By now, you may have an idea of how important wheel bearings are. Thankfully, there are signs that can indicate that your wheel bearings are going bad.

It’s this abnormal sound that’s the most obvious sign something is wrong with your wheel bearings. Of course, because other issues, such as cupped tires, can mimic a bad wheel bearing, you’ll want to diagnose the sound properly.

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Bad wheel bearinghummingnoise

Modern vehicles have sealed wheel bearings that cannot be disassembled without destroying the wheel bearing assembly in the process, and on vehicles with bearings like those, you only know a bearing is bad when it begins to make noise. That’s the earliest indication of a bad wheel bearing, and front wheel bearings (both on front wheel drive as well as rear wheel drive vehicles) are the most prone to fail on modern vehicles.

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Another tricky element of wheel bearing noise is the need to pinpoint which wheel bearing is making the noise. Sometimes even professional mechanics will struggle with this, and there are special listening devices shops use to pinpoint which bearing is making the noise. Some tire shops will replace both front bearings if there is a bearing noise coming from the front of the vehicle; not a bad practice, actually.

This paragraph doesn’t make sense: Older rear wheel drive vehicles had cone type wheel bearings on the front wheels that could be removed, inspected, and packed with grease, and reinstalled with new seals. Some rear wheel drive vehicles have wheel bearings of this type on the rear. In other words, if a vehicle has cone-type bearings that can be removed, inspected, and repacked, it will always be on the NON-driving wheels – the ones that don’t propel the vehicle.

I have personally seen a Crown Victoria that was making a noise I would have sworn was coming from the left rear axle bearing, but after removing and inspecting that bearing (which is difficult on a rear wheel drive vehicle), I discovered that the noise was actually originating from the left front tire. And I had nearly 40 years of automotive experience at the time.

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Some may say that you can drive for up to a thousand miles with a failed wheel bearing—but the thing is, this is an arbitrary claim. There’s really no telling how long you can safely drive your vehicle in this state. It would depend on the severity of the damage to your wheel bearing, present road conditions, and other factors. So, it’s best not to push your luck.

The wheel bearing on a wheel usually consists of a pair bearing assemblies running side by side on the shaft or spindle – this keeps the spindle running straight, while a single row of balls or rollers might allow the wheel to wobble. Exceptions would be the non-tapered roller bearings on rear wheel drive vehicles, which will have only one bearing assembly at the wheel end of the axle, but the inboard end of the axle on those units is splined to the differential assembly, which is spinning in its own set of tapered roller bearings.

2022825 — Ball bearings are a type of rolling-element bearing used to reduce friction and guide rotating parts.

Remember, the wheel bearing not only allows the wheel/tire assembly to rotate along with the hub the wheel is bolted to, the bearing also carries the weight of the vehicle and maintains the spinning wheel’s axis by keeping it in a straight line. A failed wheel bearing won’t usually allow the wheel to come off completely unless the bearing has become so hot that the axle or spindle is glowing red. Not only can this cause a fire in the wheel well area, the wheel and hub can separate from the vehicle and… well, finish the thought. Granted, this is a very extreme case of a wheel bearing failure, but wheel bearings that have lost their grease can get extremely hot.

One tricky thing about wheel bearing noise is that a bad tire can make almost exactly the same noise as a bad bearing; you don’t want to replace a wheel bearing for a noise concern when all you need is a new tire.

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A faulty wheel hub and bearing assembly can also cause a vibration felt in the steering wheel. Often, the sensation will change with vehicle speed or while the vehicle is cornering.

A worn-out wheel bearing may also make a high-pitched squealing sound while you’re driving. If you are able to observe these symptoms, have your vehicle checked right away. Even if your wheel bearings are not the culprit—there’s definitely something wrong with your vehicle.

In the event that this happens under weather conditions that make the road slippery, immediately maneuver your vehicle to the nearest safe spot off the road.

In cases like that, or when you just decide to keep driving until the failure is complete, the bearing itself will decide for you when it must be changed, and it can do so in very unpleasant ways and never at a good time. In other words, there are instances, when left unattended to, a faulty wheel bearing can create hazardous conditions, such as the following:

There are different kinds of wheel bearings depending on the year model and the design of the vehicle. Older rear wheel drive vehicles had cone type wheel bearings on the front wheels that could be removed, inspected, and packed with grease, and reinstalled with new seals. Some front-wheel drive vehicles have wheel bearings of this type on the rear. In other words, if a vehicle has cone-type bearings that can be removed, inspected, and repacked, it will always be on the NON-driving wheels – the ones that don’t propel the vehicle. Trailer wheels often have bearings of this type.

Frontwheel bearing noisesymptoms

202134 — The symptoms of a bad wheel bearing are relatively straightforward: You'll hear a grinding noise until you're driving fast enough that road noise masks it.

A faulty wheel bearing can cause your vehicle to pull to one side during braking. This symptom can also be related to faulty brake components.

Does your car pull when you are on the road? This could be a sign of a bad wheel bearing. If your car starts to pull in the wrong direction or not to go where you are wanting it to, it could be due to a bad wheel bearing or something related to your tires. Or you might notice your car starts to drift as you drive. The best thing to do is to take it in right away as your wheels are a huge factor to your safety on the road!

How to tell whichwheel bearingisbadwhile driving

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If your wheel bearing goes out while you’re on the road, it’s not advisable to keep driving. However, if there’s absolutely no alternative, make sure to maintain a slow and steady pace—do not accelerate or turn suddenly.

Also, by replacing a bad bearing early on, you can also save yourself a lot of money by avoiding possible major repairs.

A good sign that your wheel bearings need to be replaced is when your steering wheel is shaking continually. First, check the pressure of your tires, and then check to see if it still shakes after that. This shaking happens when your wheel bearings loosen or deteriorate over time. Get your wheels repaired right away to avoid any further damage and high-cost repairs.

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It’s worth noting that tire noise will usually change depending on the road surface. Wheel bearing noise, on the other hand, is consistent regardless of road surface and acceleration.

Mechanics will find a safe, empty, smooth paved road, then listen carefully to the noise while swerving gently from side to side – typically when you swerve to the right, you’re increasing the load on the left side bearings, and vice versa. And again, while this is a good practice, it’s easy to be fooled into replacing the wrong bearing, even using this method – that’s why some tire shops replace bearings in pairs. If you use this method and believe the noise is tire related, you can move the front tires to the rear and see if the noise changes.

Note by Richard McCuistian, ASE-certified mechanic: I have personally seen a Crown Victoria that was making a noise I would have sworn was coming from the left rear axle bearing, but after removing and inspecting that bearing (which is difficult on a rear wheel drive vehicle), I discovered that the noise was actually originating from the left front tire. And I had nearly 40 years of automotive experience at the time.

Wheel bearing failure is a potentially dangerous situation at any time, so have your vehicle towed to the nearest mechanic and have your faulty wheel bearings replaced right away. Vehicle safety should always come first.

A bad wheel bearing can cause the brake rotor to wobble, which shoves the caliper piston back into its bore so that when you apply the brakes, you have unexpected pedal travel as a result – making it harder to stop or causing the vehicle to pull unexpectedly to one side – never a good thing in traffic.

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The older style cone shaped bearings have a series of tapered rollers in a cage with a window for each roller to keep them evenly spaced while they ride between inner and outer races. But most modern sealed bearings have steel balls with inside and outside races.

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When you’re driving with the music cranked up, you may not notice the different sounds that your vehicle makes. But the moment you turn the radio off and notice a growling, humming, or rumbling noise coming from your wheel bearing, you’ll know there’s a problem.

Once again, there are other issues besides a bad wheel bearing that can cause steering wheel vibrations. A thorough diagnosis is needed to verify the cause of the concern.

Bad wheel bearing noisewhile driving

Is your ABS light on, and you do not know what is causing it? A faulty wheel bearing can be a possibility. On some vehicles, the ABS sensor or encoder ring is integrated into the wheel hub and bearing assembly. As such, a failure of the wheel bearing can trigger the ABS light.

Thank for pointing out that typo. The paragraph was supposed to read: Some front-wheel drive vehicles have wheel bearings of this type on the rear. We have updated the article.

Can your car still run with a faulty bearing? The technical answer might be yes; some wheel bearings might continue to operate normally despite the vehicle being driven with one or more noisy bearings for a very long time. The problem is that since the noise begins gradually and slowly gets worse, you might not even notice the noise if your vehicle is noisy in other ways.

Bad wheel bearing noiseat low speeds

Wheel bearings are in a hostile environment and are working very hard, but wheel bearings are very tough – they’re designed for the work they do. But product variability is a real thing, and again, some bearings fail while others never do.

Another sign is your car feels loose when driving. What we mean by loose is it can feel like you have less control when driving and less ability to maneuver. Many times, the wheel bearings of cars can become worn and need to be replaced in some way. Your local mechanic will be able to tell you exactly what is happening so you can pinpoint the problem to prevent any future ones.

Wheel bearing noisewhen driving

You might have seen a vehicle pulling trailer that has had the bearings neglected to the point that the wheel gets hot enough to set the tire on fire – it can happen on your vehicle in extreme cases, but it’s rare.

Wheel bearing noise coincides with the rotation of the tires. The sound typically increases with vehicle speed as well. In some instances, the noise may also change when you turn the steering wheel in one direction or the other.

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Make sure to keep these five signs in the back of your mind if you ever suspect bad wheel bearings on your vehicle! The more you know how to prevent further damage to your wheels, the better for you and your wallet. It will also keep you and your family safe on the road. Wheel bearing problems can cost from around $307 to $422 for replacement, but the cost is lower for simple repairs. It all depends on your vehicle and the specific repairs it needs.

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Pro Tip: If a noise happens after the tires are rotated on a front wheel drive vehicle, it may be due to the wear pattern on the tires, so be aware of that, too.

Lastly, check your ABS light! If your vehicle has an anti-brake system, your ABS light could be on due to bad wheel bearings. Check the dashboard of your car to see if it’s on. Bring your car into your local automotive shop to have the professionals correctly diagnose the problem.

The condition of your car wheels is key to your vehicle safety! The design and function of your wheels and the wheel bearings are quite complex. Your car’s wheel bearings are the metal balls that are held together by a ring that allows the wheels to spin with little friction. The wheel bearings of your wheels help to bring smooth rotation to your tires and friction free movement on the road. Here are five signs that your wheel bearings could be bad or to keep in mind for the future.

Bad wheel bearing noisewhen accelerating

Since the wheel bearings keep the wheel and hub assembly spinning on an axis, if the wheel bearing is compromised to the point that it can no longer maintain that axis, driving with a faulty bearing can be extremely dangerous—especially at high speeds. Think about a wheel that starts wobbling because the bearing decided to completely come apart while you’re in freeway traffic. This can happen without warning if you’ve become accustomed to the bearing’s noise as it continues to warn you by getting louder.

If the seal that is part of the bearing fails, moisture and dirt can enter the bearing’s grease, compromising the grease’s ability to keep the load bearing elements (balls and races) lubricated. But there are times when a bearing destroys itself even though the grease is not compromised. Tiny particles of metal can begin to flake off of the races, and when this happens, those particles mix with the grease so that it becomes a grinding compound of sorts, creating a “snowball” effect whereby more metal flakes off and enters the grease charge and the bearing gets noisier with time.

Wheel bearingreplacement cost

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Wheel bearings support the weight of the vehicle and allow the wheel/tire assembly to rotate when you’re traveling down the road. All four of your car’s wheels have wheel bearings and they are designed to last the life of the vehicle. In fact, many vehicles will travel hundreds of thousands of miles/kilometers and never need a wheel bearing replacement, but others may need one or more wheel bearings replaced over their lifetime.

The best thing to do to find out if you have a wheel bearing problem is to LISTEN! This is the most common way to know for sure if the sound is coming from your wheels. While driving, make sure to pay attention to where the sound is coming from and which wheel you think it’s coming from as well. This will be important to be able to tell your mechanic when getting your wheels repaired. Bad wheel bearings can make multiple sounds, like a grinding or loud grating sound.

Wheel Hubs. Hub bearings support the weight of the vehicle and allow the tires to turn smoothly. They are extremely important as they ...

Richard McCuistian has worked for nearly 50 years in the automotive field as a professional technician, an instructor, and a freelance automotive writer for Motor Age, ACtion magazine, Power Stroke Registry, and others. Richard is ASE certified for more than 30 years in 10 categories, including L1 Advanced Engine Performance and Light Vehicle Diesel.

Loose wheel bearings can throw your car’s alignment off, leading to abnormal tire wear. There are, of course, many other problems that can create the same, undesirable results.  So, you’ll want to diagnose the issue thoroughly before condemning one or more of the wheel bearings