Wheel Hub Failing Again- Opinions Please

[DJ Fury]

Ok about 5000 miles ago my front wheel bearings were failing. I kind of jumped the gun early and ordered 2 Moog hubs from advance which were delivered by mail from PA. Picked up 2 new hub nuts from the stealership and got everything put on. Everything was new and torqued correctly.

Within a couple of weeks I noticed my driver's side making groaning sounds again. Took it in and sure enough this hub had failed. A local Advanceauto delivered a replacement hub to my shop and everything seemed fine for another few weeks. Not even a month later I got the same symptoms of a failing hub on the drivers side again and my shop found it to be failing again.

At this point I gave up on the "Moog" wheel hubs (Moog box, National part inside) and did more digging and decided to order 2 new hubs and hub nuts from LateModelRestoration. Everything seemed good for a while.. again.

Within the last month I've developed a popping sound while the wheel is turned and stopping. Took it in again and found once again the drivers side hub is failing.

At this point I'm beginning to wonder if the Ford part (nearly 3x more expensive then any other hub anywhere) is the solution. Its worth noting that I have aftermarket wheels (17x9 FR500's with 275 nittos) and the entire suspension is basically new. Everything is aligned perfectly, new c/c plates, bumpsteer, new struts, springs.

I'm tired of throwing bearings at this problem and I'm hoping the Ford bearings solve this permanently.

Opinions?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Did you install new dust caps?

 

[trinity_gt]

Verify the driver's side brake is not dragging. Excessive heat pumped into the hub from the brake rotor can liquify the grease in the bearing and accelerate failure.

 

[notch351]

make sure you are tightening the hub to spec. but i am sure you are aware of that just throwing it out there

 

[bdcardinal]

How is the car being driven? I have seen SN95s and S197s puke the grease out of the hubs when driven hard on a road course without proper cooling.

 

[DJ Fury]

I did not install new dust caps. I'll do that when the Ford hubs come in on Thursday. The brakes were recently inspected but everything is new up there except for my calipers. And my car is a daily driver, however she only sees about 20 miles a day to and from work. No hard driving however she does have 146,000 on her.

 

[Rusty67]

Make sure the shop is torquing the wheel bearing properly and using a new factory nut every time.

Trinity is on the money with checking the brakes. You might have a bad caliper that is dragging because some crap got back behind the dust seal. It might appear to work normal when doing a brake service but actually being problematic. Check the brake pads on both sides and make sure they are wearing evenly, this will give you a good idea if one side is excessivly dragging.

 

[DJ Fury]

Went to the shop on Thursday and Ford ended up pulling the hubs without abs, but we did get a look at the hub. The outer bearing is fine, however the inner bearing is 100% shot. Parts will be in Monday so I'll have them check the pads then.

 

[DJ Fury]

Ok at the shop right now and the pads on both sides are wearing nice and even. Got new nuts and new dust caps so we'll see.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Without a dust cap the bearings will fail quickly.

 

[bhuff30]

I got a little mixed up reading the story, but are the hubs being installed by the same place each time? Why do I get the feeling the monkey doing the install is using the biggest impact wrench they have to 'torque' the nuts down? There is a specific torque spec for the hub nut, and if it is being exceeded, then it could certainly damage a bearing. The torque spec is pretty high, something around 200-250ft*lbs, so they might just be tightening the nut far as it'll go with the impact and calling it good.

 

[DJ Fury]

I got a little mixed up reading the story, but are the hubs being installed by the same place each time? Why do I get the feeling the monkey doing the install is using the biggest impact wrench they have to 'torque' the nuts down? There is a specific torque spec for the hub nut, and if it is being exceeded, then it could certainly damage a bearing. The torque spec is pretty high, something around 200-250ft*lbs, so they might just be tightening the nut far as it'll go with the impact and calling it good.

Negative. This is the only shop and the only technician to work on my car in the last 5 years other than myself. He does top notch work for me and always has. And to answer your question on torque, he's always torqued them to ford spec of around 256 ft/lb, he pointed that out to me the first time I ever had these replaced.

So now I've got the new hubs on and my front end is definitely 100% quieter, however I still have a lingering issue.

Symptom is while backing out of a parking space, I spin the wheel to the right to back out and go left, when I come to a stop to shift I'm hearing a very loud popping sound coming from the same front left wheel area. Scheduled to go back in Thursday. For reference within the last month I've had the inner tie rods replaced with Raybestos, and the outer's were replaced with a steeda bumpsteer kit. The struts have also been replaced within the last 6 months to Bilstein HD's tied to a MM C/C plate set.

 

[trinity_gt]

Symptom is while backing out of a parking space, I spin the wheel to the right to back out and go left, when I come to a stop to shift I'm hearing a very loud popping sound coming from the same front left wheel area. ...

I get a similar noise every once in a blue moon: A "pop" coming from the left front. Most recently heard it when braking moderately hard to a stop on an off-ramp.

I suspect the noise is related to how the coil is sitting in the spring pockets in the A-arm and K-member. Not sure what it is but it does sound like the spring shifting or rotating slightly in there.

 

[bhuff30]

Your new noise may be related to the lower ball joint. It can pop and creak, especially in situations like you described.

 

[COramprat]

Just throwing it out there but sometimes the cheapest option isn't the best. With all the parts made in China the quality sucks. I ALWAYS look at the country of origin for my parts. From experience I've noticed most of Nationals parts come here on a boat. I spend 25-50% more on parts made in the US. I've had good results. Recently replaced an alternator with a Chinese reman on my Mustang in February and had to replace it this past weekend due to failure.

 

[Leechance119]

I have Bullitt #01-2951



Yes, I've been experiencing this exact same popping noise... I mean this is a fairly loud "pop" If i were to use an onomatopoeia to describe this sound it would literally be... "POP" When i'm doing any speed above 30-35 MPH, & hit my brakes pretty hard, I'd say about 60% of 2001 mustang Bullitt's max braking performance (to give an idea of how hard i'm hitting brakes when this occurs.) Suddenly, I'll hear one loud, & clear "POP" sound, but that's it. it'll only do it once every hard braking event. It's almost like I can "feel" a sudden shift in the front driver side's suspension also.... Almost like it's the strut, control arm, hub, outer tie rod, & everything connected to the suspension basically is shifting towards me.... Almost as if the suspension is "flexing towards me for some reason, after the popping sound occurs of course.... No real damage has been done from this. & No it's not near as bad as i've portrayed it. I only simply want to describe this is full detail so someone who might have the same problem will be able to tell me what's going on.... I've been a mechanic for a few years & specifically working on mustangs, most commonly the 99-04 models, so i know everthing about these cars just about. But this has through me for a loop guys.....

Any ideas?????



Btw, here are all the recent repairs/replacements in the past 6 months. (& i've VERY particular, I'm a stickler for doing things the original way, a.k.a. "The Right Way" Ford designed these cars with some flaws, but if they've been found and upgraded or updated, i've made the repair or replacement, or modification.

Here are the within 6 months recent repairs, replacements, & mods.

2x Moog Wheel bearings
2x Moog outer tie rods
Sway bar & sway bar links with new bushings as well
New Ceramic Brakes & Drilled/Slotted Rotors all the way around
2x Monroe Brand Rear Shock Absorbers / 2x Monroe Brand Rear Axle Dampers...

That's at least all of the suspension's new parts and projects....
Ford designed these cars to be within certain specs in which I respect, because the designer/creator of the car will always know what's best as far as HOW their parts should be installed at least.... Maybe not the best at picking parts or having the best ideas in mind, but as far as torquing specs go, they know what's best with the way they've designed the car, so i ALWAYS Look at the specs & i torqued every bolt idc what it is, if it's a mechanical design or part of the mechanical design of the car I find the torque specs, and torque them. All the way down to the sensor bolt's torque specs & even Pulley's torque specs... So as far as questioning whether or not I completed the installs correctly or not... Well i'd like to think there is just something else involved. I've looked everywhere online, in forums, nothing. I can't seem to find anything specific enough that i know is addressing my problem directly enough.... So i've created my own thread....

Please help me someone!!!! It has to be either the strut, or the ball joint....I would think?????? Maybe it's someone deeper in the suspension like a bushing failed.... that i can't see? cause i've checked all of the control arm's bushings but i don't see any faults.... Maybe it's the spring shifting and twisting??? Hell..................... I DON'T KNOW!!!!!!!..... HELP.....HAH!

 

[7991LXnSHO]

Just throwing it out there but sometimes the cheapest option isn't the best. With all the parts made in China the quality sucks. I ALWAYS look at the country of origin for my parts. From experience I've noticed most of Nationals parts come here on a boat. I spend 25-50% more on parts made in the US. I've had good results. Recently replaced an alternator with a Chinese reman on my Mustang in February and had to replace it this past weekend due to failure.

Old thread, but for the mod dude and the new member, National has been a premium, US made brand. If the parts or boxes say China, you may have counterfeit parts.

Coming Soon

 

[Mustang5L5]

I have Bullitt #01-2951



Yes, I've been experiencing this exact same popping noise... I mean this is a fairly loud "pop" If i were to use an onomatopoeia to describe this sound it would literally be... "POP" When i'm doing any speed above 30-35 MPH, & hit my brakes pretty hard, I'd say about 60% of 2001 mustang Bullitt's max braking performance (to give an idea of how hard i'm hitting brakes when this occurs.) Suddenly, I'll hear one loud, & clear "POP" sound, but that's it. it'll only do it once every hard braking event. It's almost like I can "feel" a sudden shift in the front driver side's suspension also.... Almost like it's the strut, control arm, hub, outer tie rod, & everything connected to the suspension basically is shifting towards me.... Almost as if the suspension is "flexing towards me for some reason, after the popping sound occurs of course.... No real damage has been done from this. & No it's not near as bad as i've portrayed it. I only simply want to describe this is full detail so someone who might have the same problem will be able to tell me what's going on.... I've been a mechanic for a few years & specifically working on mustangs, most commonly the 99-04 models, so i know everthing about these cars just about. But this has through me for a loop guys.....

Any ideas?????



Btw, here are all the recent repairs/replacements in the past 6 months. (& i've VERY particular, I'm a stickler for doing things the original way, a.k.a. "The Right Way" Ford designed these cars with some flaws, but if they've been found and upgraded or updated, i've made the repair or replacement, or modification.

Here are the within 6 months recent repairs, replacements, & mods.

2x Moog Wheel bearings
2x Moog outer tie rods
Sway bar & sway bar links with new bushings as well
New Ceramic Brakes & Drilled/Slotted Rotors all the way around
2x Monroe Brand Rear Shock Absorbers / 2x Monroe Brand Rear Axle Dampers...

That's at least all of the suspension's new parts and projects....
Ford designed these cars to be within certain specs in which I respect, because the designer/creator of the car will always know what's best as far as HOW their parts should be installed at least.... Maybe not the best at picking parts or having the best ideas in mind, but as far as torquing specs go, they know what's best with the way they've designed the car, so i ALWAYS Look at the specs & i torqued every bolt idc what it is, if it's a mechanical design or part of the mechanical design of the car I find the torque specs, and torque them. All the way down to the sensor bolt's torque specs & even Pulley's torque specs... So as far as questioning whether or not I completed the installs correctly or not... Well i'd like to think there is just something else involved. I've looked everywhere online, in forums, nothing. I can't seem to find anything specific enough that i know is addressing my problem directly enough.... So i've created my own thread....

Please help me someone!!!! It has to be either the strut, or the ball joint....I would think?????? Maybe it's someone deeper in the suspension like a bushing failed.... that i can't see? cause i've checked all of the control arm's bushings but i don't see any faults.... Maybe it's the spring shifting and twisting??? Hell..................... I DON'T KNOW!!!!!!!..... HELP.....HAH!

how are the bushings on your control arms? Specifically the inner bushings?

 

[KRUISR]

Maybe a dumb question... how is the alignment?