I've got rear bearing looseness in my 85' 300TD.
There is no noise (that I know of), but significant play on one side. So much play on that side that when I push hard on the top of the tire, the plate behind the wheel gets hit, making sound. The passenger side feels a little loose but nothing like the drivers side.

I checked the wheel. The bolts are tight, just replace the trailing arm bushings, which were really bad on the drivers side. I guess I couldn't tell the bearing was that bad with all the bushing play.

I'm gonna pull the axles out, brakes, and rotors and check the free spin; but my question is : how likely is it that my bearings just need tightening up? I've got the pin wrench and will get the dial gauge. I've had this car for about 20K miles and don't know when those bearings were done.

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1985 300TD 1981 Scirocco 1.6D conv 1986 Golf 1.6D 2003 Golf TDI