S60 T5 Wheel Bearing Replacement

[Lobo1943]

I have a 2001 Volvo S60 T5, and I was wondering if any can tell me how to check to see f the right front wheel bearing needs to be replaced. And does anyone have a schematic for replacing the wheel bearing. My car has a noise coming from the right front and as I speed up the noise gets louder. I have about 166,000 miles.
Lobe1943

[5806]

Although your noise description can indicate a bad bearing you will want to be sure of your diagnosis since it could easily be be many other problems associated with your suspension, tires, or CV axle. Finding out if it's your bearing should be pretty easy though. Good noise indications are a whine or grinding noise or a noise that increases or goes away when you turn. To confirm it's your bearing jack up the front of your car and put it on stands. Remove the suspect wheel. I would also suggest taking the caliper off so you aren't hearing the pads rubbing against the rotor. With these removed you can spin the rotor and listen for any grinding or metalic rubbing sounds. You should also check for play in the bearing. Push and pull the rotor at the top and try to wiggle it back and forth. There should be no play at all (make sure the play isn't in a different part such as the tie rod end or ball joint). If you search youtube for wheel bearing noise you will find some good examples of what to look for. If you have noise and especially if you have play, you should replace the bearing/wheel hub.

I can't say I've ever done it on an S60, but I've done it a couple of times before including on my 850 last weekend and the proceedure is for the most part universal for all vehicles where you replace the entire hub. The generic proceedures are to remove the axle nut, wheel, caliper, and rotor. You then need to disconnect the steering knuckle from the control arm either at the ball joint or disconnect the control arm from the frame. You can then remove the CV axle out of the hub and pull the steering knuckle out of the way of the CV axle. Then remove the bolts behind the steering knuckle that hold the hub on (at least 4 of them). You will very probably need lots of penetrating oil and heat to get these loose if they are rusted. Once the bolts are removed pull the old hub off. The old hub may be rusted on as well so be patient. Installation of the new hub is the reverse of removal. Make sure you set the hub bolts and especially the axle nut to the proper torque.

Check your other suspension parts such as ball joints and tie rods for wear while you are in there. You should also check the other side's bearing for wear as well since it is common for one bad bearing to cause the other side to go bad as well. It is also usually recommended to have your alignment checked when you're done since you may have changed your steering geometry when you were working on the control arm.