With regular wear and tear, even the most robust wheel bearings will eventually need to be replaced and swapped out with new ones. Thankfully, wheel bearings are not that expensive to replace, relatively speaking, especially compared to more serious repair jobs such as axles, rotors and pads, and other repair jobs of similar magnitude.
Luckily, wheel bearings give plenty of signs when they’re on their way out so you can plan a visit to the mechanic shop well ahead of time. In this article, we’ll help you learn how to identify the warning signs of a bad or failing wheel bearing, explain how wheel bearings can get damaged, and outline what it would cost to replace wheel bearings.
What Are Wheel Bearings?
The wheel bearing is the part of the wheel hub that connects the wheel and the axle itself. Structurally, the wheel bearing consists of a set of steel balls (also called ball bearings) which are held together in place with the help of a metal ring on the inside known as a race, and a cage or race on the outside. This enables the wheel to rotate smoothly without any judders and with as little friction as possible.
Wheel bearings are basically the first point of contact between the moving area of the wheel and the static part. Since they’re a crucial component of the wheel assembly and the driveline and suspension systems in general, wheel bearings need to be in good working order to ensure the safety of you, your occupants, and everyone else on the road.
How Wheel Bearings Can Be Damaged
The most common reason why you might need a wheel bearing replacement is because of regular usage which includes normal wear and tear. The more miles you put on your car, the more worn out the ball bearings become and the greater the friction becomes. Most wheel bearings have a useful service life anywhere between 85,000 and 100,000 miles, though this could obviously be shorter or much longer depending on your vehicle’s make and model, as well as the roads in your area and your driving style.
Wheel bearings can also fail prematurely if you hit a large pothole or a tall curb that damages them. Wheel bearings are also vulnerable to contamination, so if any water, mud, sand, or road salt finds its way past the seal and touches the bearings inside, it could cause them to wear down prematurely and ultimately fail.
Typical Warning Signs to Watch For
The most obvious and common symptom that a wheel bearing is failing is a distinct humming noise coming from the wheel area. This noise may become more pronounced with acceleration or when the vehicle is turning (especially if it’s the front wheel bearings that are affected). Sometimes, you might even hear a constant whining or grinding noise. Clunking noises are not as common but can happen as well.
If you suspect you have a bad wheel bearing, you can check it out for yourself by first lifting the car up in the air using a jack or an air lift, and then rocking the tires back and forth. You can do this by placing your hands at the top and at the bottom of the wheel itself, and trying to rock it back and forth to see if it wiggles. If you notice any movement at all, you might have a bad wheel bearing or potentially a defective ball joint.
Since when driving the engine is constantly on, it can sometimes be difficult to hear a bad wheel bearing over the sound of the motor. When you have your car on jack stands or a lift, put it in neutral and rotate the wheel freely with your hands. Apart from a slight scrubbing noise generated by the pads gliding over the rotors ever so softly, there shouldn’t be any other audible noises. If you hear a distinct grinding noise coming from the center of the wheel, it’s almost certain you’re dealing with a bad wheel bearing or a wheel bearing that’s on its way out relatively soon.
Driving with a bad wheel bearing is obviously not recommended since wheel bearings are a crucial component in the steering and suspension system. If the wheel bearing isn’t sufficiently lubed or the ball bearings themselves are damaged, the extra friction will generate a ton of heat which can in turn cause other components in the area to crack or completely fail. Needless to say, this is something you want to avoid at all costs.
The Cost to Replace Wheel Bearings
The cost to replace wheel bearings depends on the style of the wheel bearings and the make and manufacturer of the vehicle, as well as the bearings themselves. Most traditional cone or roller wheel bearings cost anywhere between $5 and $30 per unit, but you’ll need to factor in the cost of labor. If you need to replace the rotor (if it’s been damaged), you’ll need to add an extra $30 to $75 on top of that, making the total come to anywhere between $150 and $250.
All-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive cars will be more labor intensive since disassembling the hub is more difficult and time-consuming. If the wheel bearings in question use a hub style – meaning they’re part of a complete hub unit, as most newer cars do – you’ll need to replace the entire thing. This can cost anywhere between $80 and $300. If the hubs have ABS sensors built-in, it’ll obviously cost more. As always, you need to factor in $80 to $200 worth of labor costs on top.
Last but not least, it’s worth mentioning that some German and Japanese cars have a pressed-on unit. These are units that have a sealed roller bearing located on the back of the housing. If your car has one of these, the entire knuckle will first need to be removed before the bearing can be pressed out and a new one can be installed. Although these bearings are much cheaper than replacing the entire hub assembly, typically costing anywhere between $20 to $50, the labor involved is immense and is usually 2 to 4 hours, meaning you’ll have to pay $150 to $600 for labor alone.
Hopefully, this article helped you figure out how to diagnose a failing wheel bearing, learn the common symptoms, and gave you a rough estimate of how much a wheel bearing replacement cost is. And if you need parts to replace a bad wheel bearing or anything else on your truck or SUV, you’ll find it here at 4 Wheel Parts.
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