I just finished replacing the front left wheel bearing on my 2001 a4 1.8tqm. The reason i replaced it was because i was getting the typical wheel bearing noise when i would be going over 45mph. The reason i did the front left was because i could hear it coming from there, and when i would turn right at all, the noise would go away. Now after i have replaced it I am getting the same noise but i cant pinpoint the location, and when i turn right it still makes the noise now. I left it on a jack stand on the left side for a while while i replaced the left bearing, could that have possible damaged the right ones somehow? I left it up on one side for about two weeks. What are the odds another wheel bearing would go bad by just sitting there? I also should add it has been outside in my driveway and it has been on average 25 degrees F all week.

Gabe

 

Typically when there is wheel bearing noise when turning, the bearing on the side opposite the side compressed during the turn has the worn bearing. So if the noise is not apparent when turning right, the right wheel bearing is producing the noise since it is the left suspension under load.

It is always a good idea to replace bearings on both sides of each axle at the same time since if one is worn, the other is usually not much better.

The air temperature has no influence on the noise coming from the bearing.

 

How does that explain the noise when turning right now? is the new bearing bad? Also the bearing i took out was indeed a bad bearing, you could feel the play in it.

 

Replace the RH front bearing.

 

I'm just worried it may be coming from the transmission, is it possible for a trany to make a similar noise to a wheel bearing when something in the transmission is going bad?

 

If you have a manual gearbox, next time you hear the noise step on the clutch to disengage the gearbox. If the noise is still present, you need to replace the RH front bearing. If the noise disappears when you press the clutch pedal, you may have a worn input shaft bearing in the gearbox.

 

Sure doesn't sound like a tranny prob to me.

Sometimes when you eliminate one noise, you start hearing another that was masked by the first one. Jack up the RF and turn the wheel. Put your hand on the coil spring while the wheel is turning: lots of times you can feel the bad bearing grinding up through the spring.

 

Might as well replace both bearings.

Then again, I do realize if its not broke, don't fix it.