I was replacing my rear brake calipers today on the 79 300sd, one of the previous calipers boots was busted and leaking. after the swap I put on the left wheel and my friend put on the right. We went for a drive and started hearing the worst noise I think I have ever heard this car make.

It was a cringing noise, with lots of tension. Sounding like something was about to blow up! I limped my benz (growling and screeching) back to the coldisac. This noise was extremly pronounced, and I never want to hear anything like it again, hahah. Found play in the wheel rear right wheel, it hadnt been centered properly. Removed the wheel, caliper, and put it back up on jacks. when turning the oppisite wheel, the rear left hub was still making the grinding and screaming, and most clearly appeared to be a blown wheel bearing...

I bolted everything back up, I drove it over to the tire factory to have them verify it was the bearing. They said indeed it was the bearing that was blown. I started driving it a few miles up the road to park it at my pops house until i could work on it, and on the way up the hill to my dads the noise stopped. so i cruised the car around back roads for another hour or so.. no more noise... small wheel bearing squeak on occaision but that is all.

Obviously it needs replaced but can i get away driving on this??

Was it perfect before the caliper swap?

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I heard clicking the other night while in reverse, and have noticed symptoms of a bad bearing, the car is hoppy through some hill valleys, soft steering feeling in some locations. veering at times.

Before today things were fairly quiet.

The wheel that my friend hung on the hub during the brake job was found not to be fully attached shortly after our drive. And it was on this test drive i started hearing this foul noise, It made tension noises like sinking submarines are depicted in cinema. sounded like something was ripping apart my car. bad news.

no visible wear.

After the noise occurred I disconnected the caliper and removed it from the rotor, still produced the noise without the wheel, caliper and rotor when being turned from the opposite wheel. The hub seemed to have more than desirable end play, but that was what i sensed with my hands. It drove perhaps 2 miles while making this cacophony, in these two miles the caliper, rotor and wheel were rehung twice (once by myself and once by the hand at tire factory) shortly after leaving the tire factory the noise had stopped. Ive driven another 10 miles today with no noise...

The brakes are working great though!

You should not drive it then until you replace the bearing. The fact that you did nothing to fix it tells you that it isn't fixed, so the issue can come back at any time. And do you really want to drive it again with the noise you described?
Sometimes it is just time to fix what is broken.....

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

check your cv joints.they may need repacking with fresh grease.you can slide the boot up without removing the axle.how i know.something very similar happened to me with a 80 300sd.the noise was terrible but came and went sporadically.could have sworn it was the wheel bearing.replaced both wheel bearings noise came back.repacked the joints noise went away for 13 years.then i sold the car

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michael cole 1980 300SD gone now but not forgotten,87tdt,90 300te 4matic 95 e320 wagon

seems like a task, Ill do it. But for the time being i may swap in the rear carrier arms from my other 116.