Driving with bad wheel bearings impacts the safety of a vehicle, and it could cause a serious car accident. We do not advise driving on them when they fail and recommend getting them checked out as soon as possible. Bad wheel bearings can damage things like your hub, the vehicle’s constant velocity joint (CV joint), or the automatic transmission.

The typical life expectancy for most water pumps and timing belts is about 100,000 miles. Both parts tend to go bad around the same time. If a vehicle has a failed water pump or timing belt, talk to the customer about replacing both parts at the same time. There are three main reasons to replace the parts together:

Imagine driving on the freeway when the left front tire and wheel suddenly break off, sending your out-of-control vehicle skidding across several lanes of 65 mph traffic. This is not an exaggeration. This is reality, and can happen if you fail to notice the signs the wheel bearings are deteriorating and need immediate repairs. Your wheel bearing might be bad if you hear unusual sounds like humming, squeaking, or clicking. Some experts say a bad wheel bearing can sound like a bird chirping. Also, if your car wobbles or pulls to one side, you will want to get it checked.

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Your vehicle will signal that it’s time to replace a failed wheel bearing. For example, if you hear unusual sounds like humming or clicking, then your bearing might be bad. Watch out and listen for these signs and symptoms:

If only one part is replaced, the customer will eventually have to bring their car back to replace the other part. A timing belt or water pump often only costs about as much as an hour of labor. Many customers would rather pay a little more now, instead paying for several hours of labor again a few months down the road. Especially considering the hassle of being without a car during another repair.

If a timing belt breaks in an interference engine, the failure can cause bent valves and damage to pistons. The repairs can add up to thousands of dollars. If a belt breaks in a non-interference engine, no damage should be done. But the car will still have to be towed into a shop.

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Most vehicles today use sealed hub bearing assemblies that contain roller bearings. While we don’t address these, older cars used tapered roller bearings, which required servicing and preload adjusting to ensure the right amount of end play or axial clearance.

The cost to replace one front-wheel hub assembly varies widely. Among the variables are the vehicle brand and model, the garage’s labor rate, and the cost of parts. The average out-the-door wheel bearing replacement cost without taxes is about $350 per wheel.

The bearings are tightly packed in a grease-filled, waterproof, sealed metal ring. This housing, called a race, is located inside the hub, and each wheel has one. Wheel bearings have a Herculean responsibility: They are engineered to support the vehicle’s entire weight.

If there is excessive play in the steering, meaning the steering seems less responsive or less precise than normal, worn bearings could be causing the problem. Also, this could be a sign the vehicle needs a wheel alignment. If you have any of the signs listed above, visit a dealer service or auto repair shop.

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Nov 23, 2022 — A ball bearing carries loads, reduces friction, supports positioning, and facilitates rotational and/or oscillatory motion.

The original equipment bearings on your vehicle are engineered for specific loads. Those bigger and wider tires look cool, as do tires with lower tread walls. But they place higher loads on the wheel bearings, possibly resulting in accelerated wear. That could present a safety issue if your wheel bearings fail.

It’s a good idea to replace the timing belt or the water pump before it actually fails. Some very expensive repairs can crop up when either part fails.

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BCA center support bearings are engineered to be a direct replacement for worn OE components. Many SUVs and trucks, as well as some passenger vehicles, ...

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Depending on the car, replacing the water pump or timing belt can take between a few hours and a full day. But if you’ve already gotten the car torn down to replace one component, replacing the other might only add an hour.

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Technicians can check for wheel wobble by putting the vehicle on a lift and manually checking for wheel movement. Typically, it would be impossible to shake the wheel and tire. However, if it moves, the hub assembly needs immediate attention. The tire and wheel can literally come off the vehicle at any time, at any speed, if you don’t repair your vehicle.

Dec 19, 2023 — If the thump seems to be tied to the speed of the tire turning itself, it's probably a sign that there's something off with one or more of your ...

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00. Halfshaft Bracket to Intermediate Bearing Bracket. View Details. 6. 52123849AB - All Wheel Drive ...

If one tire wears out faster than the others, it could be a sign that the wheel bearings are worn. However, it also could be a sign the tire is improperly inflated (too much air pressure or not enough), the tires are improperly aligned, or the vehicle has damaged or worn suspension components.

The typical sounds of worn-out wheel bearings are squealing and/or growling. The sound intensifies as vehicle speed increases. Try to pinpoint the location of the noise because it will identify the location of the worn-out bearings.

Wheel bearings connect a car’s wheels to the axles. They allow wheels to turn with minimal friction. Though wheel bearings are low-maintenance parts, they are important safety components of a vehicle’s braking, steering, and suspension systems. The one-piece hub assembly, between the drive axle and the brake disc or drums, incorporates the hub, wheel bearings, ABS (anti-lock braking system) wheel speed sensor, and mounting flange.

The most easily identifiable and common symptom of bad wheel bearings is audible. But it can be confusing. For example, the source of a humming noise can be linked to other issues, such as tires and the CV joint.

Ball bearings use balls to separate two races, or bearing rings, to reduce surface contact and friction across moving planes.

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Bad wheel bearings can cause the steering wheel to vibrate. The intensity increases as the vehicle speed increases and the vehicle turns to the left or right. However, the vibration could be linked to an out-of-round tire (there could be a flat spot on the tire) or a tire that is no longer balanced. Another cause is damaged or worn suspension components.

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Editor’s Note: This article has been updated for accuracy since it was originally published. Rick Kranz contributed to this report.

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Hardesty cautions that if you think something is wrong, don’t wait to get it diagnosed: “The longer you wait, the more it will cost as other components may be damaged by a wheel bearing.”

When a water pump begins to fail, the engine can overheat. This can cause warped cylinder heads, or a warped engine block. Both are very expensive repairs, especially compared to the cost of a water pump.

If you hear a clicking sound that increases in frequency as the vehicle accelerates, there could be a problem with the wheel hub assembly.

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Garages will have the specialist equipment and training to do the job safely, and therefore wheel bearing replacement should only be carried out by a ...

In this story, we’ll tell you quick facts to know, such as what causes a bad wheel bearing, how long you can drive on one, and the estimated replacement cost of a wheel bearing as you maintain your vehicle.

Tapered roller bearings are composed of solid outer and inner rings with tapered raceways and tapered rollers with cage assembly. The bearings are separable.

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However, luxury cars are more expensive to repair. Do note that if bearings go bad at one wheel, replacing the bearings at the other wheel on the same axle is unnecessary. Don’t let someone talk you into work that is not needed. Get the price estimate for wheel bearing replacement for your make and model of car.

Wheel bearings are theoretically engineered to last the life of the vehicle. There is no maintenance schedule for replacing wheel bearings, and there is no constant source of lubrication. However, they can be damaged, leading to failure.

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Bottom line: it’s worth talking to your customers about replacing both the timing belt and the water pump at the same time.

The anti-lock warning light may illuminate if the ring, tire, and wheel wobble, the wheel’s speed sensor is no longer operating properly, and the ABS may operate sporadically or not at all. See a professional for repair.

“The good news is most of the time, a vehicle will let you know way before a failure ever happens,” said Gary Hardesty, Kelley Blue Book’s in-house service and maintenance expert and an A.S.E. certified master technician. “The key is to listen to your car. Most times, a failing wheel bearing will exhibit a growling type of noise that changes with vehicle speed. The faster the car (goes), the faster the frequency of the growl.”

Worn bearings may cause a vehicle to pull to the left or right when brakes are applied. The direction the vehicle pulls signals where the worn bearings are located, on the left or right side of the vehicle. However, this can also signal brake rotor or brake caliper problems.

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