Q: Wheel bearing

asked by on October 12, 2016

with your replacement wheel bearing is their away to tell if it good or bad before putting it on

Wheel Bearings Replacement $110.89 - $591.42 Get a Quote

Wheel bearings can be difficult to locate which of the four is making the noise. I’ve spent to much time crawling around a car while another technicians drives attempting to figure out which bearing is making the noise. You can put all four wheels in the air and not be able to tell if any are bad. When a bearing is clearly noisy, but it just began, it often takes the load of the car to make it loud. So often times you will not be able to feel the bad bearing in the process of replacing it. This often results in the replacing of the wrong bearing. For this reason, many shops will require you to replace both the front or rear bearing to be sure.

On my own cars, I wait until the location of the failing bearing is obvious. This isn’t dangerous. A bearing will need to be falling off the car to freeze up and I have never worked on a car with a frozen wheel bearing. Of course, if your working on your rear end, it’s best to just replace both wheel bearings. When it comes to your front end, it is advisable to be sure which one it is. This can be difficult with a bearing just beginning to fail, not to mention if it is a four wheel drive, the replacement is more difficult.

If you want to be sure, replace them both or wait until the noisy bearing is obvious. Should you need any help with the wheel bearing replacement, feel free to contact one of our certified mobile technicians.

Good luck!

The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

Get an instant quote for your car

Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing


Experienced Mechanic?

Earn up to $70/hr

What others are asking

Clutch pedal not working.
You may have broke the clutch cable. This is a common problem with this car. Usually the clutch itself does not break. I recommend you get a qualified mechanic to check your clutch pedal linkage or cable problem. You may...
Electrical problem
Electrical concerns can often times be difficult to narrow down. It appears that your Mazda may have corrosion issues with its battery cables. It is not uncommon for the battery cables to develop corrosion near the battery terminals. Corrosion tends...
97 Camaro won't start and has security light on solid
On that Camaro, when security light comes on and when it stays on solid, the car doesn't start and that means you have a problem with the anti-theft system. Look all through your hose, all your drawers, open and close...
Can a 12V tire inflator burn my car electrical system
Yes, it can be dangerous to plug high-current loads into the cigarette lighter! And, yes, this circuit should be fuse protected so that wiring or other components on the power path are not damaged. Not all manufacturers fuse-protect the cigarette...
What does check parking assist mean when I put it in reverse
In most cases this means the sensors need to be cleaned. Have all the rear bumper and front bumper sensors cleaned and then try system again. If problem persists then have a mechanic like one from YourMechanic test the park...
Overheating.
Hi There, This can be caused by a number of things such as low coolant levels, a faulty thermostat (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/thermostat-replacement), a clogged radiator (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/radiator-replacement) or a failing coolant fan switch. The coolant fan switch (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/cooling-fan-relay-replacement) helps to maintain the proper...
2005 Ford escape, door ajar issues making alarm go off randomly and lights on even when door is closed
Hi there. Typically when you have an error with a door ajar warning light or the alarm constantly going off, it's caused by an open electrical circuit or a failure of one of the multiple sensors that monitors these systems....
2005 Toyota Corolla AC Compressor Not Cycling On & Off
Hi there. If the AC compressor is not cycling on and off as usual, it's due to an internal component failure in most cases and would need to be replaced. If the compressor fails, it typically does not cause damage...
My car makes a knocking noise. It does it a little when I press the breaks. Sometimes I can drive it and no knocking noise then ot
Before you drive the car again, you need to find the lug wrench and check to be sure that all your wheel lugs are tight (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-to-tighten-lug-nuts-by-john-hege) You might have one or more loose wheels. If you don't find a problem...

Related articles

A Buyer’s Guide to the 2012 Ford F-450
The The 2012 Ford F-450 is a serious truck with major towing and hauling capacity. What it lacks in gas mileage, it more than makes up for in durability, suspension, power, and torque. Plus, with a six-speed shiftable automatic transmission,...
The Best Used Cars to Buy If You’re an Athletic Coach
If If you are an athletic coach, you need a used vehicle with tons of room to transport gear. Once in awhile, you may have to take a player or two along with you as well. What this means is...
The Top 10 Most Problematic Cars
All cars have issues, from grinding brakes to gasket leaks. The Ford Explorer's and Honda Civic's bad transmissions rank them as the most problematic.