In 2022 I spent a whopping £520 to get the rear wheel bearings replaced on my van. It turns out that the removing one deafening noise of a wheel bearing would reveal another wheel bearing issue, but this was to be ignored for a while, in fact till this week when enough was enough and I just needed my van life house to be right.
The sudden need to get this fixed isn’t due anything mechanical (although it should be) it’s down to my Youtube Chanel and my inability to edit out background noise… let me explain.
The other week I was visiting a friend and we happened to watch my videos, no I have no ego it just came up in conversation. After 1 video the sound of the constant buuuuurring was more than grating. I could blame my poor editing skills, the lack of ability to hear any difference when editing sound tracks or even when applying an equaliser makes no difference.
My van is over 12 years old, with 210k on the clock and of course taking it in to any garage one thing will always lead to another, just like today
I believed the noise to be a wheel bearing this alone cost £70
then it was antiroll bar bushes, another £20
then a anti roll bar, bar. another £20
then add a whopping £160 in labour…….
Now I have no issue in paying any of this so long as I can get in my van and it’s sorted. For a few a mile all way good, the long drone from the offside wheel was gone. And then I hit 60mph.
The noise came back
At this point it was 4.30pm on the Thursday before Good Friday and of course the phone wasn’t being answered (nor do I expect it to be to be fair). I drove back to the garage where I was told I was mistaken, the noise I heard was the noise of the engine as they held a stethoscope to the engine. Apparently the noise I heard was normal.
Then I had to explain how when turning left the noise went away, depressing the clutch which then reduces the revs and the noise was still present. The garage said they had taken it for a ride and heard nothing. I dont doubt this as the traffic was bad and I would bet they never reached over 40mph
So now on Tuesday the van is going back to the garage to take them for a drive to try and diagnose the issue.
I don’t want to name and shame the garage (unlike those rip off con merchants at Rush Acre Garages Pembrokeshire) but I’ll keep anyone reading this posted!
