Wheel Bearing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damnit
 

So, for the past week or two I've been hearing this growling sound from my front end. I had it in the back of my mind that it was the wheel bearing, and wouldn't ya know my ABS, TRAC OFF and SVS lights popped on on Christmas day. Merry friggin Christmas huh? I know that the torque spec in the manual is something to be avoided, but I've yet to get a good solid torque to use on the new ones. Does it matter which brand? I'm looking at getting a Timken bearing, is there a different torque for those as opposed to, say, GM OEM? I want to make sure I do it right the first time, so I don't end up in a never ending bearing replacement nightmare. Advice?

....

Got the new bearing, planning on installing it new years day. Hope all goes well.

Power steering
 

So, I finished up the wheel bearing and took it for a ride. Everything went great. No more howling, and no more dash lights. I parked the car for the night and called it a successful repair. The next day I got in the car to go for a ride and I notice a funny squealing coming from under the hood while it warmed up. My SVS light came on and I'm thinking my alternator or something, it is winter, no big deal. Well, I went to back out of my space and found out the my power steering is gone. I stopped, popped the hood and checked the power steering resevoir... bone dry. Naturally, I looked under the car. BIG puddle of power steering fluid, and it was still dripping from the firewall. NICE. I took my passenger side tire off today and looked down the rack and pinion for leaks. Both hoses and the pump itself are intact, and I can't see where the fluid is coming from. Does anyone know if these things go bad often? Is there a specific part of the rack that might go bad before anything else? I changed out a rack on a Cavalier before, it was no easy job. Had to drop the K frame to get the bugger out. It seems like this would be easier on the Alero.

Edit: I do not have Variable Assist steering, no hoses coming off the brake booster.

Which engine??

La1 V6

This is gay, I found out that the return line from the rack to the pump is only connected to the rack with a hose clamp. What's up with that? The hose clamp was loose, and the hose was dry-rotted. It popped right off and bled the system out all over the driveway. I cut off about 2" of the hose, pushed it back over the hard line and re-clamped it. I filled it and bled the system, I just want to let it sit overnight to get all of the millions of bubbles out of the fluid. I used tranny fluid instead of power steering fluid.

huh? Tranny fluid?

Whats the purpose of tranny fluid in power steering system?

You can use tranny fluid in place of power steering fluid. It's actually better for your system too. I used it in my Malibu and never had a problem.

Hmmmm never heard about that one, I'll have to check on that.

Why is it better?

This is the same theory behind using synthetic oil in your crankcase. It expands the seals better and will transfer heat better. I can't remember where I saw it, but a guy did an experiment on all sorts of automotive fluids, including tranny fluid, power steering fluid, motor oils, brake fluid. There were charts a graphs showing heat dissipation and estimated life. Transmission fluid will also last longer under certain circumstances.

Some vehicles actually recommend Dexron III for the power steering system. I use Mobil 1 ATF with my 3400.

Damn hose popped off again! I saw the puddle under my car this morning, and had to divert to my wifes car. I'll have to take a picture and post it on here. The dumbest setup I've ever seen. I don't remember my Malibu being this way? I thought that the Alero's and Malibu's were pretty much the same. The return line comes off the pump, goes down the passenger side of the engine bay, turns to metal, then back to rubber, and is secured by a hose clamp to another hard line that comes off the rack and pinion close to the drivers side. I can't find a new hose anywhere, AutoZone, Advance. I'll probably end up rigging it, it's just the return line anyway.