7 Common Signs Of A Bad Wheel Bearing

While wheel bearings are designed to last for the entire lifetime of your car, they can wear out or break down in time. They’re an essential part of your car that attach the wheel to the vehicle. The quality of the bearings and the driving conditions your car is subjected to will determine how long they will last.

Being located in the car’s wheels, the bearings should be able to endure harsh weather conditions and tough driving situations. Moreover, they should be able to withstand things like rough roads, rain, and grime.

Since wheel bearings are important components of your car, they shouldn’t be ignored. A bad wheel bearing can compromise your tires’ life and your driving experience. It can cause real safety issues too. For instance, a bad wheel bearing can jam your wheel and prevent it from moving while driving. The worst-case scenario would be your wheel detaching from the car and completely falling off while driving.

Furthermore, a bad wheel bearing will stress and put pressure on the other surrounding wheel parts of your vehicle’s drivetrain and suspension, which may end up malfunctioning. As a result, your car will end up losing its power and become less responsive.

Many people confuse wheel bushings with bearings, though. They can each be used in a car’s suspension to reduce rolling friction and reduce noise, and vibration. However, a bushing is a type of bearing, whereas a bearing is not necessarily a bushing. For more information, find out what Reid Supply says.

When driving your vehicle, you want to be confident that it’s safe to take you where you’re going and back. So instead of depending on the bearing’s projected lifespan, you should pay attention to the symptoms associated with failing wheel bearings.

Read on to learn about the common signs of a bad wheel bearing:

1. Strange Noises

The two enemies of a wheel bearing are water and heat. Water that penetrates the seal of a bearing will destroy it, while heat caused by lack of lubrication will also damage it. A seal prevents debris and water from reaching the bearing and sustains the grease that the bearing requires.

When a seal is damaged or wears out, you’ll start hearing strange noises coming from the tire area when driving:

• Grinding noise: A grinding or grating noise from your car wheel or tires can be easily identified because it’s perceptible. It’s usually connected to mechanical damage linked to your wheel bearings, which is caused by unlubricated rollers or lining. Like most bad wheel bearing signs, it’s mostly felt or heard when the car is accelerating.
• Clicking sound: This can mean two things: There’s damage to the outer CV joint, which is struggling to shift rotation to the wheels, or excessive endplay to the bearing. You’ll clearly hear clicking sounds, especially when you increase the speed of your vehicle.
• Squealing sound: The most common sounds of a bad bearing are growling and squealing. The sound gets worse with every turn and can disappear momentarily and come back again.
• Howling sound: A howling noise that occurs when accelerating at different speeds can be a sign of worn-out gears, but if it occurs when decelerating, it’s indicative of a loose pinion-bearing preload.

2. Shaky Wheels

When your vehicle wheels start wobbling, it’s time to get a mechanic’s diagnosis. If the pressure of your tires is good and the steering wheel is still shaking, then it’s a sure sign that your wheel bearings are loose or have deteriorated. The imbalance caused by bad wheel bearing will cause your vehicle to shake and wobble back and forth. Your vehicle will eventually lose its power.

3. Vibrating And Loose Steering Wheel

Bearings attach the wheel hub to the car’s suspension, enabling the wheels to turn properly. When your wheel bearings aren’t efficiently lubricated or suffer damage, they may cause vibrations on your steering wheel or excessive wheel play. The vibrations and play get worse when the vehicle accelerates or turns left or right. Although steering wheel vibration or play could be linked to other technical issues, a bad wheel bearing is usually a common factor.

4. Uneven Tire Wear

Car tires rarely wear out at the same rate. But excessive tire wear on a specific tire is an indication of loose or worn-out bearings. Wheel bearings in such conditions cause the car’s misalignment, which, in turn, affects the tires. The most affected tires tend to be the side of the car that bears most of the weight. When you notice that your car tires are wearing out at different rates, the problem could be your car’s wheel bearing.

5. Increased Wheel Heat

A wheel bearing that’s usually worn out badly will generate heat due to the friction caused because the wheel will not be able to turn freely. The rolling resistance caused by a rough and unlubricated bearing will create friction whenever you step on the brakes while driving. This will cause your wheel to heat up, which may lead to long-term problems with your braking system.

6. Vehicle Pulling To One Side

When you’re driving on a straight road but feel like your vehicle is pulling to one side, it’s an indication that your car isn’t in good shape. It could signify wheel bearings that are worn out. A pitted and corroded bearing that has lost its smooth lining will cause the tire to vibrate. The vibrations will be transmitted to the tires, which will pull the vehicle towards the worn bearing. This can occur when applying brakes as well.

7. ABS Failure

An anti-lock braking system (ABS) restores traction to tires and helps you steer to safety in case of emergencies. It prevents wheels from locking. In modern cars, when a wheel bearing wears out to the point that it wobbles on its axis, it will activate a warning light, which will trip the ABS system. Dust or debris that collects on the wheel sensor can also block it and render it inoperative due to erratic or lack of signal.

Last Words

Wheel bearings serve an important purpose: to allow the wheel to move smoothly with less friction. So, if you notice any of these warning signs, you should have your car inspected as soon as possible.

However, keep in mind that changing one wheel bearing of a relatively new car is okay. But if the vehicle has done a good number of miles, then it would be advisable to replace all of them.