Have you ever experienced the joy of having a bad wheel bearing? If you have, then you know it’s not something to be celebrating!
Wheel bearings are meant to allow your wheels to turn independently of your vehicle’s hub with a little friction as possible. Most bearings are designed to last for thousands and thousands and thousands of miles.
Eventually, they do wear out and the earliest indication of the time your bearings are wore out and need replacing is the sound they emit.
What Does a Bad Wheel Bearing Sound Like?
A faulty wheel bearing will make a rumbling or squeaking sound when driving at highway speeds and will be more pronounced when you turn left or right a little.
In addition to this, a noisy wheel bearing can make a wide variety of noise, depending on what part of the bearing is broken.
For example, if it has lost its grease and is now running dry, the wheel is likely to make a metallic grinding noise.
Then again, if there is excessive play in the bearing, it will typically make more of a low-sounding rumble noise while the wheel is rotating.
In some cases, where the outside of the bearing housing has broken loose inside the hub, it could spin in combination with the inner part of the bearing, which will make the outer race rub against the inside of the hub, creating a higher-pitched scrape as the two surfaces are forced to rub against each other.
5 Common Causes of Wheel Bearing Noise
The most common cause of wheel bearing noise is a dry wheel bearing due to a lack of grease. Grease can leak and salt water can get inside the wheel bearing.
The following is a more detailed list of the 5 most common causes of a noisy wheel bearing.
#1. Lack of Grease.
The grease in your wheel bearing is truly one of the most vital reasons your wheel bearing will last as long as possible. When the bearing is greased, you are preventing lots of heat and resistance build-up, which also stops the metal from distorting.
Most wheel bearings today are sealed units, meaning there’s no access for you to top it up yourself via a nipple. Because of this, when your bearing starts to develop a noise because of a lack of grease, you’ll have to replace the bearing entirely.
The fact that the bearing units are sealed also makes it difficult to tell if it’s lost grease. If you can see on the bearing housing any evidence of impact causing grease loss then I would replace the bearing.
#2. Saltwater.
Saltwater can be very harmful to cars especially when you use your vehicle to launch a boat into the ocean.
Over time, with a build up of salty water in the bearings, you will reduce how long the bearing lasts. As the saltwater sits in the bearing housing, the salt not only washes out all of the grease inside the bearing but will now damage the interior of the bearing.
Many people are shocked when suddenly the bearings are noisy after launching a boat. This is due to the saltwater causing damage you can’t see without stripping down your bearing.
If you use your vehicle to launch a boat, there could be no real way to stop the saltwater from getting to the bearings.
My advice would be, if you are using your vehicle to launch a boat, have your bearings inspected regularly and keep listening to when a bearing becomes very noisy. Ultimately, this will save you any shocks when the time does come to replace your bearings, which will happen.
#3. Lack of Use.
Often the only thing worse than using your vehicle too much is not using it often enough. Batteries can run flat, suspension bushes can become stiff, and seals can dry out.
The same can be said with your wheel bearings. When a vehicle is parked stationary for long periods of time, the grease within the bearings can slowly start to dry out, lose its effectiveness and, therefore, the dried grease can accumulate in the bearing free play.
Non-moving bearings are also more prone to internal corrosion, which will create excessive heat and cause a premature bearing change. Even if you can only take your vehicle for a bit of a drive every once in a while, this is better than it sitting still for extended periods.
#4. Suspension Faults May Cause Excessive Strain on the Bearing.
If your suspension is out of alignment, that can sometimes put excessive strain on certain components around the vehicle.
Your wheel bearings are designed to hold a specific level of stress. If the stress placed upon them is in excess of this for a long enough time, it will cause them to wear out faster.
If you find the need to repair a suspension fault or get a wheel alignment, get that done as quickly as possible to reduce the potential for damage to other components on the vehicle, such as your wheel bearings.
If your vehicle is lowered, you may find that your wheel bearings need to be replaced sooner than expected due to stress on the bearings.
#5. Impact on the Wheel From a Crash.
No doubt we have either done this ourselves or know someone who has – we go on a drive at icy or wet conditions and slide into the curb at the side of the road.
While this might not seem like a serious impact, this could have caused a heavy blow to your wheel bearings. That is because they are not built to absorb side impacts that occur when your vehicle slides into a curb.
If you slide into a curb type of side impact, please have your suspension and wheel bearings checked to ensure that you haven’t damaged them.