Use a floor jack and a pair of safety jack stands to lift your vehicle. This lets you safely remove the tires for your bearing replacements.

If the wheel bearing and tires look good, you may want to check the drivetrain. Sometimes a humming or growling noise is a sign of an issue within the drivetrain.

The biggest tell on when it’s time to change your wheel bearings and a sign that they are starting to fail is when you hear a moaning noise coming from this area while driving.

In extreme cases, a failed wheel bearing can cause abnormal tire wear. When that happens, the noise you’re hearing is caused by both a bad wheel bearing and a worn tire.

The rotor mounts on a hub that contains the pressed-in wheel bearing. Bearing assemblies on front or rear non-driven axles are mounted between a wheel hub and a simple spindle shaft. Some cars have permanently sealed front wheel bearings.

Place the new bearing into the back of the rotor and apply grease to the inside bearing cavity. Install a new bearing seal over the new larger bearing and slide the rotor back on to the spindle. (A rubber mallet can be used to tap the bearing seal into place, if needed).

If the noise is more “growly”, then the issue is likely a bad wheel bearing. The noise may become louder the faster you drive.

You may also trace this noise to a loose pinion-bearing preload. It’s likely the case when you only hear the noise when decelerating.

After gathering the supplies needed, you will need to prepare your vehicle to safely change the wheel bearings. Start by parking your vehicle on a level surface before you begin.

To do this, use your pliers to remove the cotter pin and retaining nut and then slide the rotor forward to release the outer wheel bearing (smaller wheel bearing).

If the wheel bearings are housed inside your disc brake rotor, which is common to see in trucks, you will need to pry off the central dust cap to expose the cotter pin and retaining nut.

Place the rotor face down on the floor with the back side facing upwards. Take the new larger bearing and rub the bearing grease into the casing.

Don’t stress too much if your car is giving you that tell-tale sign, because it shouldn’t be a costly repair. While changing your bearings is considered a more involved job, for most it can still be done at home to avoid a trip to the mechanic. But be warned, you will need a few specialty tools to get the job done right.

If the problem is a worn wheel bearing, then you’re hearing a knocking noise because the bearing isn’t rotating as freely as it should. A bad tire can cause a knocking or thumping noise, too. To be more specific:

If your bearing is pressed into the spindle, it is recommended that you remove the spindle from the vehicle and take both the spindle and the new wheel bearing to your local repair shop. They will have the specialty tools to press out the old bearing and press in the new one.

If you’re hearing this noise, the issue may be a bad wheel bearing. To confirm it, change the speed of the vehicle. If the noise becomes worse the faster you drive, then it’s almost certainly a bad wheel bearing. If the noise remains the same, then the issue may be the tires instead.

If you’re replacing a bad wheel hub bearing, you want to make sure that your techs use high quality replacement parts. Using high quality replacement parts:

To loosen your lug nuts, you will need a ½ inch ratchet with the correct size socket. Loosen the lug nuts, but do not remove them fully just yet.

Learning how to change your wheel bearings can be considered by some to be a bit more involved than your entry level maintenance on your truck or car. However, with these tips, you should be able to accomplish this task successfully and save yourself some money!

Replace the retaining nut on the spindle and grab the rotor with both hands. Proceed to pull the rotor off the spindle, allowing the larger inner bearing to get caught on the retaining nut. Then, release the bearing and grease seal from the rotor.

If your bearing is housed inside a hub that can be unbolted, simply use your ratchet to unbolt the hub from the spindle and install a new hub.

If you encountered any problems while changing your wheel bearings, or if you are not comfortable completing this maintenance on your own, be sure to call a professional mechanic.

It can be hard to figure out if the noise is caused by a wheel bearing or a tire. There’s something you can try, though. Turn the steering wheel slightly to the left or right. If the noise gets worse, then it’s likely one of the wheel bearings.

We put together this noise guide to save you some labor time. You can have your technicians find the noise that best describes what they’re hearing in the list below. From there, they may be able to figure out what the issue is.

Now that the new bearing is installed, the brake rotor and caliper can be placed back onto the vehicle using a ratchet and the appropriate sockets that were used to remove them.

Replace the wheel and tighten the lug nuts by hand. Support the vehicle with a floor jack and remove the safety jack stands. Slowly lower the vehicle until its tires just touch the ground (similar to how you would when changing a flat tire).

If you’re still not sure whether the issue lies in the tires or one of the wheel bearings, check out the most common symptoms of each issue:

Use a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts to manufacturer specifications. Lower the vehicle completely and remove the floor jack.

Once you have all of the wheel bearing components removed, it is time for the fun part – the actual installation of your new wheel bearings.

Pack the new smaller bearing with grease and slide it on to the spindle inside the rotor. Now install the thrust washer and retaining nut onto the spindle.

Then be sure to use a wheel chock to block the tire opposite of the wheel that you will be working on first. For example, if changing the driver’s side front bearings first, you will need to chock the passenger’s rear wheel.

You are almost there! Just a few last steps that are important to give your full attention to in order to wrap this maintenance up safely.

Tighten the retaining nut until it is snug and turn the rotor counterclockwise at the same time. Tighten the retaining nut a ¼ turn past snug and then install a new cotter pin.

To do this, use your ratchet and ⅜ -socket set to unbolt the disc brake caliper and bracket from the spindle. Use a screwdriver to remove the caliper itself.

If the issue is a worn wheel bearing, you’d typically hear this noise while cornering or making sharp turns with moderate speed. A bad CV joint can be heard at low speeds with the steering wheel all the way to one side or the other. It can’t hurt to check both the wheel bearings and CV joint(s).

In most cases, this service can be done inexpensively. Once the new bearing is pressed in, the spindle can be installed back on to the vehicle.

Be sure to refer to your owner's manual for information on where the proper lift points to jack up your vehicle are located.

The best way to figure out the cause of this noise is to check the tires first. If the tires look good, then check the wheel bearings.

Pro Tip: When removing the caliper, be careful not to let it dangle freely because that can damage the flexible brake line. Instead, use the wire hanger to hook it on a secure part of the undercarriage or hang the brake caliper on the suspension.

This post will help you find a quality parts manufacturer. GMB is a reliable manufacturer of OE-quality hub assemblies and wheel bearings. Check out this page to find out why GMB wheel bearing and hub assemblies are the prime choice.

A worn wheel bearing can cause a howling noise. If you’re also hearing a rumbling noise when turning, then it’s likely a bad wheel bearing.

Wheel bearings are sets of steel balls that are housed in metal casings called races, which are located in the wheel’s hub.

We’re going to share how to change your wheel bearings in a more general step-by-step process for the common wheel bearing types that are found in the majority of vehicles. However, before starting your replacement job, please consult your vehicle’s service manual to ensure you know what kind of bearings you’re working with on your specific vehicle.

What do you do when a customer brings you a vehicle with a roaring or howling noise coming from a wheel? In most cases, it can be coming from a worn tire, or a worn bearing. It is not easy to tell, but there are ways to determine what is causing the problem.

The noise may be the result of an under-inflated tire or improperly aligned tires. These issues cause part of the tires (or one tire) to be scrubbing on the pavement. That causes a squealing noise.

Congratulations, you have successfully changed your vehicle’s wheel bearing. It is important to perform a test drive after changing the wheel bearings to ensure that the repair is complete.