RE: What happens when wheel bearings "go"?

[Randy Block <RandyB@E-Risk.com>]

He he he.
Hey Craig, does this ring a bell?
Laguna Seca, 2 years ago, turn 6, my old 81 Scirocco.

Came drifting through the left hander, an E-36 M3 right in front of me when
BAM!,  wheel bearing seized (welded itself to the axle/spindle), snapped the
axle, sheared the phillips screw that holds the brake disc to spindle, and
stuffed the front R wheel into the fender. (DON'T TOUCH THE BRAKE PEDAL, use
the E-brake - managed to keep the car under control this way).
Coasted to the side of the track, was towed back to the paddock, left it
there overnight while I went to SJ to get spare parts from the local yard.
Put new/used parts (control arm, axle, spindle, brake caliper/disc/pads,
tierod end, lower balljoint, and I was back on the road. (had aligned a week
later)
The only thing holding the wheel onto the car was the brake caliper around
the loose front disc.

Could this happen to you?, dunno. 
These were severe racing-type conditions and there was no sign of failure
prior to it happening.
If yours IS making noise, it could last a long time, could go tomorrow.
Do you want to take that chance?

Just though I'd share.

Randy B
81 (Mars) Scirocco S - Techtonics Tuning 1847cc 8V
81 (Cosmos) Scirocco S - future Oettinger 16V project
87 Jetta GLI 16V - daily driver 

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	DNK006@aol.com [SMTP:DNK006@aol.com]
	Sent:	Monday, January 08, 2001 4:39 PM
	To:	scirocco-l@scirocco.org
	Subject:	What happens when wheel bearings "go"?

	Okay ... that noise from the right-front wheel bearing is getting
loud and 
	changing quickly.  
	I have to change the clutch when the weather gets better, should I
wait until 
	then?
	Worse case:  what happens to the bearing if I leave it and it were
to go bad?

	Thanks
	Ben
	86 8v

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