Brain picking time! Track rod ends on a ZX

[interloper]

My old Citroen ZX has started to make an occasional tube train-esque noise above 30mph. I figured maybe a wheel bearing, so carried out a wheel movement test (holding either side, then top and bottom of the front wheels and checking for play.

Found quite alarming play so tried the same thing on the BMW (no play!) so something amiss with Frenchie. I took the front wheels off and tried the same thing only to observe that the movement seemed to be in the track rod ends on both sides.

I'm now under the impression that maybe one of the bearings is getting noisey (problem is I don't know which one) but I have a bigger issue in the track rod ends.

Am I right in thinking there should be virtually no play in the rod ends? And is there a good method of finding a dodgy wheel bearing?

[Simes205]

Jack the car up.
Grab the wheel at 14:45 position.
Rock it
Does it wobble?


PS.Track rod ends take about 5 mins each side to replace.

Edited by Simes205 on Thursday 4th November 17:19

[interloper]

Thanks, come to the conclusion that both track rod ends are knackered, so will fix them, then go and figure out which wheel bearing is whistling away!

[megamaniac]

To find out which wheel bearing it is.Jack up car on one side ,put on axle stand so the wheel is off the ground completely!!! Start it up ,put it in 2nd, let the clutch out, get it up to about 50mph dip the clutch ,turn the engine off and listen as it runs down.Repeat for other side, change the noisiest.