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On cold mornings (<40*F) and ONLY and freeway speeds and ONLY when turning right, there is a very noticeable grinding sound coming from the drivers front wheel. Is this a wheel hub issue, and is it severe enough to fix now, or should I just keep an eye on it?
Lift each front wheel and check to see if there is any excessive movement from the hub whilst holding the wheel in the twelve and six o'clock positions.
The hub is supported by the centre part of the bearing and generally does not need to be replaced unless there is a broken wheel stud, or other damage.
The bearing is pressed into the carrier, or upright, with the hub pressed into the inner part of the bearing.
Here is an exploded image for reference; wheel bearing is item no.4:
In addition to the great advice and information you've already received from NBCat and Lady P, I would add that I have found with the X308/X100 and later front wheel bearings, you may begin to hear howling or grinding noises before the bearing exhibits any play in the test NBCat described. In these cases, it may be necessary to unload the mass from the hub in order to determine whether the bearing is failing. That means removing the wheel, brake caliper and rotor, then spinning the hub by hand to feel for any unusual resistance or "gritty" feel.
Sometimes it is even necessary to remove the wheel, caliper and rotor on the other side so you can compare how its bearing feels and sounds with the bearing you suspect of failure. A good bearing will rotate smoothly and quietly with just a little resistance.
Also, in both an X308 and an X100 I have discovered that the sound seemed to come from one side of the car, but the bearing that was failing was actually on the other side! So that's another argument for testing the bearings on both sides, even if it means removing the wheels, calipers and rotors.
Finally, this is probably not a good candidate for one's first do-it-yourself wheel bearing replacement. Removing the ABS reluctor ring from the hub requires either the special Jaguar tool and a long breaker bar, or skill with a punch and hammer and sometimes the judicious application of heat. The snap rings that retain the bearing can be a pain to remove, even with proper snap-ring pliers. And removing the old bearings and installing the new ones requires a hydraulic press and properly-sized ram adapters, arbor plates, etc.
To save alot on labor cost you may take the replacement process up to the point of pressing out the bearing from the wheel hub . Find a shop before hand to do this with the proper size ram adapter and plate . There is probably a thread on the whole job . And the ABS reluctor tool cost doesn't look too bad at 80 bucks . Saw the same bearings go out at 70k miles on a X308 in my neighborhood but I haven't done the job .
Verify with a dealer / shop if this is the upgraded bearing with protective inner ring . Notice the change in part number at the VIN # 853936 split from part # MJA1830AE to MNC1830AA
Last edited by Lady Penelope; Dec 12, 2017 at 11:58 PM.
Cold Morning Wheel Grinding Noise
