Possible wheel bearing?

[rar110]

The passenger front has just started producing a lowish tone speaking noise that increases in frequency with the speed of the car. It starts soon after take off and then disappears.

Front wheel bearings?

[BigJon]

Fair chance.

[rar110]

Another problem at the front is a slight weep from the rack and pinion steering. I don't think this is related, but will need replacing at some stage into the future. But no other known problems. However my L322 has done 255,000km, so there will be some wear in the front end.

I have the opportunity to buy locally a reasonably priced low km front axle, complete other than EAS. But it's from a 3.6 facelift so different brake callipers. I would need to swap these.

Rather than replace the bearings on both sides and the steering rack sometime in the future, should I buy the front axle? How many hours would it cost to do the swap?

[chaybra]

Its my understanding that to replace he steering rack, you would nearly have to remove the entire front sub frame.
not an easy job seeings how the engine is also sitting on this.
Im assuming by "complete front axle" is the subframe? or just the wheel hubs, drive shafts? The engine mounts may also be different if its the subframe option.
The hubs should be the same, wheel bearings you can find for about $50 each. they are shared with audis and some other large 4x4 suvs

[Road Stone]

Hi Pete,

When I purchased my car, one of the issues, apart from the turbo, was play in the steering rack.

I decided to change it.

I was quoted new AU$1200 or there abouts, They fitted a recon exchanged with my old on for about AU$400.

It was, as Chaybra says, by all accounts a pig of a job, front axle having to be moved. The Indie only allowed his best mechanic to do the job too, which added a 3 week delay to shipping, because he was on leave.

Also, recon racks were not "off the shelf" and it took 4 weeks to get one.

So if you can get the bits at a good price, go for it!

Cheers, Jerry

[rar110]

The thing holding me back is that there isn't any reported front diff failures on the facelift L322. Even though the diff has quite a small oil reservoir. My indie has also said it's unlikely to fail. But the spare is low low km and its local and its cheap. It could sit here for 5 years and still be cheap. I think I've talked myself into it, thanks Jerry. But I will just get the bearings done this time around.

[Graeme]

I have the opportunity to buy locally a reasonably priced low km front axle, complete other than EAS. But it's from a 3.6 facelift so different brake callipers. I would need to swap these.The bolt holes for the MY10-12 calliper brackets are larger and there's not enough material to enlarge pre-MY10 brackets to take the larger dia bolts. MY10 3.6 has a different calliper to MY07-09 which also provides less braking so a backward step to replace MY07-MY09 brakes with MY10.