Technical Noise - Wheel Bearing or Brake Binding?

[Harlequin]

Hi

Im looking for a bit of help and was wondering if you guys could offer some of your expert advice.....

Basically I have a noise from my front driver side wheel. After driving for 5/10mins I get a high pitched noise from the wheel. Its intermittant and not too loud on wet days but in the dry its louder and constant.

When I turn the wheel to the left it continues but if I turn to the right it stops for a while so I thought it might be a bearing needing replaced. However it also stops when I press on the brakes so I thought it might be the brakes binding or some dirt as well.

Can you guys advise??
Thanks
Harlequin

 

[Stu DemonD]

Any chance of engine, spec and year?

 

[Harlequin]

Sorry,

5Door 52 Plate 1.6 Dynamic

cheers
Harlequin

 

[PNL]

If it is a bearing you will get to a certain speed and the bearing will hum also you may find that it sometimes affects the steering [tramlining] feeling your best bet is to jack up your car grab hold of your wheel top and bottom and see if you have any excessive movement then hold your tyre side to side and repeat the process if that's ok spin your wheel to see if there is any binding or rubbing there may be excessive build up of dust and muck hindering the movement of the pads and you may find that a simple break service is all you need but as I have said have a visual inspection first to see if there is anything obviously wrong

 

[Hellcat]

If it is a bearing you will get to a certain speed and the bearing will hum also you may find that it sometimes affects the steering [tramlining] feeling your best bet is to jack up your car grab hold of your wheel top and bottom and see if you have any excessive movement then hold your tyre side to side and repeat the process if that's ok spin your wheel to see if there is any binding or rubbing there may be excessive build up of dust and muck hindering the movement of the pads and you may find that a simple break service is all you need but as I have said have a visual inspection first to see if there is anything obviously wrong

:yeahthat:

Also try jacking up slightly, to take some of the weight off the wheel, but with some weight still on the wheel. A neutral position will show off any problems with the bearings...

 

[Harlequin]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your responses and sorry for the delay in replying.

Ok I jacked the car up as suggested and checked the wheel incase there was any play. I couldnt feel anything obvious and the wheel felt pretty solid.

There was a lot of rain up here at the weekend and I noticed that the noise wasn't as bad in the wet but this morning (dry and warm) it was noisier.

Any suggestions whats causing this and why it happening when I turn left and go straight but stops when I turn right or hit the brakes?

Thanks
Harlequin

 

[Argonought]

Sounds like an odd one but I suspect more likely a brake issue.

Why don't you drop it into one of those specialist firms that offers a free inspection (better check they've worked on a Stilo before).

Chances are the problem might disappear once the pads are removed and then replaced.

 

[Deckchair5]

Sounds like the inboard drivers side pad is touching on the disc, that's why it eases off as you turn right. Might be insignificant dust etc

If your confident with removing the pads and having a look and clean then that's the way i'd go.

Possible brake piston not retracting. Find somewhere quiet and drive off for 100 metres or so then stop gently with just handbrake (ignore the "handbrake on" warning bleeps). Then get out and, with a wet finger (don't mind how you get it wet ) carefully touch the drivers side front brake disc. If it's way hot then you have a pad touching the disc too hard whilst driving and therefore a non retracting piston

Compare the front discs temps side to side. Should be the same of course

Front bearings are military tank strength

 

[Harlequin]

Thanks guys,

It was really confusing me as it didn't sound like the bearing but the steering factor didnt add up to my experience of brakes (which to be fair is limited). That makes perfect sense though. Cheers.

To be honest I dont have a lot of time to take the pads off at the moment but I will try your other suggestion tonight Deckchair5.

I have also booked it into the local "National Tyres" garage to be looked at in the morning. Really is bugging me so I want it checked ASAP.

I will let you know what the outcome is.

Thanks again.
Harlequin

 

[Deckchair5]

Give the brakes time to cool right down before you try the test. Beware that the discs get surprisingly hot even on a gentle stop otherwise the high pitched squeal will be coming from you.
Pssssst! Yow! You have been warned!

 

[Harlequin]

hahaha fair enough.

Do you know how much it would normally cost to get repaired if it is a case of the piston not retracting???

Cheers
Harlequin

 

[Deckchair5]

More often it's just a case of getting it moving again where it's clogged with dirt and brake dust. It moves so little, around one cm in it's whole life so a bit of contamination or lack of use and it starts to stick

 

[Big Black Stilo]

Mine do this and the cause I reckon is cheap pads (as they were) and excessive dust blocking everything up.

Last time I cleaned the car I blasted a load of dust out the front and within 1 day of driving the front shiny wheeltrims were soon black then grey, then this week, the noise has come back

 

[Harlequin]

Hi Guys,

Well thats it sorted. The garage took the pads off, cleaned them, re-coated them and put them back on. Basically it was just brake dust all along and just cost me £25 in labour. Thanks for all your help.

One thing they did say was that they have had a good few Stilos in over the last week with the same problem so it seems to be quite common.

Thanks again
Harlequin

 

[shinty]

ive got a clunking sound from driver front wheel on fiat bravo 1.6 sx 1997
which seems to throw the steering offf !!!
any ideas
chers

 

[Davren]

ive got a clunking sound from driver front wheel on fiat bravo 1.6 sx 1997
which seems to throw the steering offf !!!
any ideas
chers

Well done for searching out an old thread, but you've posted in the Stilo section of the forum. You're likely to get a better response if you post in the Bravo/Brava section of the forum here:

https://www.fiatforum.com/bravo-brava/