Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Cam bearing going bad

How does one know if a cam bearing is going bad? My Mathews Outback has developed a vibration / rattle at the lower cam if I rap on the side of the bow. I have stripped everything else off the bow and the rattle still comes from the cam. It is such a light sounding rattle that it is hard to believe that a cam under such tension could make that noise. It shoots fine, maybe a bit noisy but hard to say. Anyone have a similar experience?

Usually - you don't know.

It's probably something else in that area, but you have to find it. I had a cam module work loose on an HTR a couple weeks ago, it sounded like the sight had a vibration. I hand-thumped the riser multiple times before I finally found it.

On that vintage of bow, I'd check the string stop mounting screws - they go through the limbs, and can back out.

I'd check the counter-weight in the cam, it may be coming loose - I'm pretty sure you don't have modules on the cam for that model of Mathews, you have to swap the whole cam out for draw length changes.

Check the axles, I believe you have keepers on each one, one may be loose, or missing - the axle can back out if the keeper is missing.

Witness mark the axle(s) to the limb, if the bearing is bad, the axle will turn in the limb - had this happen before, and it's hard to detect without a mark.

If the cam has a draw-stop, check that as well, they buzz when first coming loose.

Sometimes it's the cam spacers or e-clips, put a piece of Blue painters tape on them...thump bow and see if it stops.

Drenaline, outback, switchback, dxt all had basically same cam system. Bearing on one side. Composite bushing on other. Never seen the bearing puke, but that bushing will eventually wear. And could be the source of your noise

Good question