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.

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.

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.

Wheel bearing noises become louder with speed. That is one of the best ways to tell whether the noise is coming from the wheel bearing or if it’s originating in/around the engine. RPM induced noises can be diagnosed while the vehicle is static. Speed-dependent noises usually indicate tire or wheel hub problems.

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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.

This article deals specifically with how to remove and replace car wheel bearings on driven wheels. It covers front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive.

A bad bearing is more likely to be continuous. Bearings groan more loudly than bad tires. Sometimes swapping tires front to back on the same side can be useful to track a noise. If the noise moves with the tire, there’s your faulty component.

Wheel bearing noisequick fix

Last but not least, put the car into neutral and spin the wheel by hand as fast as you can. A bad wheel bearing will produce noise even if the wheel is spun by hand. It’s not the 100% fault proof way to diagnose a bad wheel bearing, but it’s usually a good tell.

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Replacing a wheel bearing these days requires getting a complete wheel hub assembly. On the one hand, this simplifies the repair since you don’t have to press out the broken bearing and then press in a new one. However, a complete wheel hub is always much more expensive than a standalone wheel bearing.

This bit of information reveals a very simple way of testing whether your bearings are shot. Simply find a twisty road with plenty of sharp turns and push your car through its paces. You don’t need to go too fast, but you should go fast enough to load each side of the vehicle.

The torque for wheel bearings is vehicle and sometimes model dependent. Some are really quite low and, as mentioned above, some are relatively high. If you’re not checking the manual, you stand a good chance of doing it wrong. A complete wheel bearing failure can just be irritating…or if it happens at the wrong speed and maneuver (sharp turn on a narrow, winding mountain road for instance) possibly fatal.

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.

How to tell whichwheel bearingis bad while driving

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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Most bearings have three main components – the outer and inner race and a set of precision machined metallic balls. The outer race is bolted to the wheel hub and suspension, while the inside race is connected to the CV joint and your driveshaft. The bearings in between allow the inner race to spin freely while the outer race remains static.

How long will awheel bearinglast after it starts makingnoise

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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.

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Bad rearwheel bearingsymptoms

If you’re about to replace the wheel bearings on your car, it’s a good idea to replace them in pairs. Even if the other isn’t producing any sounds, having one wheel bearing fail is a good indicator that the other side is about to go as well.

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.

One thing you can try is jacking the wheel up that is squeaking and rotate it around, in attempt to pinpoint the noise. In my experience, this noise is usually brake related, where you have a hotspot or some deposition on the rotor. When the spot passes under the pad you can get a squeak. Almost all OEM calipers are meant for an extremely small amount of contact/drag. You can’t rule out a wheel bearing though, or some kind of rubbing on the wheel or brake rotor dust shield. Hope that helps!

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.

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.

When the time comes to replace your wheel bearings, do yourself a favor and get a set of quality OEM parts. Getting the cheapest part you can find is a great way to guarantee another trip to the mechanic or another day fixing your car if you’re into DIY.

What happens when you hear a squeak, squeak noise when turning a corner in the rear. Does a bad bearing have a continues noise or can a bad rear bearing have that squeak, squeak noise? thanks….

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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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.

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:

Once you’ve tested for noise and narrowed down its source, it’s time to jack up the car and confirm your findings. Before we get any further, a quick word of advice – make sure that your vehicle is securely lifted and suspended off the ground.

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.

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.

If it wasn’t, you’d run into several issues. The most common cause of wheel bearing failure is water or debris getting inside what is otherwise a hermetically sealed space. Once you introduce water and debris, the grease will evacuate the space between the two races, leaving the bearings without lubrication, thus much more prone to wear. Even worse, where there was once grease, now there’s debris.

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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.

Next, what you want to do is grab the wheel at the 12 and 6 o’clock position. Rock the wheel back and forth like you’re trying to take it off the hub. If there’s any give or play, there’s a good chance that your bearing is shot. But, there’s a way to be certain.

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.

Wheel bearing noisewhen accelerating

Wiggling the wheel is a good method of finding issues related to suspension components. To be absolutely sure that it’s not a tie rod or a bad bushing, position yourself in a way where you can wiggle the wheel while observing these components.

For one, a bad CV joint makes a rattling noise compared to the constant growl or whine coming from a bad bearing. Furthermore, a bad CV joint usually makes noise only when you’re turning as that’s when it’s under load.

Having a free-spinning wheel that is suspended by various suspension components, is steerable, and fixed in terms of geometry is a complex mechanical problem that has a rather simple solution – bearings.

That grease is there to lubricate the bearings and keep the friction levels in an already low-friction environment at a minimum. All of that works well for around 100,000 miles on average, given that the vehicle wasn’t driven harshly and that it was well maintained. Then wear sets in.

Considering that both the wheel bearing and the CV joint create noise from roughly the same location when they go bad, it can sometimes be hard to figure out what is causing the noise. That being said, the noises these parts make when they fail are vastly different.

As things start to wear out and heat up inside a compromised bearing, the metal on metal contact creates this whining sound that gradually becomes louder and louder.

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.

Only jack the vehicle up on the flat ground with wheel chocks behind your rear wheels. Also, use adequate jack stands and don’t rely on your floor jack to hold the car in the air. Once you’re all set, it’s time to get your hands dirty.

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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.”

Apologies, to clarify, generally on drive wheels the axle nut is what applies the substantial force to tighten the bearing and remove all lateral play. For example, on the Classic SAAB 900, the torque spec for the axle nut is 222ft/lbs of torque.

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This type of bearing can be used where the shaft may suffer misalignment, either because of errors that could occur due to the method of assembly or due to ...

Inspect the tires and check for uneven wear. Although many suspension issues tend to show uneven tire wear, it is still a good indicator that something is off.

One of the main conditions necessary for a car to be functional is for the wheels and tires to spin freely. The second condition closely follows that and states that wheels need to be attached to the car.

Wheel bearing failure can, in some cases, be catastrophic where the entire bearing disintegrates. Fortunately for everyone, there are usually plenty of warning signs before that happens. One of the most common symptoms of a failing wheel bearing is noise.

Wheel bearingreplacement cost

Nonsense; lots of cars specifications call for torque settings that are very high. Read your repair manual and always follow the manufacturers recomendations.

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Most modern wheel bearings are integrated into a wheel hub. Although a more efficient design, having everything bunched up together means that you can’t service the wheel bearing itself. Instead, you have to get a whole new hub. Speaking of replacing wheel bearings, why do they fail, and how often does that happen?

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If turning in either direction results in a more pronounced noise coming from that side of the car, you’ll know exactly which wheel is the culprit.

Bearings are everywhere around us. You’ll find them in cars, bikes, industrial machines, heck, even skateboards. They all work the same way.

Once foreign bodies are introduced between a wheel bearing and a race, the whole system starts to experience friction. As time goes by, this friction will wear out the ball bearings, which completely changes their geometry, and prevents them from doing their job. As a result, you’ll get noise coming from one side of the vehicle, or potentially both sides, depending on which bearing has failed.

If you notice that a tie rod is moving or that your upper control arm bushing has some play to it, it could cause the wheel to wobble.

Frontwheel bearing noisesymptoms

That being said, if you drive an older vehicle, there is a good chance that you can get away with replacing only the bearing. You’ll need to consult your mechanic or take a look at the workshop manual for your vehicle to be sure.

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.

Keeping an average car on the road is much more complicated than an average driver realizes. The number of mechanical parts and components that have to work in unison is impressive. Most of us know why a burnt clutch is a problem or why we should visit a mechanic if we hear a strange noise coming from the engine bay. However, there are so many other, invisible and often forgotten parts of this mechanical collective that can also fail, including wheel bearings. Wheel bearing noise diagnosis is often the best way to figure if you’re dealing with a bad bearing. Join us as we discuss how to diagnose a bad bearing, what to look and listen for.

Working on cars is dangerous, always be careful and be aware of the hazards of working on any vehicle. eEuroparts.com (Newparts Inc) is not responsible for any injury, up to and including death, as a result of working on any vehicle suggested or implied on this website.

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

Aside from speed, load also affects the noise you might hear from a bad bearing. As you turn, the weight of the car shifts to the opposite of your direction of travel. In other words, when you turn left, the weight of the car is shifted to the right side of the vehicle. Even though you have the entire suspension system to balance out this weight distribution, a considerable amount of load is exerted on the wheel bearing itself.

Wheel bearing noise diagnosisreddit

That being said, a louder engine can make things difficult. If your engine matches this description, you will have to listen for changes in sound very carefully or skip down to the part where we discuss hands-on methods of diagnosing a bad bearing.

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.

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Every part of a car has a fixed service life, and so do wheel bearings. If you were to pop open one of these, you’d find that the entire space between the two races is packed with grease.

Relying solely on speed to diagnose the noise can be challenging in cases where the bearing is only starting to fail. Loud tires can often mask the noise it is producing. But fear not, there are a few more options as far as diagnosis goes.

I would expect that a squeak is a suspension matter, maybe a bushing in the trailing arm or anti sway bar if your car has those. Possibly also that the spring has worn through its perch.

“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.”