[Corsa B 1993-2000] steering shakey at 40mph

[ardenblue]

seems im having not much luck with my little 1.0 corsa lately

i adjusted the brakes yesterday at the rear as the handbrake wasnt great and i had the smallest amount of catching on the rear shoes hubs still spun but shoes barely rubbed the hubs. i went for a quick spin at car was going great till i got upto around 40mph i could feel the weirdest shaking throught the steering wheel. So i pulled over and could smell a weird smell like hot metal i put my hand through the rear spokes on the wheels and the hubs were red hot actually burnt top of my finger tips. left the car for a while to cool down the hubs when they had gone cool i drove back home arouund 35mph hoped out no burning smell and hubs were cold again i got the car lifted up got the hubs off and adjusted the shoes back off but still have the weird shakey feel when going upto 40mph. I even made sure the first time when i did the rear shoes adjusting not to tighten the nuts up like mad barely nipped up and same when i re-done them last night car was perfect the night i collected it was flying along at 70 and 80mph and not a shake out of it.

Am i after wrecking the rear bearings by letting the shoes catch ever so slightly and getting the hubs so hot or is this more something up front ive only taken off the drivers wheel to replace pads but they were wrong so put all back together

[Taurus]

You're unlikely to have wrecked the bearing just by getting them hot due to the rear shoes catching, but you may have damaged them if they are torqued up wrong and have got too hot. When cold the rear hubs on the B should be just on the point of having the tiniest amount of play in them, the bearings are tapered so as they warm up the expansion takes up the play. If they're set too tight then when they get warm they are over-torqued and that's when they can get hot and suffer damage.

Vibrations are usually due to tyre or wheel problems. Jack each wheel up in turn and spin them by hand to make sure they are rotating freely with no odd noises. You'll hear a dud bearing grumble straightaway. Check the wheels are on straight with nothing stuck between the hub and the wheel. Check all tyres for signs of damage and check pressures.

[zuluman]

I once had a vibration problem wit the Corsa.

It turned out that the steel in the tyre bead (the part nearest which seals unto the rim) on a rear wheel had broken down.

It would cause vibration e.g the passenger seat would wobble.


could it be that the self adjuster tightened up the shoes??



As to the bearing, I quote the following from a German maintenance manual - for what its worth

You should check the Haynes manual for the Corsa B first though before following these steps in order to verify them. I would also be interested to see what Haynes says.

Adjusting the bearings for the rear wheels. (also works for bedding new bearings)

Jack up the rear until the tyre is free to turn (the tyre/wheel is on the car)

Remove the bearing cap

Remove the split pin

Slowly rotate the brake drum (via the tyre) as you torque the castle head nut to 25 Nm (twenty five) - ****Please check the Haynes manual to verify this - Taurus has one so ask him nicely!!****

Once done rotate the whole wheel forwards and back a number of times

Release the castle head nut just enough that the washer underneath it can just about move

The play is correct when the washer can just about be moved using a flat blade screwdriver and finger pressure on the screwdriver. Do NOT move the washer by levering the screwdriver off the rim or elsewhere.

if the castle head does not line up with the pin hole, tighten until they line up.

Check if the washer can still move

If not, release the castle head back so that the previous hole lines up

Insert new split pin. Bend end of same in towards wheel.

Insert grease on bearing cap

replace cap by gently tapping with a mallet

Funnily enough, they claim that the caps should have a rubber O ring. I have never seen a ring(???)

Also if the cap is damaged, they state it can let in wet into the bearings


Having said all this, I rattle the brake dru to judge the play - that 'feel' comes form experience

[ardenblue]

You're unlikely to have wrecked the bearing just by getting them hot due to the rear shoes catching, but you may have damaged them if they are torqued up wrong and have got too hot. When cold the rear hubs on the B should be just on the point of having the tiniest amount of play in them, the bearings are tapered so as they warm up the expansion takes up the play. If they're set too tight then when they get warm they are over-torqued and that's when they can get hot and suffer damage.

Vibrations are usually due to tyre or wheel problems. Jack each wheel up in turn and spin them by hand to make sure they are rotating freely with no odd noises. You'll hear a dud bearing grumble straightaway. Check the wheels are on straight with nothing stuck between the hub and the wheel. Check all tyres for signs of damage and check pressures.

i tightened them up not mad tight one hand on the rachet kind of and slackened them off a bit to allow for movement and play as you say and so i could put the split pins back through. i'll double check them to be 100% sure ive ordered new bearings with seats aswell and grease as the bearings didnt have much grease when i was doing the brake adjusting and was very brown rusty looking grease. I adjusted the shoes of a bit cleaned the bearings and put fresh red high speed grease back in..

as for the shakey steering i asked herself what the car is like now as she drove it after me doing the rear brakes and said its not half as bad tommorow ive to fit new pads to the front so it will be up off the ground and going to have a good look around the front tyres are nearly new but will go over everything while its up in the air
and check for anything worn or out of place

[ardenblue]

I dont think it the tyres there two new ones up front and its more like a kind of loose wobble if you get my drift it will be up on axles stands tommorow s will be pulling and prying at most bushes to see what they like and checking all rubbers and balljoints

thats a very detail write up on doing them that will come in handy when re-fitting the new bearings nice one for sharing that

[Taurus]

I'd suggest investing in a Haynes if you haven't got one. Well worth it.

It sounds like you may have pre-loaded the bearings a bit too much from how you describe tightening them. The state of the grease (brown and rusty) doesn't sound good. Check the seal on the back bearing, if that fails water and much gets into the bearing and that will wreck them.

[ardenblue]

i have a haynes manual here funny enough i dont know if it covers the 1.0 12v though

i didnt forcefully tighten them but i didnt leave them mad loose somone told me last night to do the castle nuts up by hand with two fingers thats all they really need i have new bearings coming so will be following the guide posted above to make sure i dont damage these ones.yes the grease was a brown rusty colour i wiped off as much of it from the stub axle and inside the hub around bearings and replaced it with new fresh red grease seal on back were no grease inside where it shouldnt be new brakes

[zuluman]

I meant the tyres on the rear. I had that problem and the car vibrated.


Tightening the castle head nuts by hand *may* not be enough if the bearings have been disturbed when you removed the hub.

You may think it is tight but the bearing may not be seated or be exactly square . - Maybe something like this this caused the vibration?

It certainly will not be enough to 'seat' new bearings

Perhaps the old bearings are now shot?

By the way, - just in case - the castles on the nut face outwards not inwards

You need to inspect and check that everything is tight on the wheel/hub/suspension and axle and elsewhere (maybe there is a problem coincidentally somewhere else e.g front wheels??) before bringing it out on the road.

If fitting new bearings always use a complete new set on the side you are replacing. Do not mix parts of new and old.

However, you do not need to replace the bearings on the other side in the same way you would have to replace for example the brake pads on a whole axle.

[ardenblue]

I meant the tyres on the rear. I had that problem and the car vibrated.


Tightening the castle head nuts by hand *may* not be enough if the bearings have been disturbed when you removed the hub.

You may think it is tight but the bearing may not be seated or be exactly square . - Maybe something like this this caused the vibration?

It certainly will not be enough to 'seat' new bearings

Perhaps the old bearings are now shot?

By the way, - just in case - the castles on the nut face outwards not inwards

You need to inspect and check that everything is tight on the wheel/hub/suspension and axle and elsewhere (maybe there is a problem coincidentally somewhere else e.g front wheels??) before bringing it out on the road.

If fitting new bearings always use a complete new set on the side you are replacing. Do not mix parts of new and old.

However, you do not need to replace the bearings on the other side in the same way you would have to replace for example the brake pads on a whole axle.

ive ordered 2 new rear tyres for the nct irish vesion of the mot,,we have driven the car most of this morning and the vibration it had has dissapered since i re did the adjusments on the rear brakes and went round all the wheels with wheel brace to check tightness

by hand i mean with the correct size socket on the ratchet and castle nut not pulling with two hands on the ratchet just one,, i grabbed the hubs before fitting the wheels back on they spin freely and have the smallest amount of play to allow the bearings to take up the rest

the bearings seem fine now growling or anything so i think i might have just got away with cleaning and re-greaseing them my handbrake is on the weak side about 6 or 7 clicks and its solid

the castle nuts i know only go one way with the seperated tips face outwards allowing the split pin to sit between one and secure the nuts from turning or coming off

the car was fine when i drove it home approx 38 miles at 65mph to 70mph and 80mph in places apart from the handbrake been very slack and not really gripping the back wheels unless pulled right up. Im going to go over the whole car today check all the front for play or worn parts and replace them with new

ive ordered new bearings as i like knowing ive good parts fitted to the car that wont fail and i dont know when this car was last checked for items like that. The new bearings come as a kit new bearing races both inner and outer and two new bearings for each wheel so in total 4 bearings 2 large and 2 small and same with bearing races and rear grease seals for inside the hubs

[walksall]

Do NOT put too much grease in the hub cap, I came across one chap who had filled the cap with grease, hammered it on, removed it again and applied more grease before hammering it on again. This could have forced grease through the seal onto the brakes, but what happened in this case was, that as the bearings warmed up, the pressure inside built up and blew the cap off again!!

Depending upon the new tyres, there is a chance that they may be out of balance, so, even though they are on the rear wheels, it would pay to get them balanced.
I know that tyre people want to balance new tyres for you, but even tyres 'bed in' to some extent, meaning that it may be better to run them for two-three hundred miles before balancing them - they will then stay in balance for longer.

Regards

[ardenblue]

Do NOT put too much grease in the hub cap, I came across one chap who had filled the cap with grease, hammered it on, removed it again and applied more grease before hammering it on again. This could have forced grease through the seal onto the brakes, but what happened in this case was, that as the bearings warmed up, the pressure inside built up and blew the cap off again!!

Depending upon the new tyres, there is a chance that they may be out of balance, so, even though they are on the rear wheels, it would pay to get them balanced.
I know that tyre people want to balance new tyres for you, but even tyres 'bed in' to some extent, meaning that it may be better to run them for two-three hundred miles before balancing them - they will then stay in balance for longer.

Regards

i didnt fill the caps with grease i just cover the spindal put some in by hand in the rear bearing re-fiited the hub and put more in the front not a massive amount just enough before refitting front bearing and then fitted washer what ever grease pushed out around the edge of bearing and washer i wiped away and re-fitted grease cap.

i wouldt say it the tyres tbh as it was fine before i went at the car so i'd safely say it was something i might have done. Im going to replace the back tyres as there not great thread wise and have them re balanced with new tyres