Unusual Noises Coming From the Wheels. Listen carefully. The most common and often most-identifiable symptom associated with a bad wheel bearing is noise coming from the wheel or tire area of the moving vehicle. You may mistake this as engine noise, but when you listen closely you will likely hear grinding or grating that gets louder as the vehicle accelerates. Since wheel bearings are not known for wearing out too frequently, the noise is typically suspected to be something else and the problem gets overlooked.

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Which wheel bearing is badturning left

Locate the ABS wire that goes into the back of your wheel hub. Follow the line up and begin unclipping any bracket that holds that wire in place. You will follow this wire up to roughly the upper portion of the shock tower where you will find a harness connection. Unclip the harness and feed your wire down. You want the entire wire fed all the way down and sitting loose with slack by the spindle. If you miss this step, when you pop the wheel bearing you’ll break your ABS wire.

Look behind the rotor / wheel hub to locate the (4) 15mm hub bolts. To make removing these bolts easier you can crank the steering wheel all the way to the left to get 2 of the bolts and all the way to the right to get the other two bolts. I have read many people have required a swivel extension to get the bottom bolts. I did not require one. I was able to easily get all 4 bolts with a short socket and 3” extension. It may have helped that I had a jack stand under my front A arm that put my control arm sitting 11.5” off the ground.

Take a long pry bar and place it at the end of the half shaft as shown and wiggle it to get the prybar to release. These half shafts are held in with only a retaining clip that will pop out of the groove when you pull the half shaft. DO NOT pull the half shaft by anything other than the end of boot closest to your prybar or you may separate the joint inside. The shaft should slide off with a little massaging.

Some do this step after they have removed the wheel hub from the vehicle, I do this step now. What this allows me to do is use the rotor as a bit of a slide hammer against the back of the wheel hub after I have used the blocks of wood method below. When the wheel hub is ¾’s of the way out, having the ability to smack the back of the hub with the rotor is usually just enough force to break it free. On one wheel the hub needed a few taps from the brake rotor to assist the hub out of the spindle, on the other wheel bearing I did not.

Apply some gear oil to your half shafts splines before you slide them back in. I used some 75W-90 Amsoil gear oil that I ordered as I was also going to flush my differential after this job. The bags they have make it super easy to fill the diff given the awkward angles.

Wheel bearingreplacement cost

Before getting started with the wheel bearing repair and ordering parts from an online retailer / local parts store, now would be an ideal time to ask yourself if you also need to do your brakes. Removing your rotors requires removing your wheel bearing / hub assembly. For this reason I highly suggest you do your brakes at the same time. I cover both repairs in this guide.

This means, the more you tighten the bolt the more the stud will drive itself into the spindle and prevent itself from turning. What I do is jack up on the control arm as much as I can to drive that stud as far into the spindle as possible. I then lightly whack the back of the ball joint with a hammer to help it seat. This allows me to then take my torque wrench and tighten the bolts up to spec with no fuss.

Make sure when you place your wheel bearing hub down it is resting on the wheel studs and not the ABS sensor. If you rest it on the sensor you will damage it.

A: Driving with a bad wheel bearing is dangerous as it can lead to wheel failure and accidents. It should be addressed immediately.

How to tellwhich wheel bearing is badreddit

Tire Wear and Tear. What about your tires? We all know the importance of rotating your tires to promote even wear, but did you know a broken wheel bearing can lead to uneven tire wear too? The looseness of the wheel and the vibration that reverberates through the wheel cause your tires to wear unevenly, meaning you are more likely to have to invest in new tires sooner.

Chances are when you start hearing a loud noise from under the hood of your car as you’re driving, you automatically think it’s an exhaust leak or your car is going to break at any moment. But have you thought about the possibility of a broken — or nearly broken — wheel bearing causing that noise?

With the block of wood in place, start your Chevy Colorado up and turn the wheel so that the rotor presses as far as it can against the block of wood. Once you have turned the wheel all the way to one side, repeat this process with the 4.5” piece of wood turning the wheel all the way to the opposite side.

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How do you know if your front wheel bearing has gone bad in your 2003-2012 Chevy Colorado and needs replacement? Well, you may find that you have some or all of the following symptoms:

It is best to apply some silicone grease to the outer edge of the seal. Make sure that the black rubber is facing outwards (it should say airside on it). You can now take a socket that is just slightly smaller than the seal or use a seal installer to tap it into place. You need to insure that the seal goes in straight so that it does not leak. I do this by giving it a tap or two and then checking the seal to insure it is not cockeyed.

I angled the bottom of the wheel hub so that it was in the pocket first on an angle and then placed a block of wood on the top part of the hub/rotor and gave it a few good whacks and she went together nicely.

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Now, take a moment to push on your half shaft to get it to compress and feed your ABS wire all the way in between the half shaft and the spindle. When you have installed the wire you can lift your wheel hub / brake rotor assembly onto the half shaft and attempt to slide it into the spindle. I did this by myself, but a helping hand is definitely beneficial for this step!

Many folks have suggested to use a crowfoot or box wrench while simultaneously using an allen wrench to stop the stud from spinning as you tighten your nut down. You don’t need to fuss with any of those. If you notice in the photo below the stud for your tie rod and ball joint are tapered.

Now would be a great time to double check if your half shafts have any play in them and require replacing before you reinstall them. With the half shaft out, twist them from both ends and see if there is any slack or play in the joints. If there is no play they are still good!

The upper ball joints on my truck were 74ft lbs. The tie rod was 33ft lbs plus a 95* turn. Please double check the specs for your year/model truck in case they are different.

I found the easiest way to get everything to come together is by placing a jack underneath my spindle and lifting my control arm slowly while guiding it with my hand. Once the stud goes through the hole you can put your nut on it and begin to wrench it down.

If you are installing new brake pads, take note of the way the old ones were installed. The metal shims that sit in the caliper bracket can only go on one way. If you install them backwards you will have a loud screeching noise from the thin metal touching your rotor the moment you start to drive

Note in the below photo that you need to finish feeding that wire all the way through the spindle. My photo shows it 80% of the way in.

A: While possible, replacing a wheel bearing requires specific tools and expertise. It’s recommended to seek professional help for accurate installation.

Which wheel bearing is badreddit

You can now remove the axle nut all the way and guide your wheel bearing hub with one hand while helping feed your ABS wire with the other. When you get the wheel bearing out far enough you can place it wheel stud down on the ground and finish feeding your wire through the spindle. When you get to the harness connection simply push on the axle half shaft to make it retract an inch or so and you’ll be able to squeeze the harness connection out.

A: Common causes include poor maintenance, water and dirt contamination, extreme driving conditions, and manufacturing defects.

Wheel bearings are essential in the operation of your vehicle. More precisely, a wheel bearing is crucial for the proper function of the hub, tire, and wheel assemblies to work together. The wheel bearing allows friction-free movement and rotation of the hub assembly, and thereby provides smooth tire and wheel rotation. Worn-out or damaged wheel bearings can lead to a range of problems that affect vehicle performance and safety, making it essential for drivers to recognize the signs of trouble.

Not all the above symptoms need to be present, but if your wheel bearing is bad, at least one of these symptoms will be evident. For help on diagnosing if your wheel bearing is bad, you can refer to the video we created below:

How to tellwhich wheel bearing is badin the front

Take some silicone grease (I used brake caliper grease) and run it around the spindle pocket that your wheel hub sits in. This is going to help you be able to slide your wheel hub into place.

Before I install my wheel hub and rotors into the spindle I like to clean the pocket that they sit in. This is an optional step. That being said, I highly recommended that you take some sandpaper and run it around the opening to clear away any rust/corrosion.

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With the half shaft out of the way you’ll see your seal. Careful you don’t mar the inside edge where the seal sits when removing the seal. The easiest way I found to remove the seal was to put my pry bar in behind the seal like pictured below and give the prybar a few taps with my hammer.

Use your impact and the 36mm socket to remove the axle shaft bolt. Once you have removed the bolt, I like to put it back on the axle threads 4-5 turns just to keep wheel hub from flying off and tearing out your abs sensor wire.

With the Caliper out of the way you will see (2) 13/16” bolts that hold the caliper bracket to the spindle. Remove these bolts in order to slide off the caliper mounting bracket that also holds the brake pads.

How to tellwhich wheel bearing is badwhile driving

This guide will show you how to replace a 2003-2012 Chevy Colorado front wheel bearing. In the process we will also cover replacing your brakes and repairing your differential seal if it is leaking as 99% of the work will already be done.

Remember the 4 bolts your removed from the back of the wheel hub? Those will be bolted back on the same way you took them off.

With your brakes now reinstalled, have someone sit in the car and hold the brakes while you torque your axle nut to spec. This is a requirement to keep the wheel bearing from rotating.

Lift the truck into the air and place it safely on Jack stands chalking the rear tires so that the truck cannot go anywhere. Once the truck is in the air you can use your impact to remove the lug nuts / wheel.

Here is a quick parts and tool list that you will require to fix your wheel bearings on your 2003-2012 1st gen Chevy Colorado along with affiliate links to parts/tools:

Before you do anything, take your new wheel hub and bolt your rotor to it. Be careful not to damage the ABS sensor. I find it is easiest to place the hub in my lap and bolt on the brake rotor. If you don’t do this step first I can almost guarantee you will forget to bolt your rotors on before you slide the wheel hub in place! Ask me how I know… LOL

If you look at the back side of the wheel you will find (2) 13mm caliper bolts that hold the caliper to the caliper bracket. Remove these two bolts and slide your caliper off. You can use tie wire to tie the calipers up so that they do not put any weight on the brake hose, or you can place them on something like old paint cans like I did. Whatever you do, don’t let them pull on the brake hose.

Which wheel bearing is badturning right

Reinstall your caliper bracket and bolts and torque them to spec. Since you have your caliper off and apart, I recommend greasing your guide pins with silicone brake grease.

When wheel bearings wear out, they can have a significant impact on vehicle performance, leading to increased friction and resistance within the wheel assembly. This extra friction forces the engine to work harder to maintain the same speed, resulting in decreased fuel efficiency. Additionally, worn bearings can cause uneven tire wear, as the compromised alignment and stability of the wheels lead to irregular contact with the road surface. Hitting a pothole or other road hazard can exacerbate bearing damage, potentially causing sudden bearing failure and loss of vehicle control. The deterioration of wheel bearings also affects the proper transfer of torque from the engine to the wheels, further compromising handling and increasing braking distance.

Within about 2 wheel turns in each direction your wheel bearing should be 95%-100% popped out. Any little bit that it has hung up you can use the rotor to smack it out.

If you suspect you are driving with a broken — or nearly broken — wheel bearing, stop in and see us today. Our team of trained technicians will quickly assess and repair your vehicle and have you back on the road in no time!

A: Typically, wheel bearings last between 85,000 to 100,000 miles, but this can vary based on driving conditions and maintenance.

How to tellwhich wheel bearing is badfront or back

Plug in the ABS harness and tidy up the wire ensuring that it is not touching anything that can melt or pinch it. I ran it all back to the factory wire holders and secured it back down like GM did it.

Car Feels Loose. Does your car feel loose? When you hear professional drivers talk about a “loose” car, you may not know what that means. It often refers to the steering of the vehicle, which can include wheel bearings. Wheel looseness, or also called wheel play, is another common symptom of a bad wheel bearing. As the bearing begins to wear down, they become loose inside the wheel hub and spindle, which makes your vehicle feel loose while steering.

Rather than abuse the truck with a sledgehammer, the 7.5” and 4.5” long blocks of 2×4 wood make this job a breeze. I started with placing the 7.5” block of wood against the bottom of my shock and wedged against the back of my caliper. Look closely at the two photos below for wood placement. Do not put the block of wood against the body of the shock or you risk damaging your shock. If you place the wood against the mounting eyelet you should be fine.

Vehicle Pulling to One Side While Driving. Are you doing the steering, or is the car driving where it wants to? When a wheel bearing corrodes or becomes pitted, the smooth exterior lining is gone and the vibration is transmitted to the tires which may feel like it is “pulling” to one side or the other. As the bearing on one side deteriorates, it puts more pressure on the opposite bearing, leading to uneven wear and increased friction. This uneven wear generates heat, which further accelerates the degradation of the bearing. As a result, the affected wheel may start to wobble or vibrate, robbing the vehicle of its stability and smooth handling, especially when cornering or driving at higher speeds.

To access the front differential seals you will need to remove the half shafts. To do this you must first undo the upper ball joint and tie rod. To preserve my tie rod and ball joint boots so that I could re-use them, I used this style ball joint removal tool and method. With the ball joints and tie rod removed you can remove the spindle to clear the half shaft.