Wheel Bearing: How Do I Know If I Need a Replacement?

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 reality, and this can happen if you fail to notice the signs the wheel bearings are deteriorating and need immediate repairs. This is not an exaggeration.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Wheel bearings are especially vulnerable if you hit a pothole, a tall curb, or a speed bump at a brisk speed.

If water, mud, road salt, or sand gets past the seal and touches the bearings, it will contaminate the grease, causing the bearings to wear down, eventually leading to failure prematurely. Also, ignoring worn-out wheel bearings can damage the vehicle's constant velocity joint (CV joint) or automatic transmission. The outer CV joint attaches the driveshaft to the wheels, and the inner CV joint connects to the transmission.

Find a reputable service technician for advice to determine what you need to do.

Another thing, if you are planning to customize your vehicle with special tires or rims, be careful what you do.

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.

It's best to stick with an automaker's specifications regarding replacements.

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.

However, luxury brands are more expensive to repair. 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.

Your vehicle will signal that it's time to replace a failed wheel bearing. Watch out and listen for these signs:

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 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.

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

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 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.

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.

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, left or right side of the vehicle. However, this can also signal brake rotor or brake caliper problems.

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.

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.

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.

"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, the faster the frequency of the growl."

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," Hardesty added.

Use Kelley Blue Book to find a repair shop to fix your wheel bearings.

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

The average cost to replace a wheel bearing is about $350 per wheel.

If you hear unusual sounds like humming, squeaking, or clicking, then your bearing might be bad. Also, if your car wobbles or pulls to one side, you will want to get them checked.

Humming, squeaking, and clicking sounds are the alerting signs that your wheel bearings are bad.

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