I replaced the calipers today, it took a full week to get the part from RockAuto–I ordered Raybesto’s “Opti-Cal” line, it’s a brand new part rather than remanufactured (I chose it because I’ve had good results with Raybestos Advanced Tech brake pads.)

How to tell which wheel bearing isbadin the front

However, there is one thing that prevents me from being absolutely certain and that is my reasoning that bad wheel bearings on one side that causes the car to lurch and drag would also cause it to pull to one side… this is not happening, it’s not pulling to one side…

NOTE: Whether you DIY or your mechanic replaces the bearing, always install a new axle hub nut. Most hub nuts are prevailing torque fasteners. They’re used on critical components, like securing axle shafts to hub bearings, where a loose nut could lead to disastrous consequences.

Older rear-wheel-drive cars or trailers use a set of two tapered roller bearings that face each other. These should be routinely serviced every 20,000 miles, or once a year.

It seems to me that if a caliper is sticking and not fully releasing that a pull would be more likely when the brakes were not being applied. Braking would even out the braking and tend to eliminate or reduce a pull.

Signs of bad bearingsnoise

Lift 1 tire off ground with jack. Put on parking brake. Idle motor in drive and listen to right side, than left. If ur lucky only 1 wheel will rumble.

Any time ever I’ve experienced a sticking caliper it was immediately or shortly following brake work (requiring retracting the caliper pistons). CSA

Badrear wheel bearing symptoms

It might be a small pull…but maybe not. Depends on how sticky the caliper is but the symptoms you just posted scream “brake caliper dragging”

The burning smell would be hot brakes, which you should really only smell if you’re in the vicinity of a race track. On a street car it means the brakes are being overworked, in your case because the brakes are rubbing on the rotor while you’re driving.

The cage and rollers are held together inside a hardened metal ring called a “race.” The seal keeps grease in and damaging water and debris out. Wheel bearings are installed inside, and secured to, the suspension, either by press-fit, bolts or a snap-ring. Once mounted, the wheel bearing rides on the axle shaft, allowing the tire/wheel to spin effortlessly.

I removed the calipers to reinstall and lube the guide pins, it was difficult to remove which is consistent with stuck calipers. Then I pumped the brake pedals to push the caliper piston out, and once out it was IMPOSSIBLE to push it back in even with a lot of effort and that caliper piston push-in tool.

Wheel bearing replacement cost

In my 50 years in the auto repair industry, I can’t recall one good story about wheel bearings. Most involve some sort of brake system failure, tires exploding, or fire from a seized red-hot bearing igniting axle grease. Bad wheel bearings should not be ignored.

Since I’ve had a faulty tires that caused steering wheel wobbles before, I considered that it could be the tires, but these tires are nearly brand new… the tires don’t quite explain the other symptoms.

Wheel bearings allow cars and trucks to run smoother and more efficiently by reducing friction and supporting vehicle weight.

You were all right, it was the calipers. In your experience, you knew it was the calipers. My reasoning led me to wheel bearings but I’m an amateur DIY’er.

Sounds to me like you have a dragging brake caliper combined with an uneven rotor. If I’m right, then your impression is correct - something quite literally is “holding it back and letting it go.”

Front wheel bearing noise symptoms

I’m not recommended this, but if you decide to replace the rotors for some reason, be sure to clean them thoroughly with hot water/soap before installing. They are coated with an anti-rust chemical, and forgetting to clean it off is the source of quite a few problems reported here.

Never reuse any wheel bearing (sealed or tapered) that’s loose, worn, noisy or shows any signs of wear. Trying to fix a loose or damaged wheel bearing can result in an accident and severe injury. Even if a pro suggests repairing a bearing, don’t let them.

On modern front- and four-wheel-drive cars, wheel bearings are a set of permanently sealed, precisely machined steel ball or straight roller bearings. The balls or rollers are encased in a “cage” that supports the bearings, allowing them to rotate freely.

Keep in mind that might be a sticking caliper or a failing brake hose at that corner. Internal failure can act like a check valve and not let the caliper release. It’s a 10 year old car, FWIW, I had the first brake hose failure on my truck at 7 years.

Under normal driving conditions, wheel bearings should last 85,000 to 100,000 miles. They can fail for several reasons, including:

The average cost to replace a sealed wheel hub bearing is around $350 per wheel. However, depending on the make and model, the shop labor rate ($47 to $215 per hour, according to AAA) and any additional damage could push the cost beyond $1,000 per wheel.

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Over the next couple of days, I observe that the car kind of “lurches” while creeping at very slow speeds. It also feels like there’s a kind of drag and release against the car… like something is holding it back and letting it go. It’s subtle but I can feel it at slow speeds.

While driving on the highway, the steering wheel started wobbling, it seems more pronounced at higher speeds. So, I pulled over to take a look at the front wheels, maybe it’s a rock stuck in the treads (but usually stuck rocks make a clicking sound)----there are no rock pebbles. There is a burning smell, almost like burning rubber coming from the wheel well but the tires look fine, no signs of rubbing. I looked at the inner part of the tires to see if it’s rubbing against something, some suspension component perhaps: nope, looks all good. I reckon if there’s rubbing I would probably feel and hear it inside the car. The burning smell seems to be coming from the passenger front wheel well.

However, on some vehicles, it can be less than $100 per wheel. And you can save hundreds in labor if you DIY. If you don’t have the tools, most auto parts stores will lend you the specialty tools and equipment needed.

Average lifeofwheelbearings

Just took this off my new to me accord. Seller said ball joint was bad. I moved car 10 ft in his driveway and said wheel bearing is bad too.

One other reason I suspect the wheel bearings is because: If I drive the car after it has been parked for a day, the symptoms don’t appear until after a some 10 minutes of driving…

How to tell which wheel bearing isbadwhile driving

Your steering wheel wobbling? That’s intermittent pulling to one side. By the time the high side of the rotor rolls around again, you’ve reacted to the steering wheel wobble and pulled the car back to straight. If you were only a little bit less competent a driver you’d have your diagnosis by now.

concur w/the above ideas, more likely some kind of brake problem. My own diy’er experience w/bad wheel bearings is that heat or steering wheel wobbling aren’t the symptoms you first notice. What you notice first is a sound, a sort of growling sound, that gets louder the faster you go. It sounds sort of like when you drive over a road with a rough-textured surface. Often the wheel bearing sound gets worse when turning too, when turning in the other direction from the side the growling is coming from.

If you have an IR thermometer, compare the difference in temperature between the passenger side front wheel and the driver side front wheel after a 5-10 minute drive at highway speeds. If you don’t, very carefully touch the wheel with your finger near the lugnuts to compare - but be warned, it might hurt if what I think is wrong is actually wrong.

I’ve replaced hundreds, if not thousands, of wheel bearings. One thing I’ve learned: A bad wheel bearing always gives an indication it’s failing. These include:

I hadn’t planned on gravity bleeding all 4 sides but I discovered that it had been leaking brake fluid from the last time I tried to diagnosis the problem. This was my first time bleeding brakes and I did it using the gravity method. It worked out better than I expected. It was fairly quick too, about 10 minutes per side of dripping. I think I replaced a lot more brake fluid than I needed to but I wasn’t concerned.

Driving on a bad or failing wheel bearing is dangerous. If ignored, it can quickly turn into a safety issue and an expensive repair.

Signs of bad bearingsreddit

My opinion? If your vehicle has more than 50,000 miles or has been driven in harsh conditions, then it’s logical to replacing wheel bearings on both axles. However, if your vehicle has low mileage and the other bearing is in good condition, replacing only the damaged bearing should not be a problem.

Thanks for the tip, I inspected the rotors with my fingers and it felt smooth just like the other side. I think the rotors and pads are fine. If not, well it’s another fun project.