as in I had to jump on a two meter breaker bar to crack it. ( that bearing hadn't failed the test, but am replacing it anyway )

Does anyone use a torque wrench when fixing that nut again ? A lot of torque setting on the internet, but all for later model Golfs, MK1 mechanics seem to do it by feel.

Well it is Torqued to 170 ft/lbs.

All depends on which braking system you have?

If you have Sloted/Vented rotors it is very easy to Torque.

If you have solid rotors more difficult.

When I am Breaking that nut loose, I use my Electric Impact, Yeah I cheat.  I break the nut loose  when the tires are on and the car is in gear or park on the ground, then snug it back up a wee bit.

I have used a 5" Steel pipe to Break them loose with my 3"foot 1/2 inch breaker bar in the past when I didn't have a impact it is now plug and play.  

My torque wrench only goes up to 150 so when I put them back together (since I have slotted /vented rotors)
I place a large Flat Blade Screw driver in the slots and brace it against the Caliper Bracket.  I can get the 150 ft/lbs on the torque wrench.  Once it is down on the ground, I add a little more Umps to the Breaker bar to give it a little past 150.  Never had one come off.

For the solids I have had to just tighten the nut up as tight as I can get it.  Then once on the ground I can apply the torque wrench to the nut…. again I go to the click at 150, then a little bit more….

Thanks Briano ( again ).

Will torque up the ( solid rotors ) to your specs, although common consensus amongst the local mechanics here is to just tighten them up as far as possible.

In other news, replacing the two front bearings eliminated the " Front wheels turning with difficulty " problem.

One happy man here.

The issue is that tightening them up as much as you can can result in the nut coming loose and with a 1/8 inch play in the nut to Hub you can ruin your bearings in as little as 6-7 feet of travel.

Proper torque prevents a lot of things going wrong.

Never roll a car without the axles connected as there is the Preload that can be lost which allows the internal race to separate and the bearings roll into the space between the races.


What is meant by the term "Pre-load" when installing bearings in the front wheel spindle?
What is that PRE-LOAD when replacing Front wheel Bearings. | Volkswagen Owners Club Forum

Also I forgot to add to the above post that when I am Torquing the nut on the car with the wheel off, (I have a Cabriolet so I have slotted or vented rotors).
I place all 4 lug bolts in to the rotor, and tighten them.  This ensures that screw driver that I used to bind the rotor to the Caliper as I torque the axle nut isn't going to Break that rotor positioning screw in your hub.  (sorry for the ooppppsie).