The first caged bearings for axles were patented in the late 1700s, and the design that has carried forward to modern times is basically a set of steel balls or rollers that are housed within a ring-shaped housing called a race. Most ball bearings will have an inner race, which is grooved and holds the balls on the inside, and a grooved outer race on the outer circumference of the bearing. In a roller bearing, the race has slots that allow the rollers to spin against the axle on the inside and the wheel on the outside.

Back in the days of horses and carriages, wheels were attached to the carriage by way of a wooden or metal stick axle that was fixed to the carriage, requiring the wheels to rotate on the axle. A major drawback of this setup was that there was a lot of friction between the wheel and the axle, and that friction made it harder to move the carriage, resulting in wasted energy. The other issue was that the friction would cause a lot of wear and tear on the axle and wheel where they joined, so you’d need to do constant maintenance on the joint.

Start by listening for clicking, humming, or growling noises and feel for vibrations through the steering wheel. If you can pinpoint where the noises are coming from, the next step is to remove the wheel and do a physical inspection.

In automotive applications, the wheel bearings are usually sealed units that connect the wheel to the suspension of the vehicle. Your wheel studs will typically be part of the bearing and if it is a drive wheel, there can be a hollow in the middle of the bearing where a spindle is inserted from the axle shaft.

Your safety should always come first. Learn the safest way to use wheel chocks and how to keep your stationary car from rolling.

When it’s time to shop for a new wheel bearing, AutoZone has all the parts and tools you need to keep your car rolling, and we have locations in every state that you can find by using our Store Locator.

Once you’ve done the road test and have an idea of where the sound is coming from, park your car, jack it up, and remove the tire. Don’t forget to use jack stands! With the tire off, rotate the bearing to see if there is undue resistance or if you can feel or hear clicks, grinding or other sounds coming from the bearing. It should be smooth and quiet. You can also try to wiggle it back and forth and there shouldn’t be any play in the bearing.

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There are a few things to listen and feel for when attempting to diagnose a bad wheel bearing. Some of the sounds that we associate with bad bearings can also be indicators of problems with other parts of the vehicle, but there are a few tricks to test whether the noise is a bearing issue. Here are a few sounds that can indicate a bad bearing:

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Genomic Sequence: NC_000019.10 Chromosome 19 Reference GRCh38.p14 Primary Assembly NC_060943.1 Chromosome 19 Alternate T2T-CHM13v2.0 NC_000019.9 Chromosome 19 Reference GRCh37.p13 Primary Assembly

If you catch a wheel bearing right when it starts to fail, you probably will have enough time to get to the shop or your home and do the diagnosis and repair. Be aware that driving at highway speeds will intensify any bearing issues and could lead it to fail faster, so be prudent with your route.

You may find that the car wanders on the road, your tires may wear unevenly, the friction heat from the failed bearing could damage other parts of the car, and the wheel could actually separate from your car.

Click to learn the signs and symptoms of a bad steering column, how it can affect your steering, and how to repair it with AutoZone.

Wheel bearings have come a long way since the days when you had to repack them every several thousand miles, but they still do fail on occasion. Keep reading to learn how to identify a bad wheel bearing by the sounds it makes and what to do to avoid a wheel bearing to go bad.

This section includes genomic Reference Sequences (RefSeqs) from all assemblies on which this gene is annotated, such as RefSeqs for chromosomes and scaffolds (contigs) from both reference and alternate assemblies. Model RNAs and proteins are also reported here.

Your wheel bearings impact efficiency and keep the wheels attached to your car, so it’s important to use the best possible parts to complete any repair. Replacing your own wheel bearings can be an afternoon or evening job, depending on the make and model of your vehicle, so do a bit of research and don’t be afraid to tackle this important repair yourself.

Since the wheel bearing is the sole point of contact between the car and the wheel, it’s very important that it is functioning properly. A bad bearing will be noisy, could lead to heat damage of other components, and could seize up or cause the wheel to break off the car, leaving the driver stranded.

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Wheel bearings have come a long way since the days when you had to repack them every several thousand miles, but they still do fail on occasion. Keep reading to learn how to identify a bad wheel bearing by the sounds it makes and what to do to avoid a wheel bearing to go bad.

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Be sure to consult your owner’s manual, a repair guide, an AutoZoner at a store near you, or a licensed, professional mechanic for vehicle-specific repair information. Refer to the service manual for specific diagnostic, repair and tool information for your particular vehicle. Always chock your wheels prior to lifting a vehicle. Always disconnect the negative battery cable before servicing an electrical application on the vehicle to protect its electrical circuits in the event that a wire is accidentally pierced or grounded. Use caution when working with automotive batteries. Sulfuric acid is caustic and can burn clothing and skin or cause blindness. Always wear gloves and safety glasses and other personal protection equipment, and work in a well-ventilated area. Should electrolyte get on your body or clothing, neutralize it immediately with a solution of baking soda and water. Do not wear ties or loose clothing when working on your vehicle.

We also know that sometimes you just don’t have the time to do the job yourself, so allow us to help you find a qualified professional mechanic through our Shop Referral Program.

Some of these symptoms can also be a result of bad tires, or even a bad CV joint, but a bad bearing will sound worse when it is put under load, like when the car is turning, so use this method to test and see if it is your bearing that’s causing the noise:

Snow tires and chains are both designed to keep your vehicle safe on the road. Discover the differences and what would work best for you.

These reference sequences are curated independently of the genome annotation cycle, so their versions may not match the RefSeq versions in the current genome build. Identify version mismatches by comparing the version of the RefSeq in this section to the one reported in Genomic regions, transcripts, and products above.

Learn how to rotate your tires with AutoZone, Explore why you need to rotate your tires, how often, and what tools you'll need to get the job done.