Half way through AF OCS in June '60, I flew home to SWMBO for few days. She met me at RDU on our '56 Chevy. As I backed out of the airport parking space, I felt slight grinding in left front wheel. Next day bought new bearings for both front wheels. When I pulled the left wheel, I noticed that the inner race on the outer end of the left spindle was blue, and the spindle showed barely discernible "possible" wear in the bearing area; 'didn't think it was enough to be concerned. Several months later, after graduation and while driving from NC to NE and S. TX, I'd be cruising sometimes at 65 to 70 or so, and left front wheel would emit a high-pitched squeal - the inner race spinning on the spindle. I'd slow down, and the squeal would go away. 'Took the wheel off after I got to TX, and could find no VISIBLE change from when I installed new bearings. 'Continued to drive it for another 10 months or so 'til I traded it for a new Pontiac. In retrospect, I should have changed the spindle, but I was already broke, pushed for time and probable stupid - 'just didn't think the spindle looked "bad" enough for new one; lucky it didn't lock up on me way off yonder in the boondocks somewhere late at night with a wife, two children, no money and a brand new, shiny brown/gold bar. We were, indeed, lucky.
"Brown bar" reminds me: A Sat afternoon, cruising west somewhere in IN, at about 70; 'stopped by IN highway patrol; officer asked, "Where ya headed?" I answered, "Harlingen, TX, by way of Lincoln, NE." He asked, "What do you do?" "In the Air Force," I answered. "What rank?" he asked. "Second Lt.; 'commissioned last week." I answered. 'Showed 'im my military ID. As he handed it back, he said, "Lieutenant, If you ever expect to make Colonel or even Captain, you'd better slow down. I'm gonna let you go, but don't you forget, our speed limit in Indiana is 55 MPH." My prompt answer, "Yes sir, thank you sir." As he turned toward his car, he hesitated and looked back saying, "By the way, anybody else out here woulda given you a ticket right quick when you said you're a second lieutenant." Starting the engine, I responded, "Yes, I know. Thank you, sir." BTW, before I left Lincoln, NE, to go to OCS, we drove several times from there to our parents' homes in NC and back (3 kmi), starting the trip with $45 in my pocket; no credit cards. Wilton ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kaleb C. Striplin" <ka...@striplin.net> To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 5:08 PM Subject: Re: [MBZ] 190D madness > A bearing flying apart like that had to have been screaming for quite a > long time before it let go. Just hope you do not have to replace the > spindle as well. > > Curt Raymond wrote: > > God helps them that helps themselves right? > > > > By lunch my back was telling me it wasn't okay to sit around all day doing nothing so I pulled the 190D into the driveway. Put the jack under and knew immediately what was wrong, the tire was leaning in about 15 degrees at the top... Jacked it up and the wheel just flopped around. Pulled the bearing cap and yep, outer bearing is toast. I managed to find most of the cage and 2 1/2 rollers... I had to cut the inner part (name for this? The thing that goes on the axle) off the axle, actually I just grooved it with the dremel and whacked it with a chisel (okay a screwdriver) and it came off. I *think* the outer part is stuck in the hub but didn't want to cut it out until I had the replacement bearing in my hand. > > > > Local Carquest has the bearings and can *probably* get the seal today, I'll call them back in a couple hours. > > > > Brake master cylinder is still full so I think the brake fluid loss was a red herring. I think when the wheel got loose it either: > > A. Pushed the pistons in the caliper back and shot brake fluid out of the master cylinder through the cap. This theory is backed up by the cap having a tear in it. Will order a new cap from Rusty. > > or > > B. My wife using the brakes allowed the pistons to move in which made it look like the brake fluid had gone low... > > > > The 190D has what I think is a floating caliper quite unlike the system on the 240D. I'm not sure I can tell the difference when driving. > > > > Never the less my relationship with my Indy has now changed. A week ago the car was in there for bearing noise and a slight wander on the highway I thought was related to the wheel bearings in this wheel. He drove it and said the noise was tires and it was fine. Fortunately didn't charge me for the diagnosis. > >>From now on it'll be "Bob, change X." I'm not going to ask him to diagnose. > > > > -Curt > > > > > > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- > > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > > URL: <http://okiebenz.com/pipermail/mercedes_okiebenz.com/attachments/20081216/35 59fb99/attachment.html> > > _______________________________________ > > http://www.okiebenz.com > > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com > > Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.9.18/1851 - Release Date: 12/16/2008 8:53 AM > > > > -- > Kaleb C. Striplin/Claremore, OK > 92 300SD, 92 300E 4Matic, 91 300D, 91 300E, 89 560SEL, > 89 300E, 87 300SDL x2, 85 380SE 5.0 Euro, 85 190D, 84 190D x2, > 84 300D euro manny, 81 240D, 80 240D, 76 240D, 76 300D, > http://www.okiebenz.com > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
