PSA: A weird noise in a 90s Otis turned out to be a worn sheave bearing

I was on a call last week at an office building downtown for a car that kept making this low grinding sound. Spent an hour checking the motor and rails before I finally got up in the machine room. The traction sheave had about a quarter inch of side play, and the bearing was totally shot. The super said the noise started about three months ago but they kept putting off the call. Has anyone else had a bearing fail that quietly before it really let go?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_xena1mo ago

Three months of that noise" is wild to me. Most bearings I've heard start screaming long before they get that bad. That thing must have been hanging on by a prayer.

terry_wood511mo ago

My old Ford made that sound for nearly a year.

jordang3221d ago

Nah that's CRAZY quiet for a bearing that bad. Usually they scream way louder before giving up.