Audi A4 droning noise

[Geko]

I was gonna say it sounds like a wheel bearing. Let us know if it solves the issue.

[maltloaf]

My tools have arrived, good old Amazon prime.

I was a bit wary as a lot of the posts I've seen say that undoing the axle bolt is ridiculously tough and it needs a long breaker bar and an extension pipe on top to crack but I've just got mine undone with a 2ft breaker bar with no issues. The only other thing that's worrying me is rounding off the wheel bearing bolts as they are aluminium spline bolts and likely to be a bit seized. I'll give them a good soaking with plus gas as soon as I see back end of the thread (they are behind the brake disc).

I have got to go and pick up the bearing from a local motor parts place then hopefully I'll have a go at the job tomorrow.

Cheers,

Malty

[maltloaf]

Went to pick up the parts and a fella I sold a car to was behind the counter and gave me a hefty discount so I opted to buy a front hub as well so I could get it all pre-assembled.

Got home and lined it all up, seemed to be quite straightforward, gave it a few taps with a rubber mallet and it seemed to be going in ok, I then remembered I have a home-made press which I used for the headset bearings on my bike. Wound it on and slowly tightened it and it worked perfectly. Everything is now assembled and it should be a matter of just swapping them over.

Need the car tonight (our other is getting some suspension work done at the dealers) so I didn't want to risk not having one, so will have to wait until tomorrow.

[AD]

Sounds like a common issue.

Try driving without your missus in the passenger seat, if the droning noise goes away...... tell her to get the bus

[crazyal]

Angry bees in the vibrator. Check the glovebox.

[maltloaf]

Well, I changed it today. I got the axle bolt off no problem, brake calliper off and brake disc off ok, removed the drive shaft, got the wheel bearing bolts out no problem but when it came to getting the old bearing out of the steering knuckle I hit a bit of a brick wall.

It seemed like it was welded in there. Every DIY write up said it would either fall out or need a few taps from the rear. I must have hit it 500 times ! Suddenly what I expected to be a 2h job turned into 4, 5 and then 6 hours.

I spoke to a mate who is a mechanic and he said it was like the transit ones he does, which he does with a big cold chisel. I don't have much in the way of chisels here so had to go begging and the brother in law brought an assortment of chisels and pry bars and good sized lump hammer. If he had been stopped by the police he probably would have been arrested for going equipped.

Six good bangs later with a big brick chisel and it popped out. Easy peasy. Bloody thing !

Wound the new one in on the screws, lined up and reinstalled the drive shaft, reinstalled the brakes and tightened the axle bolt.

Went for a drive and the noise has got 95% better. No more drone but I swear I could still hear something. I don't know if I'm just paranoid and hearing road/gearbox normal noise but I think it's still there a tiny bit, which may mean I end up doing the other side as well but will ask the missus to listen to it first with a fresh pair of ears.

Happy with my efforts today, even if it did take 3 times longer than it should have !

Cheers,

Malty

[WRATH OF BOD]

did you only change the one side?
should really do both mate.

[maltloaf]

did you only change the one side?
should really do both mate.

At the moment yes but I am thinking I'll do the other, especially as I now know the score and have the tools. No particular reason to replace both at once though unless they are both shot, it's not like springs or tyres.