On many vehicles, the ABS sensor is built into the wheel bearing, or it’s externally mounted adjacent to the spinning part of the bearing where the sensor measures vehicle speed. Damaged from a wobbly wheel bearing, the sensor will send erratic readings to the vehicle’s computer, illuminating the ABS light.

Wheel bearingnoise

Joe Simes is an ASE and Toyota master technician. After 20 years in the industry, Simes recently became a Pennsylvania Department of Education certified automotive technology instructor at North Montco Technical Career Center in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.

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.

Absolutely not. It’s crucial to get bad wheel bearings diagnosed and replaced ASAP. If not, you could lose a wheel or get in an accident.

Cost to fix wheel bearingreddit

Friction from a failing wheel bearing produces heat. After driving, without touching the tires or wheels, carefully walk around your vehicle and use a non-touch thermometer to measure if one is hotter than the others.

Frontwheel bearingreplacementcost

You’ll hear clicking, cracking, grinding, snapping, or whining noises coming from your wheels or tires. They’ll increase when accelerating or turning.

Cost to fix wheel bearingnear me

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.

If you have bad wheel bearings, you might experience the vehicle pulling to one side, sloppy or loose steering, grinding and rattling noises, and uneven tire wear.

Wheel Bearing costAutoZone

The short answer is: Not for too long. Having bad wheel bearings can range from inconvenient and unpleasant to downright dangerous.

Read on to learn the most common bad wheel bearing symptoms, based on my experience (50 years in the industry) and that of Joe Simes, a National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified and Toyota master technician. But first, a little background.

Rearwheel bearingreplacementcost

We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices.

According to Simes, a failing wheel bearing will likely produce a soft, faint vibration that’s felt before it’s heard. There may also be a vague rhythmic humming or droning sound that increases over time and with speed.

Frontwheel bearingreplacementcostNear me

The average cost to replace a sealed wheel hub bearing is $350 per wheel. However, depending on the make and model, shop labor rate, the cost of the bearing itself and any additional damage, the total could exceed $1,000.

But sealed wheel bearings are non-serviceable and should never be repaired, only replaced. Even if a pro suggests repairing a bearing, don’t let them. Trying to reuse a damaged wheel bearing can result in an accident and severe injury.

If you hear noises at the wheels, one explanation might be a need for a wheel bearing replacement at one or more wheels. The noises might be described as rattling, clicking, humming, growling, or squealing. It can be a real symphony of sound if you’re not careful.

More than just noisy or bothersome, bad wheel bearings could also lead to real performance issues like inconsistent braking, spongy steering and handling, uneven tire wear and, in extreme cases, the wheels could fall off. No matter how much (or how little) you know about cars, you don’t want the wheels falling off, right?

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

If water, grit, salt or sand get to the bearings, the grease in the hub assembly gets contaminated. This will wear down the bearings, and they will eventually give out.

A bad wheel bearing can cause a tire/wheel to move or glide unevenly or sluggishly. It can also cause your brakes to drag, pulling your vehicle to one side when you try to stop.

Depending on the vehicle, you can save hundreds in labor replacing wheel bearings yourself. Most auto parts stores will lend you the specialty tools and equipment needed to replace a wheel bearing.

Cost to fix wheel bearingcalculator

For more on any of these complaints – not to mention more than you ever knew you wanted to know about wheel bearings, read the full article

You can service or replace tapered wheel bearings yourself. Never reuse any wheel bearing that’s loose, worn, noisy or shows any signs of wear.

Simply stated, wheel bearings allow cars and trucks to run smoother and more efficiently by reducing friction and supporting vehicle weight. When they start to fail, you can usually tell.

For a national average across all vehicles, the average cost to replace the wheel bearings (for 1 wheel) is about $350 (including parts and labor). But KBB.com goes deeper than that. Based on analyzing 100s of actual repair orders, we put together the Kelley Blue Book Fair Repair Range to show you what you should expect to pay for this repair for your Chevrolet. Simply tell us the year, model and style of your Chevrolet and we’ll show you a fair price for the repair.

Unlike unbalanced tires, shaking caused by a bad wheel bearing should be obvious from the side of the car where the bearing is failing.

In theory, wheel bearings could last as long as your Chevrolet. Unlike oil changes or tire rotations, there’s no standard maintenance schedule for replacing them. However, wheel bearings can be damaged if you hit a pothole, smack into a curb or bounce over a speed bump too fast.