Renault Megane 2000 - Front wheel bearing?

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Thu 23 Nov 2023 13:51
Renault Megane 2000 - Front wheel bearing? - Dave N
It sounds like the front OS wheel bearing is knackered. Whining, rumbling, worse when under load (left turns). But, when you jack it up and spin the wheel, as best you can when its also turning the driveshaft, it feels ok and there is no slop when trying to wobble the wheel at any angle.

So can it be the wheel bearing, or is there something I’m missing, before I get the hub off and attempt to press out the bearing.
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Thu 23 Nov 2023 15:32
Renault Megane 2000 - Front wheel bearing? - edlithgow

Sounds like it sounds like the wheel bearing, so it probably is.

You could see if the hub getting hotter than the other side after a run, perhaps using an IR thermometer.

I had one side getting hotter than the other on the Skywing, but I wasn't sure the brakes werent binding on one side, so I took the brake calipers off and ran it stationary on axle stands.

That side still got hotter (though less so) so I tentatively concluded it was a bearing problem

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Thu 23 Nov 2023 15:35
Renault Megane 2000 - Front wheel bearing? - elekie&a/c doctor
I would check all wheel rotations . Very often wheel bearing noise can transfer to another end of the car , not where you think it’s coming from .
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Fri 24 Nov 2023 08:23
Renault Megane 2000 - Front wheel bearing? - Dave N
I would check all wheel rotations . Very often wheel bearing noise can transfer to another end of the car , not where you think it’s coming from .

Good idea. I dont know how long it has been since I had the rear jacked up.
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Thu 23 Nov 2023 15:33
Renault Megane 2000 - Front wheel bearing? - Andrew-T

Your symptoms sound like wheel bearing to me, not a CV joint. If you are able to DiY the bearing, and a new one is not that expensive, why not do it anyway (if the car is 23 years old ... )

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Thu 23 Nov 2023 19:39
Renault Megane 2000 - Front wheel bearing? - Oli rag

I don’t want to put you off, but I had a Renault megane mark 1 and also had front wheel bearing problems.
Fast forward to several hours later, with me stood in my garage with the hub in a vice desperately trying to get the old bearing out using a drift and a club hammer.

I did eventually win, ( no press other than the vice available here), but do remember thinking on several occasions, why did I ever start this job!

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Thu 23 Nov 2023 22:35
Renault Megane 2000 - Front wheel bearing? - bathtub tom

I'd also check the bearing on the other side. Logic states that if it's noisy turning left, then it's the RH side. That's often untrue. Don't ask me how I know!

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Fri 24 Nov 2023 08:26
Renault Megane 2000 - Front wheel bearing? - Dave N

I'd also check the bearing on the other side. Logic states that if it's noisy turning left, then it's the RH side. That's often untrue. Don't ask me how I know!

The other side was done by a garage 6 or 7 years ago. They may have butchered it of course, as some time later when I replaced the discs they had left the broken piece of a torx bit in the disc retaining screw!
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Fri 24 Nov 2023 16:35
Renault Megane 2000 - Front wheel bearing? - gordonbennet

I'd also check the bearing on the other side. Logic states that if it's noisy turning left, then it's the RH side. That's often untrue. Don't ask me how I know!

Been there done that.

Friends Peug 305 making a horrid wheel bearing noise on turning one way, the noise was coming from the front wheel taking the outside of the corner so assumed its that bearing.
We changed it only to discover the noise was still there, swapped the other side out which cured it, we broke the sealed bearing pack open and found it was the inner race on the opposite wheel.

This is the problem with sealed pack bearings, you can't drop them out for a grease repack at sensible times like when renewing discs, give tapers a clean and grease refresh and they'll outlive all of us.

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Fri 24 Nov 2023 08:22
Renault Megane 2000 - Front wheel bearing? - Dave N

I don’t want to put you off, but I had a Renault megane mark 1 and also had front wheel bearing problems.
Fast forward to several hours later, with me stood in my garage with the hub in a vice desperately trying to get the old bearing out using a drift and a club hammer.

I did eventually win, ( no press other than the vice available here), but do remember thinking on several occasions, why did I ever start this job!

A garage did the other side before, but I see you get a whole new hub for not much money, plus a new bearing of course.
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Sun 26 Nov 2023 18:26
Renault Megane 2000 - Front wheel bearing? - Dave N
Mmm, jacked it up and went round each wheel. No problems found, everything felt tight and spun nicely. Only sloght issue seemed to be the front OS driveshaft seemed to have a bit of rotational slop, but then it is the long side.
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