Repeated rear hub assembly failure?

('04 Cavalier; 120K miles)
I'd been having a whining noise on (highway) left turns. I found
significant play in the right rear hub assembly, which I replaced. In
less than 200 miles, the same condition had recurred. I got another
under warranty, and installed that. Now, after ~500 miles, there is
again substantial play.

I doubt that I got two bad units, though that's not totally out of the
question. When I replaced the first one, the mounting bolts were all
tight, and everything _looked_ OK (to me). Tire wear has been even
throughout. The car tracks OK.

Any thoughts on what might cause such rapid failure would be
appreciated.

G

wrote:
> ('04 Cavalier; 120K miles)
> I'd been having a whining noise on (highway) left turns. I found
> significant play in the right rear hub assembly, which I replaced. In
> less than 200 miles, the same condition had recurred. I got another
> under warranty, and installed that. Now, after ~500 miles, there is
> again substantial play.
>
> I doubt that I got two bad units, though that's not totally out of the
> question. When I replaced the first one, the mounting bolts were all
> tight, and everything _looked_ OK (to me). Tire wear has been even
> throughout. The car tracks OK.
>
> Any thoughts on what might cause such rapid failure would be
> appreciated.
>
> G

If the tire wear is OK and no other signs, it almost has to be junk or
wrong parts. The rear units are assembled, then pressed and welded with
the correct bearing pre-load. It's possible that there is a bad run of
parts. What brand?


--
Steve W.

On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 10:09:10 -0400, "Steve W." >
wrote:

wrote:
>> ('04 Cavalier; 120K miles)
>> I'd been having a whining noise on (highway) left turns. I found
>> significant play in the right rear hub assembly, which I replaced. In
>> less than 200 miles, the same condition had recurred. I got another
>> under warranty, and installed that. Now, after ~500 miles, there is
>> again substantial play.
>>
>> I doubt that I got two bad units, though that's not totally out of the
>> question. When I replaced the first one, the mounting bolts were all
>> tight, and everything _looked_ OK (to me). Tire wear has been even
>> throughout. The car tracks OK.
>>
>> Any thoughts on what might cause such rapid failure would be
>> appreciated.
>>
>> G
>
>If the tire wear is OK and no other signs, it almost has to be junk or
>wrong parts. The rear units are assembled, then pressed and welded with
>the correct bearing pre-load. It's possible that there is a bad run of
>parts. What brand?

It's a 'Parts Master', from Auto Value. Not exactly gold; but, I
still wouldn't expect a practically out-of-box failure.

On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 13:36:41 -0400, wrote:

>On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 10:09:10 -0400, "Steve W." >
>wrote:
>
wrote:
>>> ('04 Cavalier; 120K miles)
>>> I'd been having a whining noise on (highway) left turns. I found
>>> significant play in the right rear hub assembly, which I replaced. In
>>> less than 200 miles, the same condition had recurred. I got another
>>> under warranty, and installed that. Now, after ~500 miles, there is
>>> again substantial play.
>>>
>>> I doubt that I got two bad units, though that's not totally out of the
>>> question. When I replaced the first one, the mounting bolts were all
>>> tight, and everything _looked_ OK (to me). Tire wear has been even
>>> throughout. The car tracks OK.
>>>
>>> Any thoughts on what might cause such rapid failure would be
>>> appreciated.
>>>
>>> G
>>
>>If the tire wear is OK and no other signs, it almost has to be junk or
>>wrong parts. The rear units are assembled, then pressed and welded with
>>the correct bearing pre-load. It's possible that there is a bad run of
>>parts. What brand?
>
>It's a 'Parts Master', from Auto Value. Not exactly gold; but, I
>still wouldn't expect a practically out-of-box failure.

Did either of the replacement hubs make noise?

On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 11:00:06 -0700, Bill Vanek >
wrote:

>On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 13:36:41 -0400, wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 10:09:10 -0400, "Steve W." >
>>wrote:
>>
wrote:
>>>> ('04 Cavalier; 120K miles)
>>>> I'd been having a whining noise on (highway) left turns. I found
>>>> significant play in the right rear hub assembly, which I replaced. In
>>>> less than 200 miles, the same condition had recurred. I got another
>>>> under warranty, and installed that. Now, after ~500 miles, there is
>>>> again substantial play.
>>>>
>>>> I doubt that I got two bad units, though that's not totally out of the
>>>> question. When I replaced the first one, the mounting bolts were all
>>>> tight, and everything _looked_ OK (to me). Tire wear has been even
>>>> throughout. The car tracks OK.
>>>>
>>>> Any thoughts on what might cause such rapid failure would be
>>>> appreciated.
>>>>
>>>> G
>>>
>>>If the tire wear is OK and no other signs, it almost has to be junk or
>>>wrong parts. The rear units are assembled, then pressed and welded with
>>>the correct bearing pre-load. It's possible that there is a bad run of
>>>parts. What brand?
>>
>>It's a 'Parts Master', from Auto Value. Not exactly gold; but, I
>>still wouldn't expect a practically out-of-box failure.
>
>Did either of the replacement hubs make noise?

If you mean, do I hear anything when turning by hand, no. Not before
they failed, nor after, as far as my hearing goes.

However, there was something, with one of them - I think it was the
2nd replacement, _before_ I put it in. I thought I felt a little
'hitch' when I turned it. It just happened one one time; I couldn't
get it to repeat. I thought maybe the lube had kind of set up sitting
on the shelf, and just needed a little push. (The box had a fair bit
of dust on it, like it had been sitting a long time.)

On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:25:29 -0400, wrote:

>On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 11:00:06 -0700, Bill Vanek >
>wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 13:36:41 -0400, wrote:
>>
>>>On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 10:09:10 -0400, "Steve W." >
>>>wrote:
>>>
wrote:
>>>>> ('04 Cavalier; 120K miles)
>>>>> I'd been having a whining noise on (highway) left turns. I found
>>>>> significant play in the right rear hub assembly, which I replaced. In
>>>>> less than 200 miles, the same condition had recurred. I got another
>>>>> under warranty, and installed that. Now, after ~500 miles, there is
>>>>> again substantial play.
>>>>>
>>>>> I doubt that I got two bad units, though that's not totally out of the
>>>>> question. When I replaced the first one, the mounting bolts were all
>>>>> tight, and everything _looked_ OK (to me). Tire wear has been even
>>>>> throughout. The car tracks OK.
>>>>>
>>>>> Any thoughts on what might cause such rapid failure would be
>>>>> appreciated.
>>>>>
>>>>> G
>>>>
>>>>If the tire wear is OK and no other signs, it almost has to be junk or
>>>>wrong parts. The rear units are assembled, then pressed and welded with
>>>>the correct bearing pre-load. It's possible that there is a bad run of
>>>>parts. What brand?
>>>
>>>It's a 'Parts Master', from Auto Value. Not exactly gold; but, I
>>>still wouldn't expect a practically out-of-box failure.
>>
>>Did either of the replacement hubs make noise?
>
>If you mean, do I hear anything when turning by hand, no. Not before
>they failed, nor after, as far as my hearing goes.

I meant while driving. Did they make noise then?

>However, there was something, with one of them - I think it was the
>2nd replacement, _before_ I put it in. I thought I felt a little
>'hitch' when I turned it. It just happened one one time; I couldn't
>get it to repeat. I thought maybe the lube had kind of set up sitting
>on the shelf, and just needed a little push. (The box had a fair bit
>of dust on it, like it had been sitting a long time.)

On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 11:32:10 -0700, Bill Vanek >
wrote:

>On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 14:25:29 -0400, wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 11:00:06 -0700, Bill Vanek >
>>wrote:
>>
>>>On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 13:36:41 -0400, wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Tue, 28 Jul 2015 10:09:10 -0400, "Steve W." >
>>>>wrote:
>>>>
wrote:
>>>>>> ('04 Cavalier; 120K miles)
>>>>>> I'd been having a whining noise on (highway) left turns. I found
>>>>>> significant play in the right rear hub assembly, which I replaced. In
>>>>>> less than 200 miles, the same condition had recurred. I got another
>>>>>> under warranty, and installed that. Now, after ~500 miles, there is
>>>>>> again substantial play.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I doubt that I got two bad units, though that's not totally out of the
>>>>>> question. When I replaced the first one, the mounting bolts were all
>>>>>> tight, and everything _looked_ OK (to me). Tire wear has been even
>>>>>> throughout. The car tracks OK.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Any thoughts on what might cause such rapid failure would be
>>>>>> appreciated.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> G
>>>>>
>>>>>If the tire wear is OK and no other signs, it almost has to be junk or
>>>>>wrong parts. The rear units are assembled, then pressed and welded with
>>>>>the correct bearing pre-load. It's possible that there is a bad run of
>>>>>parts. What brand?
>>>>
>>>>It's a 'Parts Master', from Auto Value. Not exactly gold; but, I
>>>>still wouldn't expect a practically out-of-box failure.
>>>
>>>Did either of the replacement hubs make noise?
>>
>>If you mean, do I hear anything when turning by hand, no. Not before
>>they failed, nor after, as far as my hearing goes.
>
>I meant while driving. Did they make noise then?

Yeah. SOSO - whining on left steering pressure. That's why I went
back and checked. I'm pretty sure they were both quiet when first
installed. Though, with road noise, and different pavements, I
couldn't absolutely swear to that. There was definitely no play in
either, when first installed - that, I'm certain of. And, there's a
lot now.