A wheel hub assembly that needs a new replacement could damage suspension parts if it’s not changed soon enough. Typically you’ll have an upper and lower ball joint and tie rod ends. If the wheel is able to jump around enough from the shaking caused by a worn bearing, these parts can wear out from excessive movement. It can also wear out the axle that attaches to the hub assembly.

Slide the wheel into placeStart the lug nuts by handTighten the lug nuts preliminarilyLower the vehicle to the groundTorque the lug nuts in a crossing or star patternTorque the axle nut

You’ll typically hear the humming noise while turning. The humming noise will come from the bad bearing on the opposite side that you’re turning to. For example, if you’re turning right (passenger side), you’ll hear the humming noise from the wheel on left (driver side). This is because the weight shifts to the other side of the vehicle, puts more load on the worn bearing, and it creates a noise.

As the bearing wears from use, heat and friction can cause binding. You can test for this by jacking up the vehicle and spinning the tire, feeling for restriction. The tire should spin smoothly.

Remove the bolts from the caliper bracketPull the caliper offPut the caliper asidePry the brake pads off with a flat blade screwdriver

Brake parts like the rotors and pads can wear faster if you don’t install a wheel hub assembly replacement as soon as needed. If your car has a worn bearing, it can cause the brake rotor to wobble around. This can cause uneven wear on the brake pads and rotor. It can also hit against the brake calipers. In extreme cases it could cause brake pulsation.

Wheel hubs can fail for different reasons. The bearing has ball or roller bearings. Ball bearings are most commonly used for the front wheels. Ball bearings sit in the bearing behind a seal. If the seal breaks, for example, the greased ball bearings will delubricate over time, rust from moisture, and eventually seize the bearing. As the bearing wears out, it can make a grinding noise.

In cases of extreme use, a badly worn wheel bearing could break away from the wheel if not replaced once it’s defective. This would be an unsafe situation for you and other drivers.

Place the brake pads into the caliper bracketApply grease to the brake padsPush back the caliper piston with groove-lock pliersPut the brake caliper into placeReinsert the two bolts into the caliperTorque the two bolts

Learn expert wheel hub assembly replacement tips and how ignoring this repair can cause more problems with your vehicle. Find out how to replace a wheel hub assembly yourself and more.

Loosen the lug nuts with the vehicle on the groundRemove the cotter pin from the axle nut if it has oneLoosen the axle nutRaise the vehicle with a floor jackSecure the vehicle on jack standsRemove the lug nutsRemove the wheel

The wheel hub bearing helps the tires spin and move your vehicle forward down the road. It attaches to the knuckle and wheel, and has a bearing to spin with the tire. Depending on your vehicle, there are sealed press-in bearings that press into the steering knuckle, and there are wheel hub assemblies that consist of a wheel hub that attaches to a bearing and which bolts on to the knuckle.

A bad wheel bearing could pull your vehicle to the left or right when driving down the road. The bad wheel bearing assembly could cause the wheel to shake around or angle it inward or outward and pull the car in that direction.

After you’ve completed this repair, have a professional alignment done. This will fix any changes to the alignment and prevent early tire wear.

Remove the two bolts from the caliper bracketPull off the brake caliper bracketRemove a screw from the rotor if it has oneStrike the drum surface of the rotor with a hammer to loosen the rotorPull the rotor offClean the hub surface with a wire brush

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The ABS light could turn on because of a bad wheel bearing. Most modern vehicles have an ABS system that tracks how fast the wheel spins. A worn bearing assembly with an ABS sensor can turn the light on if there’s an issue with one of the assembly’s components. The traction control light could also turn on if there’s an issue with the wheel bearing. It’s a sign that more than likely there’s a problem with the wheel bearing and hub assembly if both of these lights turn on.

Learn how to do more than replace a wheel hub assembly with our how-to videos. Step-by-step instructions, expert tips, and more can help DIYers of all skill levels work on many different vehicles.

An extreme case covered in the video above at 4:30 could cause the wheel and brake rotor to move around. The rotor could hit against the brake caliper bracket and make a grinding noise from the contact.

A press-in bearing repair is more in depth than a bolt-on bearing one. You’ll still need to raise and secure the vehicle and remove the brake parts. Then you’ll need to remove the entire steering knuckle and press out the hub and bearing with a press.

One possible cause of uneven tire wear is a bad wheel bearing. As the tire is pulled in a certain direction while the bearing is bad, this off-kiltering can cause the tire to wear on one side more than the other.

The front end may make a clunking noise when driving over bumps if it has a bad wheel bearing. There are many different front end parts that can make this noise when they’re defective.

Excessive looseness is one sign of a defective wheel hub assembly. You can raise and secure the vehicle with a jack and jack stands to check the wheel bearing. Grab the tire from the 12 and 6 or 3 and 9 o’clock position and press it in and out, feeling for an excessively loose bearing. These generally mean there’s a problem with it, especially if it’s from both of those angles. It’s also important to check the other front end parts like the tie rods and ball joint.