The wheel bearings in your car take a lot of abuse and, not surprisingly, why we get a lot of questions about wheel bearing noise and signs of bad bearings. But first thing’s first, what is a wheel bearing? A wheel bearing is a set of small steel balls which are held together in a metal ring called a race and help a wheel spin by reducing friction. Wheel bearings ride on a metal axle shaft and fits tightly inside the hub, a hollow piece of metal at the center of the wheel. The hub holds the lug bolts that you use to bolt the tire onto the wheel. Not only does a wheel bearing have to support the entire weight of your vehicle while it is traveling over rough roads, potholes and maybe the occasional curb, they also have to take the lateral forces of corners you take and have to do all that while allowing your wheel to spin at thousands of revolutions per minute. Unlike your engine bearings, your wheel bearings don’t have a constant supply of oil lubricating and cooling them, they have to be self-sufficient and also be sealed tight enough to keep road dust and water out of them. Bearings are used in all sorts of things we use every day so you might be interested to learn about more uses for bearings!
What Happens When a Wheel Bearing Goes Out?
Since a wheel bearing has to accomplish all this for hundreds of thousands of miles, it’s not surprising that they wear out occasionally. Wheel bearing wear and tear can happen for a variety of reasons we’ll look at in a minute. A bad wheel bearing sound is usually a loud hum coming from that wheel sort of like loud road noise from bad tires. A similar noise can come from worn bearings in your transmission or even a low transmission fluid level. It’s important to regularly check your transmission fluid level find out if you have a leak in your transmission so you can get the problem fixed before any damage occurs.
On classic cars, wheel bearings were a set of tapered roller bearings on a non-drive wheel or a straight bearing supporting an axle of the drive wheel. Today, most vehicles use a unit bearing pressed or bolted onto the hub or knuckle. These unit bearings are sealed units that cannot be serviced. The benefit is that it’s very difficult for contamination to get into the bearing to cause accelerated wear. The downside is that the bearings cannot be serviced, cleaned or re-greased to once they are worn out the whole bearing must be discarded and a new bearing assembly installed.
How do You Know if You Have a Bad Wheel Bearing?
No matter what type of bearing you have, bad wheel bearing symptoms are the same. A wheel bearing will usually fail due to pitting or small damage on the surface of the rollers or the bearing race. Both the surface of the rollers and the race are precision machined to tight tolerances and highly polished to allow the rollers to pass easily over the race with the addition of bearing grease for lubrication and cooling. Over time the bearing will wear slightly, allowing microscopic pieces of metal into the grease. These microscopic pieces of metal, as well as any contamination that gets into the bearing, will wear away at the highly polished surfaces causing pitting and deformation. Since so much weight is riding on your wheel bearings, and so much load is put on them in corners, even the smallest amount of surface damage to your bearing can cause a lot of noise like a growling or humming or in some cases a grinding noise.
What Does Bad Wheel Bearing Noise Sound Like?
Determining if you’ve got a failed wheel bearing in your car can often be a difficult task. Since a failed bearing sounds a lot like excessive road noise, it can be hard to do a wheel bearing noise diagnosis to tell if you’ve simply got worn tires or a bad wheel bearing. Similarly, there are a lot of other noises your suspension can make that make it hard to tell what’s really going on down by your wheels. Often times it can be easier to rule out other problems with your car that can cause noise to help prove you really do have a bad wheel bearing. We recommend starting by rotating your tires to see if the noise changes. If it does, you probably have unevenly worn tires. If it doesn’t, you may have a bad wheel bearing. Here are a few other sounds and symptoms of bad wheel hub bearings:
- Snapping or clicking noises. This is sometimes also caused by a damaged CV joint, but can also be due to worn wheel bearings if you hear a clicking noise when turning.
- Humming or growling noises. This can sometimes be an issue with uneven wear on tires or issues with the drivetrain, but when you hear these noises when driving in a straight line it’s possible that it’s bearing related, especially if the sound gets worse when you turn the steering wheel slightly to the left or right.
- Uneven or abnormal tire wear. This one is rare, but when bearings are extremely worn or loose they can cause abnormal tire wear.
Do Bad Wheel Bearings Cause Vibrations?
Many people wonder if vibrations are a common bad wheel bearing symptom. And the answer is that if the race or rollers in your bearing have become pitted due to wear or from water getting inside the bearing, then yes it will cause vibrations when you drive. Interestingly, the vibrations are different depending on your vehicle speed. At very low speeds (less than 5 miles per hour) you may be able to actually feel these vibrations as your creep along. At higher speeds, these vibrations will just sound like humming and feel like you’re driving on a washboard surface. To best way to feel the vibrations is by lifting your wheels off the ground one by one and spinning them to see if one is dragging or rumbling as it spins. You may have to do this with the wheels on or off the car to be able to feel the difference. If your wheel bearing is extremely worn you may also be able to feel the wheel wobble in your hands as you spin it.
What Can Cause a Wheel bearing to Go Bad?
The truth is the thing that most often makes a wheel bearing go bad is simply driving. The constant revolutions coupled with the weight of your car will eventually wear out even the best bearings. If moisture gets into the bearing grease it can accelerate wear by decreasing the oil’s ability to lubricate and by allowing rust to form. Driving in the rain isn’t a big deal but driving through standing water may allow moisture into the bearing. Similarly adding load to the bearing can decrease its life and cause it to go bad early. Following the load rating of your vehicle can allow the bearings to live a long and easy life.
How Much Does It Cost to Replace A Wheel Bearing?
Having a wheel bearing replaced is a relatively straightforward procedure so you should be able to get a very accurate quote over the phone by providing your year make and model to a local shop. It can be a good idea to call for a few estimates before choosing a shop to repair your wheel bearing as the prices can vary significantly due to press fees and other incidental labor fees associated with the job. If the steering knuckle needs to be removed to replace the wheel bearing on your car, you may also need to replace some suspension components like a lower ball joint or tie rod end as these can be damaged during removal if they are old or worn. If you have wheel bearing noise it’s important to get it taken care of as soon as possible since you never know how much longer the bearing will support your car!
Pictures provided by:
wheel_bearing.jpg – By pichitstocker – Licensed by Getty Images – Original Link
worn_wheel_bearing.jpg – by Sudok1 – Licensed by Getty Images – Original Link
Hey BlueDevil Pro,
I found this article in my search for possible answers regarding some symptoms of my 1998 Saturn SL2. At freeway speeds, it feels like I have an off-balance tire accompanied by a harmonic singing. The reason I describe it as similar to an off balance tire is that it doesn’t happen under about 55, then goes away at about 60, then comes back at 75 or so. If I jerk the steering wheel slightly to the right (short but sharp, keep in mind I was doing this at US highway speeds ~75-80mph), the sound goes away and the ride becomes smooth again. Jerk it back left and the symptoms all show up again. Unfortunately I noticed this a little over halfway through a 1,000 mile drive, so I chose to push on and hope for the best. When I arrived at my destination I checked my CV shafts for torn boots and they seemed fine.
My next step will be to jack up the front end and test the wheels like you described here, but I wanted to ask if there might be anything else I should check while I do that, or if you have any other suggestions about what may cause these symptoms.
Thank you very much!
Alex
Alex,
Sorry to hear about your Saturn giving you problems, but I’m glad you made it to your destination safely. Our best guess is that you have a bad wheel bearing, but it is also possible your actual tires are causing the problems. A poorly worn tread pattern could cause the same sounds you are describing. While you have a wheel jacked up, you might also check for loose lug nuts and proper tire pressure.
Besides a bad wheel bearing, you may still have a bad CV joint, even with good boots, or it may be worn suspension components. For another great article on the noises all these components make when they fail, try reading here: https://gobdp.com/blog/steering-wheel-noise/.
If you have any more questions, please leave us a comment on that article as well.
Hi I have an06 dodge ram 1500 4×4. I’ve replaced the left fry CV axle twice , and I’m still getting a noise. Is it safe to drive until I get it fixed?
Scott-
Thank you for asking about your Dodge Ram 1500. Are you able to identify the kind of noise you are hearing? Is it like a clicking or humming sound, or is it more of a grinding sound? If you are feeling any kind of shaking or vibration, we recommend not driving the vehicle and having it checked for possible worn/bad wheel bearings. Either way, until you know the cause of this noise, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to drive the vehicle.
Thank you!
-BDP
Hello I have a 2004 Hyundai Elantra I be hearing a noise on the passenger side on the left side of my tire sounds like a squeaking sounds when I drive it
Lena-
The sound you are hearing could be the result of abnormal tire wear. Unfortunately, a number of different things can cause this issue, such as suspension issues, bad wheel bearings, bad wheel hubs, etc. We’d recommend bringing the vehicle in for inspection to have the issue properly diagnosed.
Thank you!
-BDP
I recently did an entire rear brake job on my 2001 Ford Ranger.Wheel cylinders,shoes, springs, and drums. I spin the drum and it spins like it should. I put the wheel back on and spin it and it feels like it sticks a little. Could it be the wheel bearing going bad?
I have a 87 Honda Accord I was told my CV joints were going out Would it be cheaper just to get a axle that would come with the CV joints and everything then buying separate parts can I get like a axle of my year replace it cheaper?
Teri,
Thanks for your question about your 1987 Honda Accord. Yes, it is almost always cheaper to just get a remanufactured axle that comes with the joints installed then it is to try to repair your old axle. Most local auto parts stores should carry a few different options for your car.
Thanks again for your question!
-BD Auto Pro
I have a 02 Jeep grand Cher Lar
My sound on the front drivers side is like a gear stripping clunk it’s intermittently when driving. Will it be the wheel hub assembly that needs to be replaced?
Larry-
Thank you for asking about your Jeep Grand Cherokee. Does the noise seem to get louder when turning to any particular side? If so, it more than likely would be a bad wheel bearing. Either way, it would be worth taking the vehicle to shop for inspection before the problem becomes worse leaves you in a dangerous situation while driving.
Thank you!
-BDP
I have a 2004 gmc sonoma. I have a humming noise when I pick up speed and when I go really slow such as when slowing down it continues to hum and i can even hear clicking. I just replaced the wheel bearing on the front right side where the noise is coming from but i am still getting noise. What could be going on with my vehicle?
Hayden-
Thank you for asking about your GMC Sonoma. Based on your description, and the fact that you’ve already replaced the wheel bearing from that side, it sounds as though you may have a worn CV axle or worn loosened CV joints. Although a worn CV axle will start to make a similar humming noise to that of a worn wheel bearing, the clicking noise you are getting would be associated with the CV joints, especially when making a turn.
Thank you!
-BDP
Hello ,I have Toyota Venza and had some nosing at the back . I have sent it to mechanic shop to change all the back hub but still hearing the noise. want to ask what can cause the noise
Bright-
Thank you for asking about your Toyota Venza. What kind of noise were you hearing? Did the noise seem to get louder when you accelerate the vehicle or when taking a turn? If so, you may have a wheel bearing going bad, especially if the noise seems to intensify when turning the vehicle to a particular side. Your best option may be to bring the vehicle back to the mechanic to see if they can test drive the vehicle to help identify the noise.
Thank you!
-BDP
I have a 2018 Tuscon, I changed tires and got the car aligned,but yet still having that annoying humming sound while driving. The tech checked the wheel bearing and told me that ‘s fine…..what else should I be looking for now ??
Thank you for you time .
Adam-
Thank you for asking about your Hyundai Tucson. If the noise is only present when driving the vehicle, it is likely related to the drive train. Try having the transmission, drive axles and carrier bearings checked as well for faults.
Hope this helps!
-BDP
This is very helpful this problem was so hard to diagnose until I read this.
Alex, what was the problem with your car? I’m wondering because I also have a Saturn SL, only mine is a ’99. And what you described sounds just like what is going on with my car, and everyone is arguing over it being a wheel bearing or a CV joint. Of course I’m still going to take it to a mechanic, I just want to know what your issue was.
My front right or left tire is making this whorping sound While I’m drving. And those tires are brand new.
Monica-
Does the sound seem to get any louder when making a turn? Have you noticed any shaking or vibration when driving? It’s possible the tires are overinflated and are making that sounds because they are overfilled. Check the tires psi to make sure they are within vehicle specifications.
Thank you!
-BDP
I have a 2013 Kia Forte we just replaced the cv axle about 2 weeks ago my car is now making a grinding noise while I am driveing and while I turn to the right no matter my speed it grinds we was thinking it was the wheel barring but some say has to do with the brakes I need help
Hanah,
Thanks for your question about your 2013 Kia Forte. Usually grinding noises are associated with brake issues rather than a bad wheel bearing so it sounds like you’re on the right track. Our first suggestion would be to take the car back to the mechanic who did the work and have them check everything over to make sure the job was completed correctly and all fasteners are torqued to specification. The other thing you might check is to make sure the dust shield behind the brake rotor isn’t bent to where it is touching the rotor. The dust shield is thin metal and could easily have gotten damaged or bent during the axle replacement.
Thanks again for your question!
-BD Auto Pro
Article right on point. I have a 2012 Nissan Titan and just recently begin hearing this humming noise once I get up to around 60-70 mph and over. As I turn the wheel slightly right at these speeds the hum goes away. I was told wheel bearings and specifically the front right. This is because as you turn right you take the load off the front right wheel to the left side. I got a front right wheel bearing assembly from the local parts store and had it put on yesterday. They showed me the old one and it was full of rust. Now I get in my truck last night to test the ride. Same results! Maybe not as loud but yes same noisy humming and results of turning right. Humming does not go away turning to the left in a curve etc. Is it possible the left wheel bearing is bad too and needs replacing? Note I live in the Houston Ireland remember driving my vehicle through some high water up to the door during recent flooding.
DA-
Thank you for asking about your Nissan Titan. Based on your description, it is very possible that the left wheel bearing has gone bad as well. The humming sound you are experiencing would most likely indicate a bad wheel bearing, and being that the right one was just replaced, the left wheel bearing must be the culprit.
Hope this helps!
-BDP
Hi! I have a 2017 ford focus. I was driving on a freeway when I accidentally hit a rock in the left front wheel of my car. Since then it’s making a humming noise if I’m doing 80km/h and gets louder at 100km/h. Is it possible the wheel bearing is the problem?
Beejay-
Thank you for asking about your Ford Focus. Based on your description, it is very possible that you are dealing with a worn wheel bearing. Typically, the noise associated with a wheel bearing that’s gone bad is a grinding noise, and you would mostly hear this noise when you were trying to turn the vehicle in either direction. A humming noise could indicate a wheel bearing starting to wear down, which after the impact the wheel incurred, would most likely be the problem.
Thank you!
-BDP
Hi…I have 1995 Lincoln Mark VIII rear wheel drive. My rear passenger tire will move up and down while jacked up…bit not side to side. I’ve been told it was bad bearings…then another garage said it was a worn out upper control arm. No humming noise or grinding noise is happening… could you give your opinion? Thanks in advance
Perry-
Thank you for asking about your Lincoln Mark VIII. Without hearing any of the tell-tale noises associated with bad wheel bearings, such as grinding or humming, it would be difficult to say that the bearings are bad without inspection. Based on your description, it more sounds like an issue with the upper control arm not allowing lateral movement.
Hope this helps!
-BDP
My drivers side rear tire is making loud pops and rubbing noises at any speed, driving straight or curving and in forward or reverse . I drive a 2005 honda pilot ex. Could this be a bad bearing?
Jeannie-
Are you noticing the noise more when turning to a particular side? Based on your description, it may just be that the tire has uneven wear or are worn and in need of replacement. This could potentially happen if the tires haven’t been rotated accordingly to ensure even threads on the tire. Replacing the tire should fix the issue.
Thank you!
-BDP
I was at work one night last week when I went to move my car I got about 10 feet from my parking spot and it sounded like maybe I hit a pot hole and something dropped my car didn’t wat to move it felt like my brakes locked up when I was pushing the gas the next day it didn’t do it but it did twice last night my car over heats easily because my fan don’t kick on when it should only if my car has heat or a.c going but I’m sure that is a different problem because my car is 12 years old my miter says it could be something to do with my traction and my uncle says it could be the wheel bearing just wondering what the problem sounds like to you
Amber-
Thanks for your question about your vehicle. It sounds like your problem is coming from your transmission or axles. Most of the time if brakes or wheel bearings lock up, they don’t let go without replacing or rebuilding them. It sounds more like one of your CV joints is completely worn out and locking up or the differential in your transmission is broken and similarly causing the problem. Since this could be a safety issue if it happens at speed, we recommend you having your vehicle looked at by a mechanic as soon as possible.
Thank you!
-BDP
Good article, and very accurate. I am sitting at a repair spot right now getting my front drivers side wheel bearing replaced. There was a hum that started at 15mph and got pretty loud at speed. And it got louder as I turned right. And thankfully, my ASC Warranty is covering the repair.
I have a 1998 Ford Ranger that is 4 wheel drive when I’m going down the road, even in a straight line, I hear a grinding sound coming from the front end. Some people have told me that it could be a wheel bearing. It starts at different speeds but always stops when it gets below 5 MPH. The wheel bearing seems good with no movement. Any suggestions on what it might be?
Mike,
Bad wheel bearings are usually associated with humming noises, not grinding sounds. Grinding noises usually have more to do with brake problems rather than wheel bearings. Try reading our article about brake noise to see if that is the problem you are having. You can find that article here: https://gobdp.com/blog/squeaking-brakes/.
-BlueDevil Pro
Can a really beat up road cause humming or grinding noises?
Mike,
A bad road could indeed cause a humming noise, but grinding seems a little unlikely. For example, concrete roads with grooves cut in them for water control can sometimes sing or hum as you drive on them. Also if you have a road covered by stone and oil it can cause a significant amount of road noise. You can prove the noise is coming from the road by checking for a difference in noise when you change roads, or by driving a different car on the same road and seeing if you get the same noise.
I have a 97 chevy k1500 4×4. Whn I am going down the road I am hearing a rubbing and grinding noise. I changed my brakes and rotors. I also put a lower grade tires on. My old tires where whore down badly. The passenger side is show a lot of grease on it and the driver side doesnt have any.
Mike,
Thanks for your question about your 1997 Chevy truck. Assuming your brakes are in good shape and based on the grease you are seeing on the passenger side, our guess would be that you’ve got a bad CV axle on your passenger side and it is causing the noise you are hearing. When the accordion boot tears on a CV axle it will allow all the black grease to sling out as your drive making a mess. Also, once that joint has no grease, it will quickly wear down and start making noise. We would recommend checking for a torn CV boot near the grease on the passenger side and replace that axle if you find a torn boot.
It is remotely possible that you have a bad wheel bearing as well, but if it’s making a grinding noise then it must be very worn and you would feel play in one of your tires when you had it off the ground.
Thanks again for your question!
-BD Auto Pro
I have a Hyundai Sonata 2000, when I hit 45 up till 70 mph I have a schreaching noise from my right front tire, when I push on brakes it stops but as soon as I let off break the noise is back, do you think this is wheel bearing?
Virginia-
Thank you for asking about your Hyundai Sonata. Based on your description, it is possible that the wheel bearing is going bad, however, it more sounds like an issue with the brake pads being worn, as the noise goes away when the brakes are applied. We recommend bringing the vehicle to a certified ASE mechanic and having the brake pads replaced.
Thank you!
-BDP
Hi, I’m wondering if it’s just my tires there’s not much tread left they are 35″ mid tires, the sound is loud like a rotational hum then goes away at 50 km a hour no noise change left to right and jacked front end up no play when pushing top and bottom and very little when pushing on sides (steering wheel movement) wondering if it’s wheel bearing or just bad tires thanks
Cal-
With 35” mud tires it is very possible the noise you are hearing is simply tire noise. This is even more likely the case if the tires have not been properly rotated over there life time. If tires, especially mud tires, are not regularly rotated, the tread can become scalloped and uneven causing strange noises while driving. The best way to check to see if this is the problem is to rotate your tires and see if the noise changes. It may not completely go away but badly worn tires usually wear differently so you should hear a change in the sound when rotating the tires front to back. If it sounds the same after a tire rotation you may have just the start of a bad wheel bearing.
Thank You!
-BDP
I recently had the 2 front struts and tires on my 04 suzuki forenza replaced, and now 3 days later, I get a loud hum in the front end that starts at 40mph, (almost sounds like an exhaust leak) but stops when I slow down under 40mph, would that be a wheel bearing or just the tires?
Mike-
Thanks for your question about your Suzuki Forenza. Based on your description, the noise you are hearing could be a wheel bearing going bad. If it is a bad wheel bearing, the noise should get louder as you put more miles on your car and you should start to notice it even at lower speeds. If it is just noisy tires, the sound should stay constant as you put more miles on them.
The other possibility is that you have a front CV joint going bad. Try reading our article about CV joint issues to see if that sounds like it is your problem. https://gobdp.com/blog/steering-wheel-noise/.
-BDP
I just bought an 04 Chrysler Pacifica friday drove it out of town for the weekend no problems on the way home driving at 80 mph my car jerked left and when i corrected it by pulling it back right and got it straight it jerked to the right. Now it is tuesday and my car is still doing it between 60-80 mph any idea as to what this problem could be?
Tiffany,
Thanks for your question about your Pacifica. It sounds like you had a component in your steering system fail pretty suddenly. Usually, this doesn’t happen without hitting a pothole or curb. Unless the problem is accompanied by clunking or other vibrations, the problem most likely lies with a broken tie rod or tie rod end. Even if you did identify the broken component, once it is replaced you would need to get a front end alignment which isn’t something you can do at home. It would be best to have your Pacifica looked at by an alignment shop to make sure they can replace the part and perform an alignment at the same time. We would recommend you having this done as soon as possible as poor alignment can really wear down your tires quickly.
Im taking the car back to see if the dealership i bought it from will look at it and do something but thank you for your reply
I have a 2005 ford explorer I was taking a three hour trip home on all highways when I started to hear a grinding and humming to me it sounded like the breaks were worn down until the truck started to sway back and forth as if the rear driver tire was wobbling could this be my wheel bearing and will this be dangerous to drive till I can get it to a shop? Please help!!!
Nicole,
Thanks for your question about your Explorer. The noise you are describing does sound like a bad wheel bearing. The fact that you noticed the rear tire wobbling makes me think that you have a major issue in the rear of your truck! We don’t recommend you driving it anymore until you get the problem fixed. If you do drive more a bad wheel bearing could turn into a broken axle or other problems with your rear end costing you more money in repairs.
I have a 2005 tahoe I noticed with in just a month or so that it was swaying pretty bad. Expecially when I would go over a bridge and come off of the hump right after it. Sometimes with dips in the roads. I talked to a friend who is a mechanic and he said the back rear tire was leaning slightly and that it could be my problem. As of now I still havnt heard a noise like I’ve hear with other wheel bearings it does vibrate about 55 to 60. And I have shook the tire and it wabbles. My next thing is feeling the heat on it after r I drive it a short ways. ( not getting to far from home)
Beth-
It does sound like you have a wheel bearing issue on your 05 Tahoe. The fact that you can physically wobble the wheel makes us think it’s getting pretty bad and may be worth looking at very soon to make sure you don’t cause any more damage. Since your truck has a solid rear axle, if your tire is wobbling badly you may also have other problems inside your differential so we would recommend having a mechanic do the work that understands differentials as well.
Thanks!
-BDP
Hello. I’m not sure if I’m asking in the right place. I have a 03 Mazda b3000 truck with a limited slip differential. I bought the truck in February of this year. Out drove extremely south and very well during the rest drive and during the first week I had it. I ended up having a blow out on a Sunday, so I had no choice but to use Wal-Mart to fix it. I bought 2 new rear tires which ended up being a fiasco. Can you believe that they didn’t even put weights on my tires the “second” time they put them on? So I had a terrible vibration while trying to drive it home but ended up turning around and going back. Not to mention the fact that they replaced the wrong tires on their first try. they balanced all 4 for free. That fixed most of the vibration that was caused by weightless tires. But I still had a pretty bad vibration that felt like was coming from the rear end to me. Not only that but it’s not constant. It starts only on the highway between 60mph and 70mph. Also it comes and goes at those speeds. Say for instance, the truck will be driving south for a mile or 2, but then I’ll hit a bump. The vibration will start up. then I’ll it a bend in the road or hot another bump and it will vanish. Only at highway speeds though. So I took it to discount and they told me the balancing on my tires was pretty damn good. They went ahead and rebalance all 4 anyway. Still didn’t fix the vibration. I’ve had my driveshaft balanced, my front bearings, breaks, and rotors replaced. Because that’s what the Mazda dealership said was causing the issue. Still didn’t fix it. They said they seen my rear driver tore going crazy when running it up on the jack. They think I have a bad axle. But wouldn’t it vibrate constantly if it were a bent axle? They couldn’t get my drums off supposedly to check. They hammered and pulled, but still couldn’t get either rear side drum off the truck. I don’t hear any squealing or grinding noises coming from any of my wheels. I’m thinking it’s a bad rear axle bearing which I’m going to replace myself tomorrow. If I can get the drums off. But this truck drove like a champ for the 2 hour test drive I took it on down the highway when I bought it. Wal-Mart replaced 2 rear tires and ever since then I’ve been taking this issue down. Hopefully I’ve pin pointed out with it being the rear axle bearings. Any ideas of what’s causing this slightly rough/bouncing/vibration that comes and goes when I’m driving on the highway? Again no odd noises. At all…
Smooth* not south.
Ryan,
Thanks for your question about the vibrations in your truck. It sounds like you’ve had quite a mess so far, but it sounds like you’re close to solving the problem. It is possible that the vibrations tore up one of the bearings in your rear end. It could be the outer bearings or maybe even the input shaft bearing. If you’re having trouble getting the drums off, that seems possible that you have a bad bearing as it would allow the axle to shift in the tube pinching the drum on the hub. The other possibility to consider is that your rear shocks or blown out and once vibrations start after a bump the shocks aren’t properly damping the vibrations allowing them to continue.
I have a 2010 Nissan Altmia. I’ve experienced a roaring or humming noise while driving and it gets louder the faster I drive. I took it to a mechanic shop and they said they couldn’t determine where the noise was coming from but it wasn’t a wheel bearing. At that time i had no muffler on the car so the noise was really hard to pin point. I’ve since gotten the muffler fixed and i feel like the noise is louder. You can hear it at any speed but the faster i go the louder the noise is. What is the average cost to fix a wheel bearing?
Also I never noticed the noise until I had brake work done several months ago.
Jessica-
Thank you for asking about your Nissan Altima. Depending on your area, the average cost to replace a wheel bearing is around $400. Based on your description, it does sounds like the symptoms of a bad wheel bearing, although it would have been difficult to diagnose with muffler being removed.
Hope this helps!
-BDP
My daughter’s older Dodge Neon’s rear wheel is no longer turning (she hasn’t driven it for 2 or 3 days). I don’t know if it’s wheel bearing/suspension problem or a brake problem – I’m going over to heck it later today. She mentioned the car seemed to have been worker harder recently. I was hoping it was a brake problem, but after reading this now I think it may be a bearing or some other drive/suspension problem. Either way it sounds like she’ll be without a car for a few days.
Alan-
Sorry to hear about your daughter’s Neon breaking down. Whether it is a brake issue or a bearing issue, it should be relatively easy to fix on her car. Start by removing the wheel and the brake drum in the rear. Once that is off the brakes are no longer engaged and you will be able to try to turn the wheel hub where the lug nuts are. If you can turn the hub easily by hand then her problem was sticking brakes. If the hub is difficult to turn or doesn’t feel very smooth then you most likely have a bad wheel bearing and need to replace it first.
Thank You!
-BDP
I had a wheel bearing noise, had passenger front replaced. Noise went away. 8 months later it was back, assumed it was front drivers side so had that replaced. Noise still exists.
1 Garage said its passenger front again, so took to garage that replaced that as would be under warranty. They cant find any signs of a bad bearing but the noise is that of one.
They are stumped. Can anyone help?
Dene,
Most phantom wheel bearing noises we find are actually due to tire noise rather than bad wheel bearings. Try rotating your tires to see if it changes the noise. If your tires are poorly worn, it may take a few hundred miles after the rotation to smooth them out.
My 97 Jackaroo makes a noise from the right rear when turning right from stand still and only last for a few seconds. From reading forums I think it might be pitted bearings. Is this possible as it does only last for seconds. No other issues or sounds when I drive back and forth to work each day in 35 and 60 mile speed limits.
Cheers
Jay
Jay,
Thanks for your question about your 97 Jackaroo. Usually, wheel bearing noises are more noticeable at speed than when going slowly. It is possible that the sound stops since you aren’t turning as sharply at the end of the turn and the lateral weight is off of the bearing so it is a possibility. If that is the case it should continue to get worse as you drive.
Usually, low-speed wheel noise is associated with brake issues rather than bearings. Try reading our article about brake noise to see if anything sounds like your problem: https://gobdp.com/blog/squeaking-brakes/
Hello there. I have a 2010 f150 supercrew 2×4 I noticed a humming/shaking noice on the rear when traveling at 45 50 steady speed. It lasts a couple of seconds but it comes and goes often. Need ur help
Leo,
Thanks for your question about your F-150. Often times in pickup trucks if the bed is empty you can get some shaking or bouncing if your shocks are going bad but aren’t quite all the way shot yet. The rear suspension of your truck is designed to carry a heavy load so it can bounce and vibrate when it is empty.
The other possibility is that you do have a bearing going out in the rear end. It is possible it is a wheel bearing, but with it coming and going it could also be your pinion bearing or another bearing in your differential. If you don’t have play in your driveshaft, or in your wheels yet, keep listening for the sound. If a bearing is going bad it will get more consistent and louder.
I am driving my mother’s 1987 Chrysler LeBaron that had 6K miles on it when she died. She always maintained it, kept it garaged, and as a result, looks showroom new. It now has 27K miles on it. Over the past several weeks I have been diving my mechanic crazy for the past several weeks. I had my front shocks replaced with an alignment and now my car shakes when I drive. Slow, fast, it doesn’t matter. I brought it back to the shop and they rebalanced my tires. Problem still happens. Gets worse the faster I go. I feel the vibration in my seat and to a lesser degree, the steering wheel. The shaking is predominately in the front passenger side. Mechanic checked the tires for wear (only 21K miles on them but they are switched to winter every fall so even less wear than that). No problem found. We are at a loss. The mechanic doesn’t think it has anything to do with the bearing. I do hear a slight (road?) hum but always associated that with the tire going over the road surface and the hum doesn’t get loader or softer. Any idea what could possibly be going on here? I really don’t want to throw any more money into an older car.
Ana,
Thanks for your question about your LeBaron. You’ve done just about everything we would recommend for the problem you are having. A bad wheel bearing wouldn’t cause vibrations like you are describing. Depending how old the tires are, the problem might not be that they’re out of balance but that they have flat spots on them from sitting in the garage. Try rotating the tires front to back and seeing if the issue moves to the back of your car instead of the front. If that is the case, a new set of tires should solve your problems. If not, we would recommend checking for worn suspension components. Even if they don’t look worn, years of sitting could have allowed the lubrication in them to dry out and not allow them to flex like they should.
Had my Prius inspected and they failed it due to a rear break issue. they also mentioned that I have a failing bearing and were not able to figure out which one it was while inspecting and putting new tires on.
I am unsure if it is both rear or just 1. RL had the bad rotor when I took it off to replace it with no breaks on it rotating it was not overly easy and a ticking sound came from it like you had stuck a playing card in the spokes of a bike only quieter.
When I went to the RR after removing the breaks I rotated that one and it was only a bit stiffer to turn and made a growling noise. I am quite sure that one is bad but I am not quite sure what to make of the other one.
when turned neither one would continue rotating on its own with or wo breaks. The article was a bit vague on what freely spinig means. should they continue to rotate a few times or stop before half a rotation and is that with or wo break pads?
Kendrick,
Thanks for your question about your Prius. Without a wheel and tire on the hub, it probably won’t rotate very far (1/2 turn at most) after you finish spinning it. Sometimes it can be easier to tell by putting the wheel and tire on snug with a lug nut or 2 and spin the assembly using the tire. The weight of the wheel and tire should allow the hub to spin freely even after you stop pushing the wheel for a few full rotations. In any case, if you are hearing noise from the bearing while spinning the hub it’s a good indication that the bearing is bad.
I have a 2001 Buick century with 82000 miles on it and I pulled out a drive way Saturday whent about 20ft forward my driver right side wheel locked up for about 2 secs then went another 20ft did it again for a few seconds then after that I drove it cautiously home for about 10 miles stoping and going hitting speeds of up to 45mph had no problems. Didn’t drive Sunday then Monday morning I back up 10 feet then go in drive went 30 feet then the driver tire locked up and remains locked up in drive. I jacked up the one side and put the car in neutral and the tire spins both ways but when it’s on the ground it completely stuck but it will drive in reverse but only moved in reverse about 10 feet. So you have any ideas of what it could be?? Thanks for the help.
Matt-
Thanks for your question about your Buick Century. It was difficult to tell from your description if it was the front or rear tire. If it is a rear tire then it’s most likely a problem with your brakes being out of alignment. Consider having those services and possibly your drum or rotor resurfaced. Make sure when the mechanics service the brakes they lubricate the slides or shoes well.
If it was your front wheel that locked up you most likely have a problem with your CV joint on that side. For a quick read on CV joint problems, check out our article about that here: https://gobdp.com/blog/steering-wheel-noise/.
Thank You!
-BDP
I got a wheel bearing replaced last Saturday. got my car back and ever since then when I hard lock left my car is screeching. it doesn’t do it any other time just when I turn left. have had it back 2 times and its still there. have had the discs and calliper off cant find anything. can you please help. desperate
Paul-
Thanks for your question about your vehicle. The only other thing besides a brake problem that we would suggest checking is your alignment. It is possible that with the new wheel bearing your alignment is slightly off so when you turn one of your wheels is dragging and screeching. It’s always a good idea to have an alignment done after having any front end work completed.
Thanks!
-BDP
Within the last few weeks my truck has had a nasty “thumping” when driving slow. Like backing out of my drive way and pulling into driveway, basically driving under 10 mph. Noticed I needed a front end alignment. The inside wear was horrible and I just got all 4 tires brand new in Dec. Also driving on the highway I was hearing a humming sound. Also, before the humming and thumping I was hearing squeaking coming from the front. I feel the driver side… then came all of the other issues.
So Fri I had 2 new tires and an alignment, thinking this was all due to the tires. Well I picked it up after work fri and still have the thumping sound. Yesterday driving home I was doing 40 and the thumping started. Freaked me out because it was only ever when I would drive really slow. I also hear like a clicking sound when I first start to pull off. To me it kinda of sounds like something breaking, it’s the only way I can explain it. It’s not a nice sound! I’m afraid my truck is just going to break.
I didn’t go to work today because I work 40 miles from home and that’s on the highway. I no longer want to drive…
I don’t know if my wheels are wiggling, I have no one to check for me and before I take it to my garage, I want to see if it’s what I think it may be….
Please help.
Thanks for your question about your truck. The noises you are describing do sound pretty bad so it seems smart that you didn’t make the 40 mile drive. Since a lot of your issues seem to be related to your front end, that would be a good place to start. The humming you are describing sounds like it could be a bad wheel bearing and with the extra wear on your front tires, it is possible that you wore out your wheel bearings very quickly and they need to be replaced. To see if this is your problem, check out our article about bad wheeling bearings here: https://gobdp.com/blog/bad-wheel-bearing/.
The other things that might be worth checking are the condition of your shocks and your drive shaft u-joints. You can check your u-joints by holding the brake and shifting from drive to reverse and back a few times. If you hear a clunk or a thump then you probably need to replace your u-joints. If your truck is 4-wheel drive it may also be worth checking your CV joints. For more information on bad CV joints, check out our article about that here: https://gobdp.com/blog/steering-wheel-noise/.
-BDP
I have a 2005 Chevy Silverado 4×4. Whenever I brake and when I first take off it makes a pretty rough sound and vibrates the whole truck. My front tires also make this metal shaving sound like when your pads are worn but I just replaced my pads rotors and calipers in the front. When I was driving it started making a clinking sound almost a knock by my tires. I drove home slow about 15 miles and every so often the truck would jerk left and right. It would still make that knock(clicking) sound but if I sped up above 45 or 50 it would go away. I know previously before this whenever I would drive above 70 I would feel the truck vibrate and feel it in the pedal. The vibration was pretty consistent when it came to doing it at 70mph. A few time it would do it at 65-70. I was wondering if this may be a wheel bearing or cv joint or something.
Miguel,
Thanks for your question about your 2005 Silverado. Based on your description and considering you’ve recently replaced your brake components in the front end, it sounds like your problem either is coming from a bad CV joint or from the 4×4 engaging mechanism in your front hubs. If you had a bad wheel bearing making that much noise you would be able to see the tire wobbling while you were driving. Since you said it sometimes grabs and jerks the truck left or right we would recommend starting by checking your 4×4 system at the front hubs.
Hello,
I have a 98 Ford Explorer. About two weeks I started hearing a grinding noise. I took it to Sears Auto and they said the entire rear differential is shot. They don’t do this repair and so I called the dealer. The parts alone run about 1500.00. In light of the age and mileage (206,000), and multiple little things I need to fix in addition to the differential, I’m looking for a new car. However, can I drive the Explorer as is for a week or two? Or…is that too risky.
Annetta,
Thanks for your question about your Explorer. If you are already hearing grinding noises then a bearing somewhere in your rear differential is in pretty bad shape. The worst that would happen if you continue to drive is that your rear tires would lock up while you are driving which can be very dangerous. This scenario is unlikely as bearings start to make a lot of noise even when they are only slightly damaged. A good way to tell how bad your problem is is by checking for oil leaks around the ends of the axle and where the drive shaft enters the differential. When bearings get very worn they will cause leaks at those seals.
We would recommend getting a second opinion on your Explorer as the entire rear differential will almost never go bad. Most of the time it’s simply one out of a few different bearings that goes bad, or the gears or worn out. A specialty shop may be able to replace just the gears or worn bearing for much less. A second option would be to find an entire used rear axle at a junkyard and have a shop change the entire unit. Explorers are popular vehicles so you may be able to find the whole axle at a reasonable price.
HELPPP…. 1996 Lexus es300… Right rear making a rumble.. I know the parking brake is gone.. However my wheel has some play when I have the Car stationary… If I wiggle the wheel back and forth it moves probably an 1/8 of an inch either way… When I’m turning slightly left at highway speeds I can hear and feel the rumble.. Had checked out.. Was told it MIGHT be rear control arm and trailing arms in the rear.. Was advised against the work saying it wasn’t worth risking taking the bolts out that go through the frame as well as having to drop the tank to do the repair. At a loss.. Idk I feel like its a wheel bearing issue.. Please help
Stephen,
The noise you are describing does sound like a wheel bearing issue to us. The fact that you described it as a rumble, that it changes when you go around a corner, and has slightly play back and forth all sound like symptoms of a bad wheel bearing, not a bad suspension component. The wheel bearing on your right rear is sealed bearing so you won’t be able to inspect it by looking at it or removing it. After properly securing your car try raising both rear wheels off the ground without the e-brake on. Remove both wheels and try spinning each hub separately and seeing if the right hub has more resistance. If so then you’ve got a bad wheel bearing on that side.
Recently bought a used 2005 Ford Ranger. While driving it home some 5hrs I noticed a shake or wobble that would come and go at various speeds (between 80-120km/hr). At times it was in the front because I could feel it in the steering wheel and other times it felt it was coming from the rear as the steering wheel was solid. While most of the time the truck drove smoothly, It felt as though the wheels would get into sync and set up a resonance to shake the truck and then as they got out of sync (usually in a curve) it would quiet down. Speed did not see to be a factor. Any thoughts? Wheels, bearings, suspension components?
Roman,
Thanks for your question about your 2005 Ford Ranger. The problem you’re having does sound like a suspension issue. For a quick read on how to find suspension problems, check out our article about that here: https://gobdp.com/blog/squeaky-suspension/.
Our best guess is that your shock absorbers need to be replaced. Most manufacturers recommend replacing your shocks every 60,000 miles, but they can often last longer than that. You can do a crude inspection of your shocks by bouncing up and down on one corner of your truck and seeing if it continues to bounce once you stop pushing. If your truck continues to bounce or does not settle quickly it is an indication that you need to replace that shock.
Thanks again for your question!
-BlueDevil Pro
2004 GMC Envoy making a noticeable humming noise with a slight steering wheel vibration. Noise gets louder with speed and turning. Noise continues until I get below 15 mph. It is definitely coming from the front of the vehicle. Envoy has 114,000 miles and we have never replaced anything but breaks and rotors.
T,
Thanks for your question about your GMC Envoy. The noise you are describing does sound like one of your front wheel bearings is going bad and needs to be replaced. There is also a slight possibility it is a bad CV joint, but that would be accompanied by a clicking noise while turning a sharp corner.
I found this article after having replaced my drivers side CV half shaft on my 97 suzuki swift. When all was said and done, and I put the car back together, there was a wobble with the tire. The lugs are all tight and the CV nut is tight, however when i grab the wheel at 12 and 6 and try to wobble it, it moves significantly. Could this be the wheel bearings? or more likely a ball joint?
Dean,
Great work in replacing your CV shaft! Many times to remove a CV shaft you do have to remove a few suspension components as well to swing the knuckle out far enough to get the CV shaft out. If you removed a ball joint or the control arm during your CV shaft replacement then start by checking those nuts and bolts to make sure they’re tight. Next, when you’re wobbling your wheel have someone look behind it to see what is moving. If the wheel is moving, but the brake caliper is stationary then you probably have a bad wheel bearing. If the brake caliper along with the whole knuckle is moving then the issue is most likely a ball joint.
A couple of weeks ago I replaced the front brake pads and rotors on my 2008 Honda Civic. I also had to replace the driver side caliper, the other one was fine. a couple of day ago i started to hear a whining sound from the front passenger side wheel. I pulled over to see what it was and saw that i had 3 loose lugs and the other 2 were missing. I tightened everything up and drove on. Since that time the whining /rubbing sound has been getting louder and more constant with every mile that I drive. It stops when i apply the brakes. I have since pulled the brakes back off and applied a whole package of the brake grease but it has done nothing to stop the noise. i have tried driving it at speeds of up to 70 plus MPH and there is no shimmy or vibration so i’m not sure that the wheel bearing is the culprit. Any ideas ??
Albert,
Thanks for your question about your Civic. Since it sounds like you’ve ruled out the brakes being the cause of your issue, your only other options really are your wheel bearing, cv joint or possibly the tire. It is possible that the loose lug nuts and wobbly tire lead to some other damage, either your wheel bearing, CV joint or possibly bad wear of your tire causing the noise. To check for a bad cv joint, try reading our article about that here: https://gobdp.com/blog/steering-wheel-noise/.
It is possible that you have a bad wheel bearing even if you don’t feel the effects of it yet. If you do have a bad wheel bearing the noise will continue to get worse as you drive, and eventually you’ll be able to feel play in the wheel. You can check by raising your passenger side wheel off the ground, grabbing it at the 12 and 6 o’clock position and trying to wobble it. If you’re able to move it at all then your bearing is indeed going bad.
My Ford freestyle has a loud hum @ 40pmh coming from the rear. When corning to the right it gets quiter. Would this indicate the front bearing more than the rear?
Jon-
Thanks for your question about your Ford Freestyle. If the sound is coming from the rear and it gets quitter when turning right we would guess the problem is with your left rear wheel bearing. You can figure out which is the problem by securing your car and jacking both rear wheels off the ground. Pull the tires off and try spinning the hub by hand. If you have a bearing going bad one side should have a noticeable drag, or feel slightly bumpy as it spins.
Thank You!
-BDP
Excellent article. I’m thinking I have a bad wheel bearing on the drivers side rear wheel. When I’m driving I can’t hear any noise over my engine noise, but at highway speed when I turn right the car will start to shake. It seems to shake more if I let off the gas into the turn; when I punch it it usually levels out quickly. I just replaced all 4 struts (because they were bad), front control arms and have all new tires. That seemed to have fixed the issue for a couple of weeks, but now it is shaking again when I turn right at high speeds. I jacked my car up and tried wiggling the wheel and it didn’t seem to move. When I spin it I can hear a little bit of noise but not much. The other rear wheel doesn’t make any noise. Do you think this is my wheel bearing or could it be trailing arms? I’m driving a 03 hyundai accent.
Kevin-
Thanks for your question about your Hyundai Accent. Based on the changes in the vibration with acceleration and cornering, and the noise you hear when spinning that rear wheel, it seems pretty likely that you do have a bad wheel bearing on that side. It isn’t surprising that you aren’t getting any movement when trying to wobble the wheel on that side as your car has a relatively large sealed unit bearing in the rear so it would have to be extremely worn out before you get any movement. Bad wheel bearings are not unusual on your car and are relatively easily to replace.
-BDP
I have a 2008 chevy trailblazer. It’s a solid little suv, but recently I’ve been getting the metal shaving sound from what seems to be the front right wheel. The only odd thing I can find is that it happens between 30-35 mph and again right around 50 mph. I have checked both sets brakes and a few indicators for wheel bearings, and everything seems ok? Would you have any indication as to what this issue may be?
Troy-
Thanks for your question about your Trailblazer. Usually metal grinding noises are a brake problem so great job in checking that out. If it has been a year or more since you had your brake pads changed, you may simple need to re-lubricate the caliper slides and the back of the brake pads to make sure they are floating properly in the caliper.
If you are sure the noise isn’t coming from your brakes, you may simply check around your front tires for loose plastics that may be getting caught in the wind and rubbing on the tire or dragging on the ground. The last thing you might check is your CV joints. With the noise you’re describing you would definitely have a torn boot so check the axle for grease and the boots for tears. If you find a tear then you’re in the market for a new CV joint.
-BDP
My wife’s car is making a knocking sound in the front end, and it shakes so bad that it feels like it is falling apart. The vibration that it gives can be felt in the steering wheel. It is a 2001 Dodge neon. Any ideas on what it could be?
Corey-
Usually shaking from the front end use either due to warped front brake rotors or an out of balance tire. If the vibration changes when you apply the brakes, or can be felt in your brake pedal, especially from highway speeds, it is a good indication that the front rotors needs to be replaced. If braking doesn’t affect the vibration then we would suggest having your tires re-balanced.
In some extreme cases worn suspension components can cause vibrations like you are describing. If they are worn that bad you should be able to tell easily by lifting the front wheels off the ground with your car well secured and tugging and pulling on the tops and sides of the tire. If you can move the tire up and down, side to side or in and out, watch for where the movement is and replace that broken suspension component.
Thank You!
-BDP
For a while now I have heard a grinding noise when the brakes were applied on my 2008 Grand Caravan. It is typical to have to replace the pads & rotors on it every year or so. I had my vehicle inspected in January and the brakes passed then so I didn’t have them replaced at that time. In the last couple of weeks I have heard a very loud scraping noise (as if the van was being scraped across the road) as well even when the brakes were not applied…mostly at the slower speeds. And, it seemed to be worse when I turned right. The noise also sounds cyclical…if that makes sense. And only from the front right which made me start researching if it was not a brake issue I am hearing. I am terrified that there is a brake issue AND a wheel bearing issue. Yesterday when I tried to drive it one last time I got about a half mile and I felt like the can was slowing itself down without me applying the brakes and the scraping/grinding noise was HORRIBLE…so I turned right around and went back home and will have it towed to a repair place. Before I decide where to send it I am hoping to get an answer of what the problem might be other than my stupidity at waiting to fix it (no money). Thanks for any help.
Andrea-
Thanks for your question about your Grand Caravan. The noise you are describing sounds more like a brake issue than a bad wheel bearing. If your wheel bearing was so bad that it was scraping or grinding you would be able to see the wheel wobble while driving and the steering wheel would feel loose and sloppy. If you wear your brake pads into the rotor, the biggest danger is over extending your brake caliper which could cause a loss of brake fluid and braking or cause the caliper to freeze which may be why your car was slowing down without you pushing the brakes. We would recommend replacing the pads and rotor first and see if that fixes everything.
-BDP
i have gone for tyre chane and found some prob with axile bearing forward,after work finish,told me 20 numbers of bearing have been replaced and give me an invoice of above 7000AED and i wondered,nissan tida car and shope was behind sharjah city centre
i checked with my friends and told me it will really come below 500AED
??
Shajahan-
Unfortunately we don’t have any way of helping you know if the price you received for your bearing replacement is fair or not. There are so many factors that can influence the price of repairs from shop labor to the availability of parts.
-BDP
I have a squeaking like a bad u joint in my front axle accompanied with a vibration at 60 in my 2001 ram is it possible that my wheel bearing is done? Checked it and it felt loose on the driver side but my hubs dont unlock so there was drag on both and cant get a accurate diagnosis with that issue.
Brandon-
Thanks for your question about your 2001 Ram. It can be difficult to diagnose bad wheel bearings on your front axle. You can try removing the wheel and seeing if you can tell a difference in the sides that way. The best way to check is to see if you have any movement straight in and out on your front hubs. If you do it’s a good indication that your wheel bearing is going bad. Depending how many miles you have on the tires you’re driving on, the vibration may also just be an indication that it’s time to rotate your tires or have them balanced again.
-BDP
I have a 2007 Chevy Cobalt. The middle of last week it started with a roaring noise and on Friday when I got home my husband suggested that I take it over to the my mechanic’s shop with a note and have him check it. He did and replaced the right front wheel bearing. He said he couldn’t hear anything but if I did to take it and have the tires rotated. It still sounds just about the same to me. Will rotating the tires help? I just got them last October so there is not a low of mileage on them.
Kim-
Thanks for your question about your Chevy Cobalt. Rotating the tires could help the roaring noise you are hearing. We recommend rotating your tires every oil change so even if they were new last October the tread wear could be causing the noise you are hearing. If rotating the tires changes the noise then that was your issue. You may also consider inspecting your brakes as they can sometimes cause noises like you are describing if they are badly worn.
Thank You!
-BDP
I have a 2002 Ford Explorer and when I’m driving straight it has a loud humming noise. I have had my tires rotated and balanced, noise still there. It starts at about 40 mph and gets louder as I accelerate. When I turn right it gets louder and left is softer. I have jacked the vehicle up on the front end ( where I’m hearing the noise) and have tried to see if any play on either side, but has no play. When jacked up my driver side tire spins freely and rotates 1 turn and when I do the same for the right it has a lot of resistance and stops almost instantly when I let go. Could this be a bearing? Also, let me add the tires are due for some new ones, but seem to be worn even.
Brian-
Great job on all the checks you are doing! Since you’re due for new tires it may be worth getting a new set and seeing if the sound goes away. If the hum is still there even with fresh rubber then you most likely have a bad wheel bearing. Based on all the checks you’ve done we would say you do have a bad right front wheel bearing.
Thank You!
-BDP
I have a 2005 BMW X5 with 160,000 miles on it. when i get above 20 mph I hear a sound that can be best described as “whoawhoawhoawhoa” coming from the front left wheel. is this a bad wheel bearing? She has new tires and they are road treds.
Andrew-
Thanks for your question about your 2005 X5. Based on your description of the sound and the fact that you have new tires it seems likely that you have a wheel bearing problem on that side. If your BMW came equipped with X-drive then it is also possible that it is a driveline issue, like a CV joint rather than a wheel bearing but that is less likely.
Depending where you got the new tires there is a chance that the weights they used to balance the wheels were not properly applied and have fallen off. If they offer life time balancing it may be worth having the balance on that tire checked just to make sure.
-BDP
I kept hearing a humming noise & could feel my front tires rotating as I drove so I replaced the front passenger wheel bearing on my 04 GMC Envoy. The noise & rotation feeling is still there. Should I replace the front drivers side or could it be something else?
Josh,
Thanks for your question about your GMC Envoy. It is possible that the passenger side wheel bearing needs to be replaced as well, but in your case it may also be that your tires are poorly worn and the irregular tread is causing the humming and slight vibrations. To see if this is the problem you can have your tires rotated and possibly even have them looked at by a wheel and tire shop. If rotating your tires changes the noise or vibration then you’ve found your problem. If not, then it does sound like the driver’s wheel bearing is bad as well.
My car is a 01 eclipse Mitsubishi well when I put it in reverse from a dead stop my rear passenger wheel drags or locks up but only for a moment it never does in drive and there are no sounds what do you think could be wrong??? It had rear drum brakes
Kat-
It is tough to say for certain but, it could be that your rear wheel cylinder is leaking brake fluid onto your brake pads, causing them to lock up. Replacing the rear drum brakes should be able to take care of the issue.
Thank you!
-BDP
I started hearing a noise from the rear passenger side of my Toyota HIghlander about a week ago. At first it was only audible from the passenger side of the car, but now it’s more pronounced from any position in the vehicle. Its sounds like there’s a moped in my blind spot and I’ve caught myself looking before realizing it’s that phantom noise. I do not notice any difference in noise whether I’m going 10MPH or highway speeds. There is no shaking or jerking as described by others writing you. Ideas?
Alicia,
Thanks for your question about your Highlander. Usually, noises like you’re describing are an indication of a bad wheel bearing. If the noise changes pitch with how fast you’re going and has been getting slowly worse, this seems like the most likely culprit. The best way to test for this would be to secure you Highlander and raise both rear tires off the ground at the same time. Remove the tires and try spinning the wheel hub by hand. If one drags significantly more than the other then that wheel bearing is bad. You can do the same with the front tires and your car in neutral to test your front wheel bearings.
Hi! I have a 98′ Mustang GT 5 speed and I was driving down the interstate and the car bogged down and went to about 65 in 2 seconds. Pulled over and made sure the brakes were not sticking and everything seemed fine. Made it about 2 miles and it started making a grinding sound under the center console or maybe under the back seat. It’s hard to tell but it goes into gear and everything seems to work great but even at super slow speeds (3-6) mph it makes a noise that synchronizes with the wheels turning.
Thanks for your time
Zach,
Thanks for your question about your Mustang. Based on the noise you’re describing and its location it sounds like maybe you’ve got a bad bearing in your rear end, or maybe a bad carrier bearing. Usually if a bearing in your rear end is going to fail it will give you some indication first like a hum or slight vibration first. You can try to figure out what the problem is by securing and raising your car enough so you can get under it safely. Next unbolt the driveshaft from the differential. With your transmission in neutral, try turning the drive shaft and see if you can feel the resistance or hear the noise in the carrier bearing or transmission. If both back wheels are off the ground, you can then try spinning the input yoke on the differential to see if you can feel resistance there. If you feel the resistance in the drive shaft, the problem is most likely a bad carrier bearing. If it’s in your differential, you’re probably looking at a rebuild there.
Hi,
I recently bought a certified pre-owned 2014 Ford Fusion, and when I go over 40 mph there is a humming sound like what you have described coming from the bearings I think. The car only had 30k miles on it. I know that bearings can be relied on for hundred thousands of miles. When I got it the dealership told me the sound is coming from the breaks, it’s because the car has been sitting there for a while. They told me that the noise should disappear after I drive it for a while, I’m really not sure if I can believe that! I have driven it for 200 miles so far and there is still that noise and some sort of shaking when I apply the breaks over 40 mph.
Fahad-
Thank you for your question on your Ford Fusion. It does seem a little early in the vehicle’s life to have a faulty wheel bearing. If the problem persists, we recommend taking the vehicle to a certified ASE mechanic and having them inspect the wheel bearings and take it for a test drive to pinpoint exactly where the noise is coming from.
Thank you!
-BDP
I have just had my subframe replaced on my 2000 Chevy Cavalier two weeks ago and I’m still feeling a little funky steering from time to time, generally on rounding left turns on a road and not all the time. I know I need a right front tire replaced, but until I can, I put air in it as I thought that might be part of the problem. and I also need an alignment, which I plan to do at Mavis where I got my other tire in two week. ,It happens generally if I go over 40. The steering doesn’t go all over the place like it did before I had the Subframe replaced. I’m assuming rocker arms were put in as well. Could an under inflated tire cause this.I do need a front left tire, but put air in it today as well as adding power steering fluid. It looked low. Mind you I have a lot of issues with the car, exhaust, which I had done two years ago, including a muffler, which is now noisy. The problem is that a part of the exhaust is rusted and it happens to be where my Cat is located. I’ve waiting until I have the money to get that fixed, but want to get to the first problem is what is concerning me right now. I can’t get anything else done for two weeks at least. The subframe cost me a total of $900 and it took the mechanic seven hours to do it. He actually couldn’t get a subframe, but I found one from a Pontiac Firebird that is interchangeable with a Chevy Cavalier. on Ebay.
Kathy,
Thanks for your question about your Cavalier. The problems you’re having do sound like you still have a loose suspension component somewhere. An underinflated tire could indeed be causing your car to wander but it also could be a loose joint. Since you just replaced the whole subframe any number of bolts could be loose or at least not properly torqued down. It might be best to take your car back to the shop that replaced the subframe and have them look over it again to see if they can see anything out of place.
I have a 2005 gmc sierra that when you spin both front tires they dont move but also when I drive down the highway my whole front end shakes until I come to a complete stop again I was told it was a tire balance problem so I did that it didnt help then was told I had a broken belt so I relpaced two front tires that didnt help took it to a front end shop and he couldnt find anything so im at a loss….
Heather,
Thanks for your question about your 2005 GMC Sierra. We’re not quite sure what you mean by your tires not moving when you spin them, but if you mean they stick or are hard to spin the vibrations you’re getting might be due to your front brake calipers being frozen. If this is the case you’re probably in need of new front brake rotors as well as brake pads. Make sure when you have the new pads installed the mechanic properly lubricates the pads and the caliper slides to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
If what you meant is that your front bearings or fine and your front tires spin easily then the next most likely culprit is that your front shocks are worn out and are not properly damping road bumps and spring oscillations. In this case, new shocks should help smooth things out.
I have a 2004 Chevy Impala. For the past 2 weeks, my car makes a metallic scraping sound whenever I either go in reverse or take a left turn. The sound gets louder the sharper the turn. What could this be? Wheel bearing? CV axle? Suspension parts? Thanks for any suggestions.
Jose,
Thanks for your question about your Impala. Usually, Metallic scraping sounds come from worn braking components. For starters, try checking out our blog about brake noise here: https://gobdp.com/blog/squeaking-brakes/. Let us know if you have any questions after that!
I just replaced the pads, rotors, and both sets of tapered bearings on the two fronts of my RWD ’00 Ford Ranger V6, and I’m experiencing a problem. I’ve done brakes before on cars many times, but never had to repack bearings. I thought all went pretty well during the job – bearings greased up like they should (used a repack tool), castle nut went on good on both sides. I broke the passenger side cotter pin, but bought another. The test drive went great – brakes seemed to bed in fine, slight smell of cosmoline after the fourth brake application or so, and while the truck was still off the ground (before the drive) the wheels had VERY slight play vertically (the passenger side had almost none). Horizontally seemed fine as well, though with both fronts off the ground I was obviously getting some movement from the steering. I’ve read that with tapered roller bearings, VERY slight play is the norm.
Trouble started at the end of the test drive. I made my first left turn of the entire drive, going about 15mph or so, and there was a pronounced shaking felt in the wheel, the feet, the butt – the cabin vibrated, essentially. My wife was along for the ride, and we both looked at each other, so immediately I knew something bad was afoot. I took it around the block, and the pattern was clear: right hand turns were fine, left hand turns produced shaking and vibrating, and there was also some shaking upon takeoff, but less than while turning and it didn’t persist. Couldn’t really localize it, a