I have personally seen a Crown Victoria that was making a noise I would have sworn was coming from the left rear axle bearing, but after removing and inspecting that bearing (which is difficult on a rear wheel drive vehicle), I discovered that the noise was actually originating from the left front tire. And I had nearly 40 years of automotive experience at the time.

How long will awheelbearing last afteritstarts making noise

There are different kinds of wheel bearings depending on the year model and the design of the vehicle. Older rear wheel drive vehicles had cone type wheel bearings on the front wheels that could be removed, inspected, and packed with grease, and reinstalled with new seals. Some front-wheel drive vehicles have wheel bearings of this type on the rear. In other words, if a vehicle has cone-type bearings that can be removed, inspected, and repacked, it will always be on the NON-driving wheels – the ones that don’t propel the vehicle. Trailer wheels often have bearings of this type.

Can your car still run with a faulty bearing? The technical answer might be yes; some wheel bearings might continue to operate normally despite the vehicle being driven with one or more noisy bearings for a very long time. The problem is that since the noise begins gradually and slowly gets worse, you might not even notice the noise if your vehicle is noisy in other ways.

Predators: Harbor seals are hunted by large sharks, orcas and polar bears. Like most animals living in the wild today, human destruction of their environment creates the largest danger to them.

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Wheel bearings are in a hostile environment and are working very hard, but wheel bearings are very tough – they’re designed for the work they do. But product variability is a real thing, and again, some bearings fail while others never do.

In cases like that, or when you just decide to keep driving until the failure is complete, the bearing itself will decide for you when it must be changed, and it can do so in very unpleasant ways and never at a good time. In other words, there are instances, when left unattended to, a faulty wheel bearing can create hazardous conditions, such as the following:

Another tricky element of wheel bearing noise is the need to pinpoint which wheel bearing is making the noise. Sometimes even professional mechanics will struggle with this, and there are special listening devices shops use to pinpoint which bearing is making the noise. Some tire shops will replace both front bearings if there is a bearing noise coming from the front of the vehicle; not a bad practice, actually.

One tricky thing about wheel bearing noise is that a bad tire can make almost exactly the same noise as a bad bearing; you don’t want to replace a wheel bearing for a noise concern when all you need is a new tire.

Wheel hub bearings support the weight of a vehicle and enable wheels to rotate smoothly, making them a critical component of a vehicle's wheel assembly.

By now, you may have an idea of how important wheel bearings are. Thankfully, there are signs that can indicate that your wheel bearings are going bad.

The older style cone shaped bearings have a series of tapered rollers in a cage with a window for each roller to keep them evenly spaced while they ride between inner and outer races. But most modern sealed bearings have steel balls with inside and outside races.

In the event that this happens under weather conditions that make the road slippery, immediately maneuver your vehicle to the nearest safe spot off the road.

It’s worth noting that tire noise will usually change depending on the road surface. Wheel bearing noise, on the other hand, is consistent regardless of road surface and acceleration.

Frontwheelbearing noise symptoms

A worn-out wheel bearing may also make a high-pitched squealing sound while you’re driving. If you are able to observe these symptoms, have your vehicle checked right away. Even if your wheel bearings are not the culprit—there’s definitely something wrong with your vehicle.

The wheel bearing on a wheel usually consists of a pair bearing assemblies running side by side on the shaft or spindle – this keeps the spindle running straight, while a single row of balls or rollers might allow the wheel to wobble. Exceptions would be the non-tapered roller bearings on rear wheel drive vehicles, which will have only one bearing assembly at the wheel end of the axle, but the inboard end of the axle on those units is splined to the differential assembly, which is spinning in its own set of tapered roller bearings.

You might have seen a vehicle pulling trailer that has had the bearings neglected to the point that the wheel gets hot enough to set the tire on fire – it can happen on your vehicle in extreme cases, but it’s rare.

Habitat: Harbor seals prefer shallow areas of estuaries, rivers and places where sandbars and beaches are uncovered at low tide. They prefer to haul out on rocky cliffs as well as sandy beaches to rest and raise their pups. When they are not on land, these seals are commonly seen in the Arctic, subarctic and temperate coastal waters, estuaries and rivers.

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Distribution: Harbor seals can be found along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. In the east they range from from Canada and Greenland through New York. In the Pacific ocean they range from Alaska down to Baja, Mexico.

Once again, there are other issues besides a bad wheel bearing that can cause steering wheel vibrations. A thorough diagnosis is needed to verify the cause of the concern.

Pro Tips are nuggets of information direct from ASE-certified automobile technicians working with CarParts.com, which may include unique, personal insights based on their years of experience working in the automotive industry. These can help you make more informed decisions about your car.

Behavior: Harbor seals spend about half of their time on land and the other half in the water. Harbor seals can swim up to 12 - 15 miles per hour, but they generally cruise at slower speeds. They are known to dive up to 1,500 feet and are capable of holding their breath for up to 40 minutes per dive.

It’s this abnormal sound that’s the most obvious sign something is wrong with your wheel bearings. Of course, because other issues, such as cupped tires, can mimic a bad wheel bearing, you’ll want to diagnose the sound properly.

Conservation Status:  Harbor seals and all marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) passed in 1972. This act makes it illegal to hunt or harass any marine mammal in U.S. waters. According to the MMPA, all seals and sea lions in U.S. waters are under the jurisdiction of the National Marine Fisheries Service. Although these mammals are protected by law, they are still under threat due to human impact. Marine debris is extremely dangerous and often deadly. Seals and sea lions live both on land and water, so they encounter both material dumped at sea as well as debris such as fishing line that washes up on shore. By recycling, we can all help to save and preserve these animals and our environment. The Atlantic harbor seal population is stable, which means that it is not currently at risk for extinction. The harbor seal world population is estimated at 400,000-500,000 animals.

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Is it dangerous to drive with bad wheel bearingswhile

Pro Tip: If a noise happens after the tires are rotated on a front wheel drive vehicle, it may be due to the wear pattern on the tires, so be aware of that, too.

Richard McCuistian has worked for nearly 50 years in the automotive field as a professional technician, an instructor, and a freelance automotive writer for Motor Age, ACtion magazine, Power Stroke Registry, and others. Richard is ASE certified for more than 30 years in 10 categories, including L1 Advanced Engine Performance and Light Vehicle Diesel.

Wheel bearings support the weight of the vehicle and allow the wheel/tire assembly to rotate when you’re traveling down the road. All four of your car’s wheels have wheel bearings and they are designed to last the life of the vehicle. In fact, many vehicles will travel hundreds of thousands of miles/kilometers and never need a wheel bearing replacement, but others may need one or more wheel bearings replaced over their lifetime.

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Oct 3, 2003 — This is typically a term used on front-wheel drive cars for the large bearings that are pressed into the hub carrier.

Family Life: Harbor seals do not form pair bonds. Male seals breed with many females. Pregnant seals give birth to a single pup following an 11- month gestation period typically in March or April. Females give birth on land, ice, or in the water near shore. Gestation includes a period of delayed implantation, when the fertilized egg stops growing and remains dormant for a period of 1 1/2 - 3 months. Delayed implantation allows pups to be born when environmental conditions are optimal for their survival. Pups nurse for about four to six weeks. Harbor seal milk is high in fat content allowing pups to double in weight by the time they are weaned. Females recognize their pups by vocalizations and by smell. After the pup is weaned, the female shows no interest in the pup. Pups typically weigh up to 30 pounds at birth and naturally learn to swim within the first moments of life. Pups nurse from their mothers for about four weeks, after which they are weaned. Adult females usually mate and give birth every year. Seals may live 25-30 years in a zoological environment.

A bad wheel bearing can cause the brake rotor to wobble, which shoves the caliper piston back into its bore so that when you apply the brakes, you have unexpected pedal travel as a result – making it harder to stop or causing the vehicle to pull unexpectedly to one side – never a good thing in traffic.

Modern vehicles have sealed wheel bearings that cannot be disassembled without destroying the wheel bearing assembly in the process, and on vehicles with bearings like those, you only know a bearing is bad when it begins to make noise. That’s the earliest indication of a bad wheel bearing, and front wheel bearings (both on front wheel drive as well as rear wheel drive vehicles) are the most prone to fail on modern vehicles.

In the scientific order Pinnipedia, there are true seals and eared seals. Harbor seals, also known as common seals, are true seals that possess certain characteristics making them different than eared seals. True seals possess internal ears, propel themselves through the water with their hind flippers in a side to side or sculling motion, and use their stomach muscles to bounce along the land. Harbor seals have a rounded body and their flippers are short and webbed. Their fore flippers have noticeable claws that harbor seals use for scratching, grooming, and defense. Harbor seals typically have beautiful coats of gray or brown fur with individual dark and light spots. Males are slightly larger than females. There are five subspecies of harbor seals: P.v. richardsi, P.v. vitulina, P.v. concolor, P.v. mellonae, and P.v. stefnegeri

A faulty wheel bearing can cause your vehicle to pull to one side during braking. This symptom can also be related to faulty brake components.

Wheel bearing noise coincides with the rotation of the tires. The sound typically increases with vehicle speed as well. In some instances, the noise may also change when you turn the steering wheel in one direction or the other.

Howtotell whichwheelbearingis badwhile driving

Is your ABS light on, and you do not know what is causing it? A faulty wheel bearing can be a possibility. On some vehicles, the ABS sensor or encoder ring is integrated into the wheel hub and bearing assembly. As such, a failure of the wheel bearing can trigger the ABS light.

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When you’re driving with the music cranked up, you may not notice the different sounds that your vehicle makes. But the moment you turn the radio off and notice a growling, humming, or rumbling noise coming from your wheel bearing, you’ll know there’s a problem.

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This paragraph doesn’t make sense: Older rear wheel drive vehicles had cone type wheel bearings on the front wheels that could be removed, inspected, and packed with grease, and reinstalled with new seals. Some rear wheel drive vehicles have wheel bearings of this type on the rear. In other words, if a vehicle has cone-type bearings that can be removed, inspected, and repacked, it will always be on the NON-driving wheels – the ones that don’t propel the vehicle.

Also, by replacing a bad bearing early on, you can also save yourself a lot of money by avoiding possible major repairs.

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If your wheel bearing goes out while you’re on the road, it’s not advisable to keep driving. However, if there’s absolutely no alternative, make sure to maintain a slow and steady pace—do not accelerate or turn suddenly.

Is it dangerous to drive with bad wheel bearingswhile driving

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A faulty wheel hub and bearing assembly can also cause a vibration felt in the steering wheel. Often, the sensation will change with vehicle speed or while the vehicle is cornering.

If the seal that is part of the bearing fails, moisture and dirt can enter the bearing’s grease, compromising the grease’s ability to keep the load bearing elements (balls and races) lubricated. But there are times when a bearing destroys itself even though the grease is not compromised. Tiny particles of metal can begin to flake off of the races, and when this happens, those particles mix with the grease so that it becomes a grinding compound of sorts, creating a “snowball” effect whereby more metal flakes off and enters the grease charge and the bearing gets noisier with time.

Scientific Name: Phoca vitulina Order: Pinnepedia Average Life Span: Zoological environment up to 25-35 years Diet: Consists of an assortment of fishes and invertebrates including herring, cod, flounder, sculpin, shrimp, octopus, capelin and squid. Size: Males weigh up to 350 pounds and average 5-7 feet in length. Females weigh up to 200 pounds and average 4-6 feet in length.

Note by Richard McCuistian, ASE-certified mechanic: I have personally seen a Crown Victoria that was making a noise I would have sworn was coming from the left rear axle bearing, but after removing and inspecting that bearing (which is difficult on a rear wheel drive vehicle), I discovered that the noise was actually originating from the left front tire. And I had nearly 40 years of automotive experience at the time.

Temporary fix forbad wheelbearing

Diet: Harbor seals have 34 - 36 teeth. Their teeth are pointed and sharp, adapted for grasping and tearing, not chewing, their food. Harbor seals are opportunistic feeders and eat a variety of fish and invertebrates. Their diet varies seasonally and regionally depending on local prey availability. They generally feed close to shore and in shallow waters.

Seal Conservation Society: www.pinnipeds.org Riedman, Marianne. The Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses. Berkley: University of California Press, 1990.

Wheel bearing failure is a potentially dangerous situation at any time, so have your vehicle towed to the nearest mechanic and have your faulty wheel bearings replaced right away. Vehicle safety should always come first.

Wheelbearing replacement cost

Some may say that you can drive for up to a thousand miles with a failed wheel bearing—but the thing is, this is an arbitrary claim. There’s really no telling how long you can safely drive your vehicle in this state. It would depend on the severity of the damage to your wheel bearing, present road conditions, and other factors. So, it’s best not to push your luck.

Loose wheel bearings can throw your car’s alignment off, leading to abnormal tire wear. There are, of course, many other problems that can create the same, undesirable results.  So, you’ll want to diagnose the issue thoroughly before condemning one or more of the wheel bearings

Remember, the wheel bearing not only allows the wheel/tire assembly to rotate along with the hub the wheel is bolted to, the bearing also carries the weight of the vehicle and maintains the spinning wheel’s axis by keeping it in a straight line. A failed wheel bearing won’t usually allow the wheel to come off completely unless the bearing has become so hot that the axle or spindle is glowing red. Not only can this cause a fire in the wheel well area, the wheel and hub can separate from the vehicle and… well, finish the thought. Granted, this is a very extreme case of a wheel bearing failure, but wheel bearings that have lost their grease can get extremely hot.

The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com's thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.

Earless Seals: Harbor seals are called earless seals because they lack external ear flaps. Their ears are internal providing them with excellent hearing.

Thank for pointing out that typo. The paragraph was supposed to read: Some front-wheel drive vehicles have wheel bearings of this type on the rear. We have updated the article.

Mechanics will find a safe, empty, smooth paved road, then listen carefully to the noise while swerving gently from side to side – typically when you swerve to the right, you’re increasing the load on the left side bearings, and vice versa. And again, while this is a good practice, it’s easy to be fooled into replacing the wrong bearing, even using this method – that’s why some tire shops replace bearings in pairs. If you use this method and believe the noise is tire related, you can move the front tires to the rear and see if the noise changes.

Since the wheel bearings keep the wheel and hub assembly spinning on an axis, if the wheel bearing is compromised to the point that it can no longer maintain that axis, driving with a faulty bearing can be extremely dangerous—especially at high speeds. Think about a wheel that starts wobbling because the bearing decided to completely come apart while you’re in freeway traffic. This can happen without warning if you’ve become accustomed to the bearing’s noise as it continues to warn you by getting louder.