Lately, I have noticed a slight rumbling noise when on the road with the Ghia. With this type of noise I always start with a check of the front wheel bearings. I have not serviced or replaced the front wheel bearings since purchasing the Ghia so I have no idea of how long the bearings have been on the car. As it turned out, starting with the wheel bearings was a good idea…getting the car up on jack stands and turning wheels it was apparent that the noise I was hearing was coming from the front right wheel.
Once the bearings were out it was clear the outside bearing on the right wheel was failing. The rest of the bearings seemed okay but I decided I would replace all of them. With the bearings out, I inspected the spindles and bearing races to insure there were no deeper issues. I sourced the new bearings and seals from the local VW shop and went to work to pack the bearings with grease and to reinstall everything.