We've had a noise on the front for 3 weeks or so, progressively getting worse.

Slight grumbling sound from front passenger side, combined with vibrations throughout the car which get worse under load. Also feels like it is pitching right on hard acceleration and left in hard deceleration.

I jacked it up yesterday and found the whole front wheel was wobbly. When I checked I found the track rod end was shot, with considerable play.

I replaced the track rod end today, but found the wheel was so still slightly wobbly. I found that the driveshaft bolt was loose. I turned it at least quarter of a turn with no resistance, I then continued for just over quarter of a turn again tightening, this reduced the wobble but didn't fully eliminate it.

I daren't tighten it any more, as they can shear off easily. I'm wondering if the track rod end going has caused it to wobble against the bolt and stretched the bolt? Do you think getting a new bolt and torquing that in will cure this? Or is there likely to be another issue?

It could have damaged the wheel bearing if the cv joint into the hub had had free play to knock in and out.
Certainly try a new bolt torqued up to spec and try again for play or any feeling / sound of roughness as you rotate the wheel. Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
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Take the bolt out and eyeball it. The only way you are going to tell where you are where this is to fit a new bolt.

Worst case will be fitting a new half shaft

I'm thinking the wheel bearing has failed, which is causing excessive movement of the drive shaft, stretching the bolt. It's even possible the bearing is spreading as it's failing, again stretching the bolt. It sounds like the bolt is basically holding the bearing in one piece, which is beyond its design criteria. 2009 Rimini Red SE TD4. Soon to be sold.
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Gone. 2006 Tonga Green i6 HSE.

You could well be right, it certainly sounds like a wheel bearing when driving.

Would a loose bolt make it rock, if the wheel bearing was perfect? Or would it slide forward and back?

I take it the complete knuckle is the easiest way? I don't really fancy taking the knuckle off, I know how hard it was to replace the wishbones without damaging the ball joint rubbers and I'll have to get the track rod end back off again!

MOT due in about a week too 😕

Took it for a test drive and it feels so much worse now that I've replaced the track rod end. I can only presume that with the worn out track rod end the wobble was taken up in the play,. Now the steering wheel is properly attached to the wheel, you can feel every wobble.

I'm thinking it probably is the bearing. I'll take the drive shaft bolt out later and see if anything further is evident. If it isn't, I'll try putting a replacement bolt in to see if that makes a difference. If it doesn't I'll have to get a complete knuckle and hope that I can get the ball joints released without damaging them. Neither has been in for that long, so fingers crossed.

If you can't DIY it's a garage job, but I wouldn't drive the car in that state

I've tried a replacement bolt, made no difference at all.

I think it has to be the bearing.

I've ordered a complete knuckle. Hopefully the wishbone that I replaced last year will come off ok! And the tre that I fitted yesterday!

Car off the road now until the knuckle arrives 😕

Well, I got carried away and decided to remove the knuckle ready for the replacement. Not the most fun in the dark, in the rain 😕

Bottom ball joint was the hardest to release the taper but I managed without damaging it.

You can feel the play in the bearing, so hopefully that is all it is, all prepped and ready for the replacement knuckle to drop straight in.

Then I just need to get it tracked up, then MOT'd.

I'm guessing it's getting to that age. Did the rear offside bearing last month, then this month replaced the rear off side drop link that I damaged when I did the bearing, now the track rod end and bearing on the front. I'm sure the other 2 bearings won't be far behind 😕

I am running out of parts to replace though 🤣

Sorry duplicate post

I found an easy solution to removing the Ball joint off the hub. I used to use a wishbone extractor works fine but still a bit tight on leverage space working without a lift.

In the past I bought a ball joint splitter, the one with two adjustment holes but it wasn't wide enough to do the job, well it is now I ground the thing down to fit.

Also I don't know how you manage to open the gap between the ball joint and the hub, once the ball joint has been split from the hub.

I saw a youtube movie where a metre long crow bar was used ( i happened to have one in the shed ) the trick is put it between the ball joint area on the wishbone and angle it across to the subframe in front of the wishbone, It gives plenty of leverage to open or close the gap

Well not too bad a job to replace the complete knuckle.

Luckily the new one arrived promptly. As I'd already removed the old one and had everything ready, it didn't take too long to put the new one on, pushed it up the leg of the suspension strut, then put my foot on the wishbone and push down, kind of holding the wing for balance, wiggle the hub round and over the ball joint, then release pressure from foot, reattach track rod end, tighten both nuts. Tighten the pinch bolt. Replace the disc and caliper. Replace wheel.

All the wobble has now gone, the previous wheel bearing was well and truly shot, but was being masked by the also knackered track rod end!

Fingers crossed for the MOT this week!

Foot on wishbone, never heard of that.

I need to remember that trick

Necessity is the mother of invention

Best of luck with the MOT

Works a treat, although I can't claim credit for it as I was told about doing it that way, probably on here!

When fitting the wishbones brand new, I remember it being a little harder to do though. I had to get my wife to position the hub as I had my entire weight pushing down on the wishbone. I remember it was a little more critical to get the ball joint lined up and it took a couple of hours because the ball joints are so stiff when new.

Well, failed the MOT this afternoon.

Slightly kicking myself as it only failed on the front discs and I pretty much knew it would but ran out of time to get some to fit.

Already picked the replacements up and fitted them along with new pads.


It also got an advisory for the TRE on the other side, so glad I didn't get the tracking done yet! I picked one of those up and fitted that whilst I was at it. Randomly that one was so much easier to replace than the other side.


It also has an advisory for the inner joints, I enquired about these at the parts place but decided I needed to find more out, and they said it needed a special tool which they don't sell.

I've never done inner joints before, how hard are they on the Freelander 2? Does itt just require the correct tool?

I've got it booked back in for the retest first thing, but just not sure if I should replace the tie rods now and then get it tracked, or get it tracked and leave the ones for now.

From my basic testing, I can't detect any play but they feel as bit too easy to move around. I'm sure they are the originals at 200k miles.