Mia Bevacqua has over 14 years of experience in the auto industry and holds a bachelor’s degree in Advanced Automotive Systems. Certifications include ASE Master Automobile Technician, Master Medium/Heavy Truck Technician, L1, L2, L3, and L4 Advanced Level Specialist. Mia loves fixer-upper oddballs, like her 1987 Cavalier Z-24 and 1998 Astro Van AWD.

If wheel bearing noises and other symptoms of a bad wheel bearing appear while you’re driving, reduce your speed at a steady rate. Refrain from turning too fast to avoid damaging the bearing.

You’ll also want to keep in mind that not all bad wheel bearings make noise. Some worn-out bearings will exhibit excessive lateral movement, without making any abnormal sounds.

Wheelbearing noisequick fix

The crackling noise is a result of a worn or damaged outer CV-joint. It may also mean excessive bearing endplay due to poor clamping.

Furthermore, in most cases, you’ll hear a noisy wheel bearing regardless of whether you’re accelerating or decelerating. On the other hand, some drivetrain noises—but not all—will change upon acceleration or deceleration.

There are a lot of other problems that can mimic the sound of a bad wheel bearing. To be sure that one of your car’s wheel bearings is to blame, you’ll need to do some additional diagnostic work.

Wheelbearing noisewhen accelerating

In some cases, yes. A 4-wheel ABS can increase your stopping distance if you’re driving on icy roads and other slippery surfaces. In most cases, however, it will activate and pump the brakes much faster than you could, immediately stopping the vehicle within a short stopping distance.

You’re driving along on a warm, sunny day listening to your favorite song. Life is good. But when you turn down the radio, you hear an unusual noise that coincides with the rotation of the tires. What could it be?

You can determine which wheel bearing needs replacement by testing each wheel with the following method. Raise your vehicle with a jack stand until it’s high enough for the tires to spin. Grab the tire you want to test by its 6 and 12 o’clock positions. Spin the wheel and check for any wiggling. Listen for wheel bearing noise as well.

When it’s time to replace a wheel hub assembly on a vehicle, it’s important to use a high quality replacement unit. This post has 3 great reasons to avoid using a cheap, low quality wheel hub assembly.

When a wheel hub bearing goes bad, you may feel some looseness in the steering wheel. When a bearing wears down, it becomes loose within the wheel hub and spindle. This will make your steering wheel feel loose.

Frontwheelbearing noisesymptoms

This noise is particularly prominent when the vehicle is traveling in a straight line. It gets worse when the vehicle is turning slightly at a speed of 15-50 mph. In a normal situation, you can pinpoint the problematic wheel bearing if you hear this noise. In most cases, the bad bearing is the cause of the rumbling noise.

While you should never want to hear the sound of a wheel bearing going out, it’s important to recognize the noise. Most people describe a bad wheel bearing as making a growling or rumbling noise (the sound is often mistaken for worn tires). Also, in some cases, a bad bearing may make a high-pitched grinding or squealing sound.

As was mentioned above, if you ignore a bad wheel bearing, you could end up losing a wheel. That’s the worst-case scenario, but there are other undesirable consequences, as well. A bad wheel bearing can cause abnormal tire wear, a pulsation while driving—even problems with the ABS system.

Wheelbearingknockingnoise

“Unusual noises” is quite vague, but for a good reason. There are many, many unusual noises associated with a worn wheel hub bearing. Some of the most common noises include:

Worn bearings become loose. As a result, excessive runout happens. This causes the brakes to pulsate or pull. In other cases, a corroded or pitted bearing transmits the vibration through the steering. This can cause pulling to one side, too. Your vehicle will pull to the side of the failed wheel bearing.

To use your ABS, you’ll have to apply firm pressure to the brake pedal. Make sure you don’t pump the pedal and keep your foot firmly planted on the pedal. Then, steer your vehicle to a safe spot where you can park if necessary.

Wheelbearing noisedangerous

You might be wondering whether you can continue driving with a bad wheel bearing. And the answer is—absolutely not. In some cases, a failed wheel bearing can cause you to lose a wheel while driving, which can have potentially deadly consequences.

Wheelbearing noisewhen driving

Your car has a lot of rotating parts, which makes it hard to distinguish a bad wheel bearing from many other problems. Paying attention to when the noise occurs may help you narrow down your options.

When a wheel hub bearing wears out, it puts extra stress on the CV-joint. That can cause the knocking/clunking noise when you turn the vehicle.

A bad wheel bearing is one possibility. If you hear a strange wheel bearing sound, you should check the parts as early as possible.

A faulty ABS will make your vehicle’s brake system unpredictable. The ABS can suddenly activate and pump your brakes even though it’s unnecessary. In some cases, it can start making strange clicking noises.

Bad wheelbearing noise

At the end of the day, it can be difficult to distinguish a bad wheel bearing from other problems. That’s why it’s important to perform further diagnostic work before jumping to conclusions. Otherwise, you may end up replacing a wheel bearing only to find the problem was something else.

This happens when the wheel bearing becomes bad enough. Most likely, you will hear noises before uneven tire wear happens. A worn wheel bearing makes the wheel loose. This causes the tire to wear out unevenly.

To learn more about each of these methods, check out our in-depth article on diagnosing a faulty hub and bearing assembly. You’ll quickly pick up the tips and tricks on how to check for a bad wheel bearing.

Wheelbearingreplacement cost

A worn wheel hub bearing is a pretty big deal. If you let it go on long enough, the wheel could literally fall off while you’re driving. That could cause a catastrophic accident that puts your life and others’ lives at risk. That’s why it’s important to watch out for bad wheel hub symptoms.

So, once again, if you think you’ve got a bad wheel bearing, get the problem fixed right away by either going to a mechanic, or by purchasing a replacement bearing and fixing it yourself.

Most passenger cars and minivans come with a 4-wheel ABS, which also aids them in steering their vehicle during an emergency. In contrast, rear-wheel-only ABS is specifically designed to prevent pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs from skidding across slippery surfaces.

At GMB, we make OE-quality wheel hub assemblies for many different makes and models. We have been manufacturing wheel hubs for over 70 years. Our wheel hub assemblies are among the best on the market. Read more about GMB hub assemblies and wheel bearings here.

Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication. Read our full disclaimer here.

You already know a faulty wheel bearing can cause noise. But did you know that it can cause other issues as well? A bad bearing may allow the wheel hub to exhibit excessive movement. Plus, the internal bearing components will experience increased friction. As a result, you may notice your vehicle displaying the following problems:

When your wheel is vibrating and/or wobbling, the bearing is very loose. It’s because the bearing has lost its clamp. There may be some severe mechanical damage, too.

If you hear a grinding noise, that means there’s a loss of integrity in the steering or suspension system. For instance, there may be roller or raceway damage. When you have a worn wheel hub bearing, this noise is prominent when the vehicle is turning.

In either case, the frequency of the bad wheel bearing sound will correspond to the rotation of the tires. The sound will also increase with vehicle speed (though it may go away at a certain point) and may get louder when turning in one direction or the other.

The only time you should pump the brake pedal when driving a car with ABS is when the system suddenly fails. If it’s working perfectly fine, however, just keep a firm pressure on the brake. This will allow the ABS to work much better.

Obviously, a faulty wheel bearing will only make noise when you’re driving. So, if you hear the sound when the vehicle is stopped, you can rule out the wheel bearings altogether. It’s also important to note that wheel bearing noise will basically sound the same no matter what type of surface you’re traveling over.

So, if you think you hear the rumble of a bad wheel bearing, be sure to get your vehicle repaired immediately. Your safety depends on it.