Andy - Mondeo CV Joint + Bearings

[Cunning Plan]

After opinions please fellas.

My Mondeo is now at 161k

The front right CV joint has been clunking for thousands of miles now and there is now a whirring noise like bearings coming from the middle of the car / front right.

I put the car in the air to test the front right wheel bearing which had no movement in it.

I've been reading that the intermediate bearing on the front right driveshaft can also go, causing the noise.

Bearings are £50 plus VAT, plus getting them pressed in, plus me pulling all the rusty old stuff apart / no car for a few days.

CV joint from the scrappy is £25, but it's an unknown quality.

I'm not sure how much the intermediate bearing is, but it looks like a terrible job to do.

So, I'm looking at least £130+, plus my time to do it, plus anything that breaks along the way.

Can you give me any information about replacing the bearings / intermediate shaft bearing? or even the CV joint / drive shaft?

I am seriously considering buying a diesel now as i have needed one for a while, but all this extra work and expense on the old car doesn't seem worth it.



This got me thinking.. How did RK buy that MK3 Mondeo with 180k on it, yet it doesn't need the bearings doing?

[F Body]

Modern cars are way more reliable than they used to be when I used to run sheds

100,000 miles seems pretty easy, but if your going to go over 150k miles you have to have a decent service history, or be prepared for anything to fail and either fix it or scrap the car

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: F Body

100,000 miles seems pretty easy, but if your going to go over 150k miles you have to have a decent service history, or be prepared for anything to fail and either fix it or scrap the car

My car has a full service history - all done by myself.

Bearings and CV joint etc, aren't really part of a service though???

[Fieldy]

My CV has been clunking for 1000's of miles too....

[Andy]

Quoting: Fieldy

My CV has been clunking for 1000's of miles too....

aye, on my old diesel mondy the CV was shagged on that for aggges, lock to lock, CLUNK, always a good one when parking the car.

You're right though, the bearing in the middle of the driveshaft can go, though i've never had one personally go, so would be quite interested on how much work it involved.

Quoting: Cunning Plan

I put the car in the air to test the front right wheel bearing which had no movement in it.

When my one went I found that only with a load on the bearing did it make any noise. I could not get it to reproduce the noise in the air on a jack, so just be weary that it could still be that bearing.

I also have a CV joint sat on my bed side table for a diesel mondy, not sure if its the same as the petrol one, but if you check it out and they are you're welcome to it for postage value.

The only info I know about replacing the CV joints is that you have to be careful when you pull the drive shafts as you will put them out of the gear box end, so be careful not to damage the CV joint there.

Quoting: Cunning Plan

This got me thinking.. How did RK buy that MK3 Mondeo with 180k on it, yet it doesn't need the bearings doing?

They probably have been replaced at sometime, you just don't know.

[Cunning Plan]

Thanks for the information Andy.

I've been reading about replacing the whole drive shaft on the right side which includes a new intermediate shaft bearing - which would also be new CV joints, grease and CV boots - so that might eliminate the clunk and perhaps the bearing noise.

I might just do that, but whilst I have the right side off, get a new bearing pressed in too.

Is it bad practice of me to just replace the front-right wheel bearing? (Bearing - haha bearing.... but, bearing in mind I am on a tight budget to keep the car going..).

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

My Mondeo is now at 161k

Pah, just a whipper snapper.

[Andy]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

Is it bad practice of me to just replace the front-right wheel bearing?

If it's the only one gone then nothing wrong with just replacing the one. Check the other side though, if it's noisy or not as smooth running (bare in mind the pads might give a false impression if they're too close) you might as well get your friendly local garage to press two at the same time. I have seen someone get them out before with a fly-press but putting them in you really need to make sure they're cock on.

[Cunning Plan]

I decided to just go for it and replace the whole shaft which will give me a new intermediate bearing, new CV joints / grease etc.

Whilst it is off, I will also put a new bearing on that side..





Bitch of a job though - not what I want to be doing at the moment, but weighing it up, £160ish for all this (plus my labour) or 2k+ on a new car. As I say the car is fully serviced, so this makes sense at the moment

[Andy]

How much fun did you have with the hub pinch bolt. It's the only thing that stops me wanting to remove the hubs. From all the forum posts I've seen, they're 99.9% likely to shear off apparently!

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Andy

How much fun did you have with the hub pinch bolt. It's the only thing that stops me wanting to remove the hubs. From all the forum posts I've seen, they're 99.9% likely to shear off apparently!

Fine to be honest A few squirts of GT85 and went at it with a good breaker bar.

Shouldn't be TOO bad even if it does sheer - there is lots of room to drill and most of the bolt is a sleeve, only the tip section is threaded. You should be alright bud, go for it.

[philoldsmobile]

a second hand CV for £25???? an 'other' (premium) car brand CV joint costs £20 (admittedly pattern) and 02's come in at £28 - Ford parts do seem mega expensive..

Nothing wrong with changing one wheel bearing. its only really springs, bushes or dampers that should be done in pairs.

[philoldsmobile]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

This got me thinking.. How did RK buy that MK3 Mondeo with 180k on it, yet it doesn't need the bearings doing?

200,000 motorway miles are far kinder to a car than even 50,000 mixed or urban miles - almost all wear occurs when cold. RK's mondeo had dome mainly motorway miles.

Its one of the many reasons larger cars make better used buys than small ones. small cars are likely to have done more urban mileage.

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: philoldsmobile

200,000 motorway miles are far kinder to a car than even 50,000 mixed or urban miles - almost all wear occurs when cold. RK's mondeo had dome mainly motorway miles.

Its one of the many reasons larger cars make better used buys than small ones. small cars are likely to have done more urban mileage.

Good points.

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

This got me thinking.. How did RK buy that MK3 Mondeo with 180k on it, yet it doesn't need the bearings doing?

I brought it with 171k . . . . it's now got 187k.

[Roadkill]

HA !!

I've got a rumble off the front, N/S corner that doesn't quite sound like a wheel bearing . . . I'm suspecting driveshaft / CV joint so Googled it and guess which thread came 8th on the first page . . ?  

Go us !

Quoting: Cunning Plan

This got me thinking.. How did RK buy that MK3 Mondeo with 180k on it, yet it doesn't need the bearings doing?

This made me smile (again) though . . . she's now got just under 249,000 miles on her, by the way . . .

[Cunning Plan]

Quoting: Roadkill

came 8th on the first page

That's quite impressive and shows that Google now ranks us as an authority and will show our results for the subject-matter being searched (it isn't enough just to have a few lines of text about Mondeos to then be ranked on the first page. For example, a page on Mondeos on the Ann Summer's website will not appear on the first page, even though Ann Summers is a high ranking website for underwear ect).

Quoting: Roadkill

I'm suspecting driveshaft / CV joint

Yes, although, does it need repair? That knocking on my one lasted thousands of miles, I would say between 10 and 20k!

[Roadkill]

Quoting: Cunning Plan

Yes, although, does it need repair? That knocking on my one lasted thousands of miles, I would say between 10 and 20k!

I've already had it over 25,000 miles . . . . . . . ! ! !  

I get my money's worth !

In fact the only reason I'm looking at it now is because we're planning to drive into Europe later in the month . . don't fancy breaking down out there.

[Fieldy]

Seeing as this has been resurrected, I will add that with the new MOT forms my mondeos true history of mileage has come through, it now stands at 243k odd miles

It now has chalk board paint on its bonnet & 1 steel wheel