What happens when wheel bearings start to wear out?
They are engineered to last a very long time, but eventually, they will lose their lubricity, wear out, and need to be replaced. They can even become loose from wear inside the wheel hub assembly. If they break entirely, it can cause a wheel/tire combination to fall off the car while at speed, leading to a very unsafe driving situation.
How can you tell if your tire bearing is failing?
Grinding or roaring noise coming from the tire area. It’s very difficult to detect a failing wheel bearing as it does not happen very often and when they do wear out, it can happen rather quickly. However, one warning sign of a wearing out wheel bearing is a loud grinding or roaring sound that comes from the tire area of your car.
What kind of noise does a bad wheel bearing make?
Noise can be misleading: a humming noise while driving can be caused by several different issues, starting with your tires, but it can also be the wheel bearing or CV joint. The classic sounds of a bad wheel bearing are cyclic chirping, squealing and/or growling noise.
How often do wheel bearings need to be serviced?
Prior to 1997, most cars, trucks, and SUVs manufactured and sold in the US had an inner and outer bearing on each wheel that was recommended to be serviced every 30,000 miles.
When do you know your front wheel bearings are bad?
If the wheel wobbles or moves back and forth when you rock it, you likely have bad wheel bearings. Good wheel bearings mean the wheel has almost no wobble or excess play. Front wheel bearings are built into the steering knuckle arm assembly and connected to drive axle components of your vehicle.
What causes uneven tire wear with worn out bearings?
However, one of the most common sources of uneven tire wear is worn out wheel bearings. It’s very rare for wheel bearings to wear evenly. As such, if the left tire is showing more wear, it might indicate a problem with the left wheel bearing.
Why do my wheel bearings sound like they are grinding?
This is caused when the wheel bearings lose their lubricity and build up a lot of heat inside of them instead. It will almost be like hearing two pieces of metal grinding together. Usually, you’ll only hear the sound coming from one wheel rather than all of them because of how the wheels wear out unevenly.
How are wheel bearings used in front and back wheels?
Wheel bearings are used in both the front wheels and the back wheels. Each individual wheel has their own wheel bearing and it is possible for just one of those bearings to wear out while the others stay in tack.