Front Wheel Bearing/Driveshaft/Traction Control

[nonickatall]

Hello,

lately I've had strange noises and now and then the traction control message. The message started recently and I didn't give it any importance at first as it came up briefly once, when I was driving. But it was cold at the time and I thought maybe the road was icy. So far it has always happened when I started the car cold, then the traction control came on briefly and the car wouldn't accelerate.

Now that's with every trip, usually only once at the beginning very briefly. Otherwise everything works. ABS and the traction control itself work.

Now there are noises too. Sounds like clacking and for me sounds like wheel bearings. But the noise comes and goes. Sometimes there is no sound at all, sometimes it is very loud. Today when I had the noise on the freeway, I noticed that it changes significantly when I steer slightly to the right or left. The noise itself comes from the left, so it sounds classic like a wheel bearing.

Now my question. Could this be related to traction control? Has anyone ever had it? The sensor is at the front of the wheel.

I had the car on the lifting platform and wobbled the wheel, but I couldn't really see any play. The driveshafts have some play in them, but that shouldn't be totally uncommon.

I checked everything, brakes, caliper, everything seems tight and without play or other problems.

 

[Sam Harris]

Looks like you’re driving an NBS Escalade? That’s helpful to know when we would like to offer any pointers / assistance. You can add your vehicle info to your signature.
It does sound like you need a wheel hub, which will also contain the ABS piece for that wheel. It has the sensor for ABS, and in some vehicles, the Stabilitrak (traction control) I’d recommend replacing both sides, since you’re getting a lot of noise from it. However, the sensors can be cleaned off, if the bearing / hub is actually not damaged.

 

[nonickatall]

Hi, thank you I ordered two wheel hubs.

I have a 2006 Escalate Nbs.

 

[nonickatall]

So today I disassembled my wheel bearing hub and find out that this must be the reason, because the bearing is complete wrecked.

Because of the abs sensor is included in the wheel hub, i guess that is as well the problem with the traction control. But before I finish it I will clean it all from rust and coat it with rust prevention.

 

[rockola1971]

Yup that hub is a trainwreck. What will happen is the hub will drag on the roller bearings and this cause a difference in wheel speed between that hub/wheel and all the other wheels. If the target gets off center enough because of all the slop in the bearing then the wheel speed (ABS) will miss counts from the target and the ABS and PCM are programmed to disable traction control or enable it depending on signal loss or just a signal lower than the other wheels.

The correct way to check for hub play is lift the front wheels off the ground atleast enough where they can be turned freely by hand. Grab wheel at 12 and 6 oclock and rock inward and outward. You will feel the play if it exists. Turn wheel by hand and listend for the grit sound and you can feel the roughness through the rim as you turn the wheel too.

*NOTE* Grabbing at 9 and 3 oclock can show play in the tie rods, pitman and idler arm and can be misinterpreted as hub play. If bad enough the ball joints if severely worn can show themselves while doint the 12 and 6oclock test too.