How to tell whichwheel bearingisbadwhile driving

Typically, wheel bearings have a lifespan of around 85,000 to 100,000 miles, so if your car is approaching these kinds of figures, it’s important to keep an eye on the tell-tale signs of a bearing in decline.

If you’re aware that there’s an issue with your car’s wheel bearing, it’s best to take it straight to a mechanic for a full diagnosis and repair. Often, it may just be a case of relubricating the ball bearings within the assembly before repacking them, which is significantly simpler to put right than the alternative.

To do that, you’ll first need to jack up your car so that both wheels are off the ground. We would strongly recommend using service ramps for this to ensure you can carry out the following checks safely.

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Need to recap the signs of a failing wheel bearing? Here are the symptoms to watch out for while you’re driving, particularly when turning corners:

How long can you drive ona bad wheel bearing

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If your steering wheel shakes as you drive down the road, it might be because of bad wheel bearings, but this issue can happen from various other part failures too. So look to see if your vehicle is showing multiple symptoms, and if you are not sure, our experts can help identify the source of the issue.

Since wheel bearings are what your tires spin on, they can reduce your acceleration as they fail. Due to poor lubrication or rust, wheel bearings can start to perform worse, and they won't let your vehicle acceleration freely.

Confident in car maintenance DIY? Lubricate and service your car’s wheel bearings with Holts Multi-Purpose Lithium Grease. Trusted by professionals, it reduces friction and wear in all moving parts, even those that work under extreme pressure. For more top tips and advice, read the Holts blog or visit our help and advice centre.

As you’ll know from our car maintenance glossary, bearings allow the wheels to turn freely without generating huge amounts of heat. If a bearing were to fail, the wheel can seize up altogether, resulting in catastrophic damage and the potential for a serious incident. Indeed, in the very worst-case scenario, a failed bearing can cause the wheel to rip away from the car entirely.

Bad wheel bearings can cause the steering wheel to vibrate, and usually, it gets worse as you gain speed. Another way to know which side is failing is if the vibrations and noises stop happening during left or right turns only.

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Suspect that your car is suffering from a faulty wheel bearing? Our guide can help you check and diagnose the problem, and decide if and when it’s still safe to drive.

How to check forbad wheel bearing

A sign of worn-out wheel bearing is abnormal tire wear, and it will usually be uneven, indicating an issue. There are many reasons why tires unevenly wear out, but this is possible when you have a worn-out wheel bearing.

The cost of a wheel bearing replacement in the UK is roughly £150-£300, dependent on the make and model of your car and a mechanic’s labour costs. The good news is that you don’t need to replace all wheel bearings at once if the other three remain in a safe and serviceable condition.

Frontwheel bearingnoise symptoms

Given the damage that can occur as a result of a failed wheel bearing, not to mention the dangers, this further reinforces the importance of getting those bearings checked and repaired the moment you realise there’s a problem.

If you suspect you have a wheel bearing fault but aren’t sure which side of the vehicle is affected, there’s a safe and simple test you can use to check. Our step-by-step guide below can take you through how it’s done…

As your wheel bearings fail, they tend to lose their grease and lubrication, making them create grinding noises. If you hear those noises, make sure to schedule a service appointment through our Service Centre before further damage occurs to other components.

Once you’ve performed this basic wheel bearing test, you should have a better idea of where the problem is. Then, it’s a case of diagnosing the front or rear wheel on the side in question.

When the car is elevated and in place, take hold of each wheel in turn and wiggle it backwards and forwards, side to side. If there is any play in the wheel, it feels wobbly or loose, or an unusual noise accompanies some minor movement, then you’ve found the problem wheel.

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Replacing all of your car’s wheel bearings might cost an eye-watering sum, but it’s guaranteed to be a lot cheaper than repairing the damage should a bearing fail.

You can still drive with a bad wheel bearing, but we wouldn’t recommend it for long distances. Keep your mileage to a minimum and look out for worsening symptoms of a wheel bearing fault; we cover the symptoms to check for later in this guide.

Continuing to drive on a bad wheel bearing can lead to extensive and critical damage which will be significantly more expensive to repair than a simple bearing re-grease and service. And in the worst cases, the damage from a faulty bearing that goes untreated can prove impossible to fix, particularly if it contributes to corrosion of surrounding components and the axle.