Wheel bearing collapsing

[dylanbliss 0]

Has anyone had this happen to them? I had one go noisy and horrible on my Mk4, but it took aaaages, and was more annoying than anything, still hardly any play in it whn i eventually changed it, but the better half took the VR out the other night to her mates, no noise or play from the wheel when she left, 20 miles later she phones me up, saying theres a squeaking noise coming from the rear wheel... She limped it home, and the bearing had fallen to bits so bad, that the disc was rubbing the top of the caliper where the wheel was loose! You could push the wheel with the top of your foot and it move inwards a good inch and a bit, even with the car's weight on it.

I always thought the scare stories of wheels just falling off were a load of bollx but i reckon it couldn't have been very far away! Is this just down to the bearing design on the back of the Mk3's?

[CALICO 130]

maybe it was overtightened to shut it up

[dylanbliss 0]

Now that's a possibility - i've only had it a couple of weeks.

[CALICO 130]

would have stopped the whining but tend to overheat the bearing and can create resistence so that is more than likely

[dylanbliss 0]

It all got damn hot, i know that much, It was all glowing red when the gf got home! The next day i snapped my allen bar trying to get the caliper bolts out, they were seized solid! Couldn't spend any more time on them so gave in and got the car to my mate's garage so he could get it up on a ramp and give it some proper welly - new bearing on now, get it back tomorrow. Do you know where i might get the torque settings for the other hub nuts, in case any of the others have been overtightened?

[CALICO 130]

if theyve been overtightened its too late but you when fitting new bearings you dont really tighten on a torque setting more when the wheel / disc starts resisting then back off slightly