The typical sounds of worn-out wheel bearings are squealing and/or growling. The sound intensifies as vehicle speed increases. Try to pinpoint the location of the noise because it will identify the location of the worn-out bearings.

Worn bearings may cause a vehicle to pull to the left or right when brakes are applied. The direction the vehicle pulls signals where the worn bearings are located, on the left or right side of the vehicle. However, this can also signal brake rotor or brake caliper problems.

In this story, we’ll tell you quick facts to know, such as what causes a bad wheel bearing, how long you can drive on one, and the estimated replacement cost of a wheel bearing as you maintain your vehicle.

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I recently needed to do brake and bearing work on both my Lotus Europa and on one of my BMW 2002s. The two repairs were nearly identical. I’ll show it for the BMW simply because the photographs came out better, and I’ll point out the handful of minor differences.

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When installing the bearings, order is important. You must drop the inner bearing in first, then install the bearing seal to trap it in place, then slide the entire hub assembly onto the spindle, then slide the outer bearing into place, and then trap it with the spacer and nut.

To remove the inner wheel bearing, you first need to pry the seal out of the back of the hub. You’re replacing it, so don’t worry about destroying it. A long screwdriver rocking on a fulcrum point like the handle of a hammer usually does the trick. With the seal out, withdraw the inner wheel bearing. Again, hold onto it for a bit in case you need to compare sizes.

With the inner bearing trapped in place by the seal, turn the hub over and coat the outer bearing race with grease. Clean any grease off the rotors.

Once you’ve packed the crevices, cram the outer circumference of the bearing into your palm, working the grease into the individual rollers. Be sure that it’s well packed. Remember: You’re likely giving this bearing the only lubrication it’ll receive for decades. When the bearing is well-packed, put it down on a new clean paper towel. Do this with both the inner and outer bearings.

If you are replacing the rotors, now is a good time to take the old ones off. On my 2002, they were held by four 8-mm Allen-head bolts, whereas on the Lotus, they were attached using traditional bolts. In either case, this is one of those times where owning an impact wrench makes it so easy that it’s almost not fair. If you don’t have one, you may need to clamp the old rotor in a vise to hold it still. Draw the bolts and their lock washers out, then separate the rotor from the hub. If it’s been on there for 40 years, you may need to persuade it with a few smacks from a hammer.

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Wheel bearings connect a car’s wheels to the axles. They allow wheels to turn with minimal friction. Though wheel bearings are low-maintenance parts, they are important safety components of a vehicle’s braking, steering, and suspension systems. The one-piece hub assembly, between the drive axle and the brake disc or drums, incorporates the hub, wheel bearings, ABS (anti-lock braking system) wheel speed sensor, and mounting flange.

Either wash your hands or use a pair of rubber gloves. I’d advise wearing a Tyvek suit, as you’re likely going to get grease on whatever you’re wearing. Take a good-sized glob of grease and put it in the palm of your hand. Then take the bearing and press it in the wad of grease in your palm, almost like you’re scooping ice cream with a spoon, and work the grease into every crevice around the rim of the bearing. Replenish the grease in your palm as necessary. Do this for both the front and back of the bearing.

Wheel bearings generally live a long time on street cars, but front-wheel bearings suffer increased stress due to the steering, so they may need to be replaced at some point on a vintage car.

Take the new race and place it in the hub. Square it up, then gently tap it in with a rubber hammer, or a hammer and wood block, or hammer and a hockey puck, then stop and look at it carefully to determine whether it’s going in cocked, which it almost always is. If it is badly cocked, it can gouge the mating surface, so you want to correct it as quickly as possible. Gently tap on the high side until it is going in level, then continue tapping until it’s flush with the top of the hub.

How longwilla wheel bearinglast once it starts making noise

Slide the hub and rotor assembly onto the spindle, pressing it gently but firmly to get the inner bearing to seat on the spindle. Slide the outer bearing over the end of the spindle and into its race, then slide the spacer over the end of the spindle. Thread the castellated nut onto the end of the spindle. Be careful not to cross-thread it. Once the nut is on, spin it on as far as it will go by hand, then gently use a wrench on it, as both the inner and outer bearing rings sometimes need to seat on the spindle. It should be obvious when they’re seated. Do not apply any real torque on the nut. You’re not trying to tighten it.

The cost to replace one front-wheel hub assembly varies widely. Among the variables are the vehicle brand and model, the garage’s labor rate, and the cost of parts. The average out-the-door wheel bearing replacement cost without taxes is about $350 per wheel.

What happens ifyoukeep drivingon a bad wheel bearing

Give the inside of the hub and the bearing races a quick cleaning with a paper towel so you can see what’s what. You should be able to see the smaller outer bearing race pressed into the front of the hub, and the larger inner race pressed into the back. If you look inside the hub from both sides, you should see two notches behind each race that allow you to bang them out. Using a hammer and the drift of your choice (e.g., an old screwdriver, a beat-up quarter-inch ratchet extension, or even an actual drift punch), and working on one race at a time, knock it out by banging alternately on the two notches. Then move on to the other race. It doesn’t matter which one you do first.

When the race is fully seated, you should hear the sound change from a ringing to more of a thud as you’re tapping it in, but you should also check by turning the hub over and carefully examining where the back of the race is visible through the slots. Be certain that there is no space behind the race. Then do the same thing with the other bearing race. You should now have both the inner and outer races seated.

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On many vintage cars, replacing front wheel bearings is synergistic with replacing the front rotors. This is because the front rotors are often behind the front hubs, which means that to change the rotors you have to pull the hubs off the front spindles, at which point the bearings are practically in your hand. So, if you need to do a front brake job, check the wheel bearings.

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The bearings are tightly packed in a grease-filled, waterproof, sealed metal ring. This housing, called a race, is located inside the hub, and each wheel has one. Wheel bearings have a Herculean responsibility: They are engineered to support the vehicle’s entire weight.

Straighten out the cotter pin with needle-nosed pliers, remove it, and then unscrew the nut from the spindle. It shouldn’t be on tight, but if it is, a wrench can get it started. Withdraw the thick spacer that’s behind the nut.

Use a glob of grease to coat the inner bearing race, then set the inner bearing down inside it. Take the inner wheel-bearing seal and install it as you did the bearing races, tapping it into place and taking care not to cock it, but only get it flush with the inner surface of the hub. Don’t pound it in any farther than that. The BMW 2002 had the rubber grease seal shown, but the Lotus had an old-school felt seal where the felt was on the outside, greased, and meant to be in light contact with the base of the spindle. Care needed to be taken to test-fit the hub assembly to be certain the clearance of the felt seal was adequate.

If there is excessive play in the steering, meaning the steering seems less responsive or less precise than normal, worn bearings could be causing the problem. Also, this could be a sign the vehicle needs a wheel alignment. If you have any of the signs listed above, visit a dealer service or auto repair shop.

The most easily identifiable and common symptom of bad wheel bearings is audible. But it can be confusing. For example, the source of a humming noise can be linked to other issues, such as tires and the CV joint.

The classic test is to jack up the front of the car, support it on stands, grab each wheel at 6 o’clock and 12 o’clock, and gently rock it. If you feel play, the wheel bearing needs to be adjusted. If you can’t adjust out the play, or if when you spin it you hear and feel noise, it’s time to replace the bearings.

The next step is to slide the hub onto the spindle, but before that, there’s the question of whether the hub bore is supposed to be packed with grease. Consult a repair manual for the car. On the 2002, the grease packed into the bearings and dust cap were deemed enough, but on the Lotus, the manual said to pack the hub’s center bore approximately half full of grease.

Wheel bearings are theoretically engineered to last the life of the vehicle. There is no maintenance schedule for replacing wheel bearings, and there is no constant source of lubrication. However, they can be damaged, leading to failure.

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Spray everything down with the cleaner of your choice and scour it thoroughly. Then, as you did with the spindle, inspect the surfaces that the races sat in; I’ve never seen one ruined, but it’s not uncommon to see some gouging from the races being banged in and out. If gouging in one area is pronounced, you can take off the high spots with some Scotch-Brite, but don’t go nuts and risk not having the race fit snugly.

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Next, take a paper towel and clean the spindle. Inspect the two flat surfaces. The bearings themselves do not actually run on these surfaces. Instead, they serve as the seating surfaces for the rings in the center of the bearing assemblies. However, if these surfaces are badly pockmarked or gouged, the inner bearing rings may not sit firmly on them, allowing the entire bearing to wobble. If that is the case, and if, after replacing the bearings and adjusting them, there is still substantial play in the wheel, the entire strut housing may need to be replaced. Fortunately, this is extremely rare, and usually comes only from catastrophic bearing failure—which is why, when you feel play that can’t be adjusted out, you replace the bearings.

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Take the castellated nut, the spacer, and the dust cap, clean them, and put them somewhere where you won’t kick them across the garage floor.

At this point, before I button things up, I like to test-fit the wheel, spin it, and check for play. If you do this, take care not to get any dirt into the open bearing (you can gently tap the bearing cap into place). The wheel should spin smoothly and quietly. Grab the wheel at 6 and 12 and push and pull it. There should be no play, or only a small hint of play.

What causeswheelbearings to gobad

Next, you need to find the gap in the castellated nut that best lines up with the hole in the end of the spindle. The Internet is full of stories of people who burned out wheel bearings in a hundred miles by over-tightening them. I was always trained to tighten the nut by hand, then back it off to line it up with the hole, but a friend pointed out to me that the 2002 factory manual calls for the nut to be tight enough that the spacer can be moved by prying it with a screwdriver. Check your manual for the correct procedure.

Most vehicles today use sealed hub bearing assemblies that contain roller bearings. While we don’t address these, older cars used tapered roller bearings, which required servicing and preload adjusting to ensure the right amount of end play or axial clearance.

Next comes the fun part: Packing the bearings. There are few things more automotively primal, elemental, and intimate than packing bearings. Use whatever grease you’re comfortable with. Like with motor oil, many people swear by certain greases. I haven’t found that it matters. Traditional brown 100-percent petroleum-based grease, black semi-synthetic, or red 100-percent synthetic are all fine, as long as the package lists “automotive bearings” among the applications.

Howto tell whichwheel bearingisbadwhile driving

Imagine driving on the freeway when the left front tire and wheel suddenly break off, sending your out-of-control vehicle skidding across several lanes of 65 mph traffic. This is not an exaggeration. This is reality, and can happen if you fail to notice the signs the wheel bearings are deteriorating and need immediate repairs. Your wheel bearing might be bad if you hear unusual sounds like humming, squeaking, or clicking. Some experts say a bad wheel bearing can sound like a bird chirping. Also, if your car wobbles or pulls to one side, you will want to get it checked.

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You begin by removing the caliper. If you’re also replacing the pads, it’s easiest if you first bang the pins out of the caliper before you unbolt it from the strut. Note that the original brake pads and shoes on a vintage car may contain asbestos, so wearing a dust mask is a wise precaution when dealing with brake components. Remove the bolts holding the caliper to the strut. There may also be a bolt holding the brake line bracket to the strut. Set the caliper on the control arm or hang it from the spring with a zip tie.

However, luxury cars are more expensive to repair. Do note that if bearings go bad at one wheel, replacing the bearings at the other wheel on the same axle is unnecessary. Don’t let someone talk you into work that is not needed. Get the price estimate for wheel bearing replacement for your make and model of car.

If you hear a clicking sound that increases in frequency as the vehicle accelerates, there could be a problem with the wheel hub assembly.

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Bad wheel bearings can cause the steering wheel to vibrate. The intensity increases as the vehicle speed increases and the vehicle turns to the left or right. However, the vibration could be linked to an out-of-round tire (there could be a flat spot on the tire) or a tire that is no longer balanced. Another cause is damaged or worn suspension components.

When the race is flush with the top of the hub, switch from a block of wood to using a socket whose diameter is just slightly smaller than the race. You’ll have to figure this out by trial and error, as the exact outer diameter varies socket to socket, but on the 2002, I used a 1-13/16-inch socket on the larger inner race and a 1-3/8-inch socket on the smaller outer race.

Wheel bearingnoise

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And that’s it. Unless you own the car for 30 more years and drive the bejesus out of it, you’ll probably never have to change the front wheel bearings again.

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The original equipment bearings on your vehicle are engineered for specific loads. Those bigger and wider tires look cool, as do tires with lower tread walls. But they place higher loads on the wheel bearings, possibly resulting in accelerated wear. That could present a safety issue if your wheel bearings fail.

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Wheel bearingreplacement cost

Begin disassembling the hub by fishing the outer wheel bearing out. Don’t throw it away just yet, in case you need to compare it to the new bearing.

Open the package with your nice new bearing. It should contain the bearing and the race. It doesn’t matter whether you select the inner or outer bearing first. Withdraw the race and set the bearing down on a clean paper towel or plastic sheet.

If one tire wears out faster than the others, it could be a sign that the wheel bearings are worn. However, it also could be a sign the tire is improperly inflated (too much air pressure or not enough), the tires are improperly aligned, or the vehicle has damaged or worn suspension components.

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While you don’t absolutely have to do the wheel bearings on both sides at the same time (it’s not like rotors and pads), it’s generally considered good practice to do so.

Technicians can check for wheel wobble by putting the vehicle on a lift and manually checking for wheel movement. Typically, it would be impossible to shake the wheel and tire. However, if it moves, the hub assembly needs immediate attention. The tire and wheel can literally come off the vehicle at any time, at any speed, if you don’t repair your vehicle.

The front hub layout on many vintage cars is such that there are inner and outer bearings, each running in a race that’s pressed into the hub. The inner bearing is protected by a pressed-in seal, the outer bearing by a dust cap. The hub assembly—hub plus rotor plus bearings—slides onto a spindle that protrudes at a right angle from the strut, and it’s held in place by a castellated nut, so named because it has notches in it like the crenellations in the parapet of a castle or the top of a rook chess piece. One of the notches is lined up with a hole that’s drilled through the end of the spindle. A cotter pin is used to secure the nut.

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The anti-lock warning light may illuminate if the ring, tire, and wheel wobble, the wheel’s speed sensor is no longer operating properly, and the ABS may operate sporadically or not at all. See a professional for repair.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated for accuracy since it was originally published. Rick Kranz contributed to this report.

“The good news is most of the time, a vehicle will let you know way before a failure ever happens,” said Gary Hardesty, Kelley Blue Book’s in-house service and maintenance expert and an A.S.E. certified master technician. “The key is to listen to your car. Most times, a failing wheel bearing will exhibit a growling type of noise that changes with vehicle speed. The faster the car (goes), the faster the frequency of the growl.”

Next, pull the hub and rotor assembly forward and off the spindle, but be aware that the outer wheel bearing may slide out, so be prepared to catch it. Lay everything on a clean piece of cardboard or a paper towel.

Driving with bad wheel bearings impacts the safety of a vehicle, and it could cause a serious car accident. We do not advise driving on them when they fail and recommend getting them checked out as soon as possible. Bad wheel bearings can damage things like your hub, the vehicle’s constant velocity joint (CV joint), or the automatic transmission.

Your vehicle will signal that it’s time to replace a failed wheel bearing. For example, if you hear unusual sounds like humming or clicking, then your bearing might be bad. Watch out and listen for these signs and symptoms:

Humming Or Growling Noise ... If the noise is more growly, then the issue is likely a bad wheel bearing. The noise may become louder the faster you drive. Yet, ...

Hardesty cautions that if you think something is wrong, don’t wait to get it diagnosed: “The longer you wait, the more it will cost as other components may be damaged by a wheel bearing.”

Finally, put the cotter pin through the notch and the hole, and bend it far enough that it won’t hit the bearing cap. Put some grease in the cap and tap it back into place.

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