Folks,

Just had to have my ns front wheel bearing replaced pdq after some god awful grinding noises suddenly developed whilst on way to work yesterday morning.

Local garage, not LR specialist, that sorted it for me said that there was some significant play on the ns front wheel and it took them a while to get the hub off to access the bearing as the friction had semi welded the bearing hub on. You gotta love the advice they got from a few local LR specialists ..... 'Keep smacking the fecker with the biggest hammer you got until it comes loose'

What I'm trying to understand is that could a wheel bearing go from being an MOT pass 5000 miles ago (all on tarmac, no issue with water/dirt contamination from offroading) to something that sounded like the wheel was going to fall off yesterday ?

I'm assuming that something as fundamental as the bearings would be checked for play during the MOT ??? Didn't notice any untowards 'roaring' noises or indeed had any issues with the steering in the build up to the noises, so I was completely oblivious.

Only owned the 'fender since the last MOT was done and bought it from an LR indy dealer who I would have expected at the very least to have rocked the wheels to check for any play from the bearings. Didn't think to do it myself.... so lesson well and truly learnt....

Not particularly on a witch hunt here as not sure I can be arsed but any thoughts welcomed

Dunno mate.
When ya gotta croak ya gotta croak

It's a landy they break all the time. wheel bearings are consumables like tyres filters etc.

5000 miles what do you an mot that sees in to the future,brgs will obviously reach a point where hard facing this and cracks over years but can go from no play to buggered in days ,as the owner of the vehicle hadnt you thought of removing drive members and checking brgs and grease condition,i would also check diff and gear box and transfer box and swivels too,how else can you remove siezed brg but by hitting with hammer it would have to be done that way on a posh car too

jamesmartin said:

,how else can you remove siezed brg but by hitting with hammer it would have to be done that way on a posh car too

Click to expand...

Hub usually comes off with outer race attached inner race usually seizes to stub axle I've got one off by using a huge stilson. but a 3 legged puller will sometimes work as well.

Failing that Sharp cold chisel and crack em or a dremel and cut em.

Had a rear wheel bearing seize just a few weeks after a full service by a LR dealership. No noises or anything - I just came off the M4 then doing about 40MPH the rear offside wheel locked solid for 120 yards sending me across the verge on the nearside. I couldn't believe it was a bearing failure at first, I thought somehow the brakes had locked on one side. The only plus thing was that LR warranty admitted liabilty so most of it got sorted for nothing - though they didn't pay up for a new tyre or new matching discs that were required on the side that didn't fail. If this happened on the motorway with a front wheel you'd be a gonner - I don't trust the damn thing now because there was just no warning. The vehicle doesn't do anything rough off road - just dry farm tracks generally. A catastrophic bearing failure will just lock the wheel solid with no warning so be alert!

Cheers for the replies.

My ignorance totally I know. I didn't appreciate that the bearings could deteriorate that quickly without some form of prior warning. James - thanks for the other pointers - will be checking it all out over the weekend.

No issue with the hammer action going on, I just thought the comment was funny... nothing more

As I said, lesson well and truely learnt on my part

Aye bearings can go pretty quick if not adjusted properly... or lack of maintenance! If and when YOU do a service on the motor, remember to clean and pack yer bearings with new grease. It's something some folks forget or don't even think about

Cheers buster

My car doesn't even do 5000 miles a year.
A have had wheel bearings fff up weeks after MOT's. Sometimes nuggets over tighten them, never grease them and they just have enough.

I know some garages that wouldn't have smacked the hub stupid to get it off they would have insited on a replacement hub (new or second hand)