Hub nut on Ford Contour

So what do you like to hear, "Take it to a mechanic after buying"? The mechanic is going to be in a lot better position to tell you what is wrong than anybody who is only relying on your description of the problem.

It seems doubtful that it has anything to do with the nut. Most likely cause would be something related to the brakes. Does the squeak go away when you apply the brakes? If you jack the front left wheel off the ground and rotate the wheel can you hear the squeak?

-jim

Well I could say you got what you paid for...

Anyway. there is NOTHING that that hub nut holds that will cause a squeak. It simply holds the axle into the hub assembly. It gets tightened and due to it's design it shouldn't "loosen up" I would say that your troubles are NOT the hub but probably brake related.

Come on guys! Wheel bearings "will" squeak!!!

Not unless they are running DRY and are ready to fail. Even then they generally don't squeak, they rumble and grind but no squealing. Also this is an integral hub/bearing unit. Sealed and non adjustable. The nut has NO effect on the bearing. It simply keeps the drive axle in position and in the event of bearing/hub failure it holds the assembly together somewhat.

If he won the lottery that would solve his problem also. I have never won the lottery or seen a loose wheel nut cause a squeak, so I'm guessing here, but I think the lottery has a slightly better odds than tightening his wheel nut.

-jim

They sure do...what you failed to note is that they will squeak shortly before having a catastrophic failure.

Chris

The thing is, the axle nut has a specified torque that would be hard to gauge accurately without the use of a torque wrench. Failure to properly torque the nut would allow the hub end of the CV axle to work back and forth in the splines for the hub, wearing both out. It is very possible that the squeak is a result of the splines getting trashed when someone didn't put things back together correctly, and the repair may very well require replacement of the hub, axle, bearing and axle nut. Tightening the nut beyond the specified torque might work for a short time, but the root problem is still there and will come back.....

Contour SVT was the 'hot' version of the contour if memory serves me right. Someone probably drove it hard and put it away wet, and now this new owner gets to fix the messes of incompetent past work.

Chris

Thanks to all who replied. The noise does not go away when applying brakes. I checked the torque of the nut to 150 ft-lb (specification is 200 ft-lb, but my wrench doesn't go that high). There did not seem to be any motion of the nut at that torque. But when we drove it this evening, there was no squeak.

I have an appointment to take it to an independent mechanic who has done good work for us in the past, so hopefully he can check it out and determine if there is anything to be fixed.

Craig

I know some ford axle nuts CAN'T be reused. They must be replaced each time. Not sure if the Contour is one of those vehicles though.

Technically speaking any axle nut that gets torqued and then staked in position should not be re-used. Typically when you loosen those nuts it means you are replacing an axle, and the new axle should (emphasis on should) come with a new axle nut.

But I think all of us have done it at some time. The shaft retaining nuts in my G5M transaxle are a prime example. I re-used both of them and so far nothing has loosened up/broken and I've put about 10,000 miles on it......

Chris