Bad wheel bearingsnoise

Having now heard that it’s producing a “roaring” sound, I too think it sounds like a bearing. However, you know you need half-shafts anyway, so I’d do those first and see how it feels.

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.

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.

One is to jack the vehicle up so that tire is off the ground. Grab the tire at the 12:00 and 6:00 oclock positions and try rocking the top and bottom of the tire in and out to check for play in the bearing. If the tire rocks that bearing is worn.

The best way to test for a bad bearing is to jack up the wheel from the suspected axle side and do a manual feel test. If the properly mounted wheel can be wiggled up and down and side to side, this is a sure sign the wheel bearing has failed. If the wheel bearing is simply worn, but holding, the wheel should be removed, the brake pads removed, and the axle spun by hand. A good wheel bearing with allow the axle to spin smoothly with some small amount of resistance. If you feel any roughness in the spinning motion, the wheel bearing is probably bad.

Driving withbad wheelbearing

I’d go ahead and replace the half shaft that has the torn boot. It’s likely the CV joint is damaged from lack of grease and dirt and water getting to it.

Failed wheel bearings do indeed make noise, can sound like snow tires at high speed…As Knuckles said, you can jack up the wheels one at a time and FEEL & LOOK for play in the wheels…

For what it’s worth, I’ve had bad hearing for decades for a variety of reasons and as a mechanic I’ve had to focus more on attuning myself to the feel of a problem rather than the audible end of things. So yes, you can determine many faults by feel instead of with the ears.

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.

Another way to check for a worn bearing is with the tire off the ground, place your hand on the strut spring. Now slowly rotate the tire. If the bearing worn, the roughness of the bearing will be transfered into the strut spring where it can be felt.

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?

Bad wheel bearingssymptoms

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

You can rely on our promise of honesty and competence when we service your vehicle. Our customers know that they will get a fair price for services provided.

The feelings you describe certainly seems like a wheel bearing. However, worn-out brakes can also cause this feeling. Worn-out brakes typically feel worse when braking-however. If the feeling only seems to get worse when turning, I think you are on the correct track in assuming a bad bearing.

Frontwheelbearing noise symptoms

Ok thanks for the diagnosis. Can it be determined how much it would cost to replace wheel bearings in my area (Knoxville, TN)? Should it be inexpensive? Thanks.

I asked my younger brother who was in town for business to drive my car tonight to see if it was making any noise. Sure enough it was. My brother said it was roaring loudly from the front end driving from 25 MPH to highway speed. More scary now since I can’t hear that and not know if it will break on me… I think this is more definite confirmation the CV axles are about to disintergate on me so I will have them replaced this week and post back on if it was the culprit.

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.

The bottom line is that you’ve searched properly for the source of the vibration, you’ve found that you need new half-shafts, so go ahead and fix that first, then see how it feels.

How to tell whichwheelbearing isbadin the front

Yes, that would be the problem. In all likelihood, that joint needs repairing/replacing. Common repairs often fail (seems to be the consensus from this thread), and since you’re now feeling a humming, that implies there’s some damage to the joint itself. Your best bet, at this point, is to replace the axle with a new or rebuilt unit. Again, the consensus here is that rebuilt shafts don’t work all that well, nor last that long.

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

Ok now…I jacked up the front of the car and did the “12:00 and 6:00” method. Both wheels are tight and snug. I did the hot wheel temperature and both wheels are cool to the touch. With that, I could have ruled out wheel bearings. Now I decided to take a look under the right front corner. And I found the CV joint boot had thrown grease from the boot all over. I think the CV joint is the culprit. Could a bad CV joint cause all this vibration and humming sound?

If the right CV joint is bad, I will go ahead and replace the left one too since it probably isn’t far behind. I just would like confirmation that a bad CV joint can cause all this? Thanks for your advice!

Many folks misdaignose problems as tire related when they are actually bearing and CV joint related. I think Busted is right - especially about not waiting to get this looked at.

When you bring your family’s car to Wiygul Automotive Clinic, we take your trust in us seriously. We take the time to get to know you and your vehicle. In addition, we will send you service reminders and maintain service records that help keep your car’s factory warranty valid - which means you don’t have to go to the dealer for service.

Just to let you know, I’ve worked on cars for over 20 years, and most of the problems I encounter are determined more by feel than by sound. While I can hear problems in cars as they are pulled up, determining the cause of the sound almost always comes down to feeling for the problem. If you are unable to determine the cause of the vibration yourself, please let a mechanic look it over for you. The feeling your describing appears to be coming from the wheel/hub/suspension components none the less, and a failed component in this area is very dangerous and can lead to loss of control.

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

Average life ofwheel bearings

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.

I’m not sure who it was (Caddyman? Keith? Someone else?) who had a link for replacement shafts that aren’t much more than rebuilds, but seem to be much more reliable. Hopefully they’ll pop on soon and post the link for you.

An abnormality in tire tread wear can also mimic a worn wheel bearing and this is easily checked. I assume this has been done. Another possibility could be a failed motor mount which could set up a quirky vibration. (Check the dog bone mount under the hood on the passenger side top. That’s the most common failure and easily fixed if a problem.)

Anytime I suspect a bad wheel bearing I jack up the suspected corner of the car and try to wiggle the wheel while watching for play in the hub area. Just the wheel moving could be a sign of a bad ball joint or tie rod end, but if it’s moving in the hub area it’s the wheel bearing. If you have an infrared thermometer check the temperature of the wheels after driving a few miles. If a wheel bearing is bad usually there will be a significant amount of heat transfer to the wheel. If you check the temperature by hand be careful, I’ve seen wheels get extremely hot from a bad wheel bearing. I actually saw the hub and wheel on my father in laws truck smoking from the heat of bad bearing one time and the lug nuts were so hot I couldn’t touch them.

Roaring is usually a sign of a bad wheel bearing and as it get worse will usually turn into a popping or grinding noise, at this point they’re usually on their last few miles.

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

Wheelbearing replacement cost

I have a question…I have a '03 Toyota Camry with 4 cyl and auto trans. This has 118k miles. I’m wanting to know what symptoms bad wheel bearings will give. Why? I am Deaf and obviously can’t hear. I know there’s a way to test for bad wheel bearings by wheel but I’m wanting to know if can do it by feeling? Whenever I’m driving between 40-50 mph, I get a very fine humming feel on my steering wheel. I can sense if there is a wheel out of balance but this doesn’t feel like it…my steering wheel feels like a vibrating sander, you know? Just wondering if that means bad wheel bearings or something else? Thanks!

What causesbad wheel bearings

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.

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!

We want to take the stress out of getting your vehicle serviced. We’ll never talk down to you or pressure you, but we will be completely thorough honest about what your car does need - specifically noting anything that could be a safety issue.

I can confirm for you that a bad CV joint can manifest itself as a 'buzz saw" vibration in the steering wheel. As can other things.

Roaring is usually a sign of a faulty wheel bearing, not a CV joint. If this turns out to be a wheel bearing I would suggest replacing both sides if possible