How to best distinguish between faulty rear wheel bearing and differential? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 11-06-2003, 05:06 AM

I have searched the forum for info about noise from the rear and found a lot of useful tips. I am still not sure how to separate a noisy wheel bearing from problems in the differential. Does any of you have a good way of telling these problems apart?

Kestas · #2 11-06-2003, 09:11 AM

The noise from a bad rear wheel bearing will change character as the car is slalomed (loading the bearing from side to side). I don't know about the differential. I'm thinking the noise from a bad differential doesn't respond to slaloming.

#3 11-06-2003, 09:18 AM

I have tried to figure out if it is the wheel bearing by driving the car in curves, but this doesnt seem to change the noise any more. I think it might have before but not anymore. The noise seems to come from the left side of the car, but it is almoast impossible to say for certain.

#4 11-06-2003, 12:25 PM

Sometimes a bad differential mount or suspension bushing (aged rubber gets hard and cracks) will transfer extra noise to the body of the vehicle in such a way that you think a bearing has become noisy, but it's really no worse than normal, it's just getting its noises amplified by the car body now.

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rgofast · #5 02-16-2007, 03:04 PM

I had the same problem. noise did not get worse while slaloming. we were told by two mercedes mechanics that it was the dif. I jacked the car up, and put it on stands. ran the car in drive up to the speed that the noise was evident. i had to run the speed up, and then slowly let it decrease. after i got the noise, i held the throttle with a brick, and went under the car with a stethescope. it was easy to isolate the noise to the rear wheel bearing. hope this helps

david s poole · #6 02-17-2007, 10:47 AM

if it's a bad diff you will be able to play a tune on it with the accelerator pedal while driving at about 60mph.

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