Why Damaged Hubs are Risky
Although modern wheel hub assemblies (also known as wheel bearings) are designed to last as long as your car, they are subjected such tremendous pressure that damage to the hub is quite common. Most drivers will have to deal with a damaged hub assembly at some point in the lifetime of their vehicle.
Damaged wheel hub assemblies may causing you to lose control of your vehicle. This is a worst case condition and few people suffer through it. A damaged assembly still impedes the proper functioning of your car, though! It can increase the wear of other important components, including brakes and tires. By reducing the effectiveness of these components, a damaged wheel bearing can compromise your safety on the road.
Signs of Hub Damage During Normal Driving
There are a lot of different signs you may run into during day-to-day driving, The most common sign is when an internal damage causes a wheel bearing to produce a humming noise. This type of noise is more noticeable at higher speeds. The wheel bearing noise can get louder or quieter when the vehicle changes direction. These can be constant or only noticeable when you turn; they're usually not audible unless you're moving faster than 30 MPH.
In the longer term, you need to check your wheel hub assemblies if you notice uneven or abnormal wear on your tires or brake components (rotors, pads, and discs). If you let a professional mechanic handle your tire rotation and brake maintenance, they should perform regular wheel assembly inspections while they do these tasks. If you like to maintain it yourself, it is especially important to ensure that your bearings are in good working condition.
The most common sign is when an internal damage causes a wheel bearing to produce a humming noise. This type of noise is more noticeable at higher speeds. The wheel bearing noise can get louder or quieter when the vehicle changes direction.
Here is a list of signs if you have a hub assembly that may need to be replaced:
Snapping, clicking or popping noises when cornering or making sharp turns
Grinding noise when the vehicle is moving
Knocking or clunking sensation from the vehicle
Wheel vibration and/or wobble
Poor steering control
Shudder, shimmy or vibration at a constant speed
Vehicle pulling to one side, regardless of the breaks being applied
Uneven rotor or brake pad wear
Abnormal or uneven tire wear
ABS operation may be affected or even fail due to damage caused to the wheel speed sensors
Humming, rumbling or growling. The noise or vibration intensifies when turning the steering wheel slightly to the left or right. In general, the side opposite the noise or vibration is the defective side.
Can a bad wheel bearing cause problems with the antilock braking system (ABS)?
Yes, in may cars, a wheel bearing has a tone ring for the ABS sensor attached to it.
If the wheel bearings are loose, the ABS sensor may not read correctly, causing the ABS warning light to light up. In some wheel bearings, the tone ring is built into a side seal of the bearing. If the wheel bearing is facing the sensor, the ABS system will not work either.
Doing Your Own Hub Assembly Check
Fortunately, a damaged hub assembly is easy to spot once you have your wheels jacked up off the ground. If possible, check your wheels two at a time-two front wheels or two rear wheels. You can usually find a broken wheel bearing by comparing the behavior of rotating two wheels at the same time. If one of them trembles, decelerates, or grinds to stop more than the other, it may have a bad bearing.
To check individual wheel hub assemblies, you need to look for “play”. “Play” is any looseness in the wheel's connection to the axle when it's fully bolted down. You can check for play by grasping the wheel at its top and bottom, and pushing one side while pulling the other. You shouldn't be able to wiggle the wheel to any significant degree this way; if you can, then the wheel has a dangerous amount of play.
When you discover a damaged wheel hub assembly, make sure it's replaced with either OEM parts from your manufacturer or quality aftermarket replacement parts like ECCPP's that meet the same standards. Making sure your vehicle is running on healthy wheel hub assemblies is a vital part of keeping your vehicles and you safe on the road.
How much does it cost to replace a wheel bearing?
It depends on the labor involved. In many cars a wheel bearing comes together with a hub as an assembly. It bolts to the steering knuckle or spindle. In this case, it's easier to replace ($80-$180 labor plus $65-$180 part). In some cars a wheel bearing must be pressed into the steering knuckle or spindle with a press, which requires more labor ($120-$250 labor plus $40-$120 part). In some large SUVs and trucks, replacing a wheel bearing requires much more labor and is more expensive as a result. For example, replacing a rear wheel bearing in a Toyota FJ Cruiser with a solid rear axle can cost up to $1,200 parts and labor.
Tapered roller wheel bearings need to be periodically greased and adjusted. How to tell which type of bearings you have in your car or truck? Tapered roller bearings are mostly used on non-drive axles.
For example, many older rear-wheel drive pickup trucks have tapered roller bearings on the front wheels. A visual difference is that there is usually a removable cover covering the adjustment nut set in the tapered roller bearing. Tapered roller bearings are used as a pair as a wheel and are always replaced in pairs. The replacement of tapered roller bearings includes refilling the hub with a new grease and adjusting the pre-tension of the bearing. Is it easy to replace a wheel bearing at home? Replacing a wheel bearing that comes as an assembly with the hub and bolts to the spindle or steering knuckle is not very difficult if you have proper skills, tools and the manual. Of course, the large axle nut is very tight and can be difficult to remove, it's best to leave it to the pros.
