Cutlass Wheel Bearings

by itis34 Sat Nov 12, 2011 2:52 pm

I had my truck setting for a few weeks while I did some maintenance on it, so I drove my 77 Cutlass to work for about 6 weeks. It was fun but listening to a Pete Jackson gear drive for 1-1/2 hours a day can tend to wear on you after a while.

Anyway, last Friday while driving into work I noticed a slight pull on the steering wheel and started hearing something that sounded like I had a box caught between the tire and the wheel well. Then I started noticing a vibration on the left floor board. I shook it off and continued on.

The noise was still there on the way home. Once home, I grabbed the top of the both tires and pulled. I could feel some play in the right wheel but none in the left. I figured I would just repack the bearings quick. I needed the car to go to work again on Saturday morning. I repacked the right side, thought the bearings could stand to be replaced, but put it back together. It was getting late by this point and I almost didn't do the left wheel, but went ahead and tore into it. This is what I found

Cutlass Wheel Bearings IMG_1205

Digging deeper I took the bearing out in pieces

Cutlass Wheel Bearings IMG_1208

Luckily I caught it in time before it damaged the spindle.

So, the next morning I took the wife's car to work. I couldn't believe it that Advance Auto had rotors, bearings, and seals for a 1977 Cutlass. There were quite a few parts I had to wait for from them for '06 Silverado. Go figure...