1st Gen R53 Cooper S I Think I Need - Wheel hub with bearing, front 2 03/2002 - 07/2006 31226756889

Have this odd rolling sound from the front. Seems to be drivers side. Jacked the MINI up off all 4s and set it on jackstands.

Passenger front spins much more freely than drivers front. But could that be just the extra stuff (no LSD, just a plain ole open ended diff) on the drivers side axle?

No noise front either corner when I spin 'em. But then there's no weight either.

It's not a bad loud noise. But you know how it is. You get to know the character/personality of the car and you can tell when something's different.

And so there's this odd rolling noise.

....Les

 

I haven't had a chance to check for those classic signs as of yet.

I did notice this morning that it seems to be getting louder and here's something odd as well.

The ASC light came on and stayed on for the entire commute this morn. But then upon return later this morn it did not come on.

Raining cats and dogs now (and the occasional Alpaca) so I can't check anything.

I replaced both drivers side hubs on the old '02 MCS right around 50k miles and within a month or so of each other.

Reckon I better start looking into sourcing some hubs.

....Les

 

I take this to mean that ASC activation is comparative wheel speed sensitive?

I'll have to give WMW a call see what he wants for a wheel hub.

I don't think I have enough empirical data just yet to say with certainty that it is the wheel hub.

....Les

 

Yeah Chuck, the hubs are probably different. Dang! And I bet they're a lot cheaper to boot!

So I should push sharply in at the top of tire.

Waddaya think Chuck? Should I believe anything an uneducated person from California posts? :wink:

But then again, they could be right, from way over on the left.

I'll meander out to the garage now and see what I can see.

....Les

 

Nope. No clicking or movement.

If I recall correctly from the '02, there really wasn't any movement, just a slight vibration, like maybe a ball had a flat spot or something.

But it would change a bit with speed and direction.

It wasn't until I took the hub off and had it in me mitts and gave it a spin that I could actually feel it. Took it with me out to Classic and compared it to a new one. What a difference.

Anyways, when I get some time I'll pull that hub off and see what it feels like.

Tomorrow we've got to run down to Polk, Ohio and pick up a dozen pullets plus feed so that'll pretty much eat up the day.

....Les

P.S. I think Keith and I were typing at the same time.

 

I let the noise get louder and so finally pulled off the hub that I suspected was the culprit.

Here's a couple of pics for those that have never done this before.









It doesn't spin freely, and makes an odd frapping noise when you do rotate it. Called Classic MINI and they have one in stock. Will run over there on lunch tomorrow and pick it up. The Mrs. wishes to go as well to look over the Countryman offerings.

I'll get it back together tomorrow evening in time for dinner.

Cool part is that my 8 year old 20 dollar impact wrench finally failed, and so I needed to get something to replace it. Picked up the Ingersoll Rand 231C.

Wow!

'Nuff said

....Les

 

So I'm not quite done with this noise on the drivers side front wheel. But I think I'm close.

I've done quite a few wheel bearings over the years on a variety of different cars/trucks/whatevers. And so I'm fairly familiar with what they sound like when they're going south.

But this time I was a bit stumped because whilst the noise sounded vaguely familiar, I wasn't completely sure. So, that's why I took it apart for the "in hand test". Yep, the wheel hub/bearing was definitely bad. Turning it you could feel tiny vibrations and then there was that strange frapping noise.

Put it all back together with a new wheel hub/bearing assembly from Classic MINI and.......mmmmmm.....what's that other strange noise coming from that same corner.

Checked and re-torqued my assembly, and all was well there. Drove it for a couple of days and the noise persisted. No vibrations, no clicking, almost like a dragging pad but it didn't change when I applied the brakes.

Did change when you would change directions. Stumped.

One evening working in the garage I needed to move the MINI so I just pushed it. Hey...what's that strange noise coming from the TIRE!!

Jacked the MINI up and swapped the tires on that side front to back. Pushed the MINI and no noise from that corner. Took the MINI for a ride. No noise from that corner.

I think I have a bad tire. Won't be able to get down to the tire store until Monday.

ButI believe it was there all along just intermixed with the knackered wheel hub/bearing noise.

The saga continues.

...Les