how to tell which wheel bearing is bad

A wheel bearing is a device that allows the wheels of a car, truck or other vehicle to rotate smoothly. The job of the bearing is to allow the wheel to spin without any play or wobbling, while also withstanding the forces that come from driving over bumps and potholes.

Wheel bearings can be damaged by many common problems, including worn-out bearings and bad mounting parts. If you notice strange sounds coming from one of your wheels, it could be a sign that your wheel bearings are failing.

Pull the tire and inspect

The easiest way to see if a wheel bearing is bad is to remove the wheel and look for play in the hub. The axle shaft should sit very close to the bearing, but still allow for some movement when you rock it back and forth. If there's too much play, this is an indication that it might be failing soon. When you rock it back and forth, the axle shaft should move smoothly without any grinding or popping noises coming from the hub.

If you can easily see a damaged bearing while looking at the front of your vehicle, then that’s most likely the culprit. If the other wheel has no damage, but you still hear a noise, it’s more likely that it’s the other bearing. If both wheels have damage, then it’s possible that both are causing your noise.

 Listen for grinding or clicking noises. A grinding sound indicates that the hub has been damaged and is contacting the outer edge of the wheel. A clicking sound may indicate debris in the hub or simply worn bearings that are allowing small chunks of metal to break off and fall into the hub cavity. The clicking will be audible only when turning in one direction; if it occurs on both sides, it’s likely due to worn out bearings rather than a problem with the hub or outer edge of your wheel.

Conduct a visual inspection

The best way to tell which wheel bearing is bad is by conducting a visual inspection. This can be done by removing the tire and inspecting the brake caliper, brake disc and rotor.

The outer edge of the brake disc should be free from excessive wear and any pitting or rusting. If there is any damage present, then this is a sign that you may have a problem with one of your wheel bearings. If there are no visible signs of damage on the outer edge of your brake disc, then you should check your brake calipers for any signs of excessive play. This can be done by removing one caliper from its mounting bracket and checking how freely it moves back and forth when pushed against a flat surface like a wall or garage door frame. If you feel excessive play when moving it back and forth, then this could indicate that one of your wheel bearings has failed or is about to fail.

Another way to determine if one of your wheel bearings has failed is by checking the condition of your brake rotors. The outer edge should be smooth without any pitting or grooves running across them, while the inner edges should have no grooves running down towards their center hub area (known as conchoidal).

Listen for unusual sounds

If you hear a high-pitched whine or grinding sound when you're driving, it could be a sign that you need to replace your wheel bearings.

The first thing to do is listen for unusual sounds. When you roll down the window, turn off the radio and listen for noise coming from the wheels. If it's too loud for you to hear over the wind noise, try getting out of the car and listening near each wheel.

If you hear a high-pitched whine or grinding sound when you're driving, it could be a sign that you need to replace your wheel bearings. If both rear wheels are making this noise, it could mean that one of them is bad; if only one rear wheel is making the noise (or if it's louder on just one side), then more likely there's something wrong with that particular bearing.

Do a thorough inspection on both sides

To do a thorough inspection, you'll need to lift your vehicle, put it on jack stands and remove the wheels. Then, use a flashlight and look closely at both sides of each wheel bearing. If there's any red or blue coloring around the outer edge of the bearing, or if there's any rust or flaking metal, that's bad news.

Next, grab a hammer and tap on each wheel bearing. If it sounds louder on one side than the other, that's also a bad sign. The bearings should sound about the same when you tap them with a hammer.

Jack up the car if the noise goes away when the car is jacked up.

The easiest way to tell which wheel bearing is bad is to jack up the car, put it in park and turn the wheel. If the noise goes away when you turn the wheel, it's a front wheel bearing. If the noise comes from both sides of the car, it's a rear wheel bearing.

If you're not sure if it's your front or rear wheel bearings, try jacking up one side of your car and turning that wheel. If the noise goes away, then it's your front wheel bearing.

If the noise doesn't go away when you jack up one side of your car and turn that wheel, then it's probably your rear wheel bearings making all that noise!

These are some helpful steps to determining which wheel bearing is bad that you can do yourself.

The first step to determining which wheel bearing is bad is to have your vehicle up on jack stands and then inspect each wheel for play in the bearings by hand. You might need someone to help you with this so that they can hold the tire while you spin it by hand. If you feel any play at all, then you should replace both sides of your wheels at once because it's cheaper than replacing just one side.

Another way to determine which wheel bearing is bad is by pulling off your tires from your rims and checking them closely for signs of wear or damage on the inside of them. If there are any cracks in them or any signs of wear on them then they need to be replaced immediately because this means that there's something wrong with them and they're going to break soon enough!

Wheel bearings are major parts of your car because they are responsible to carry the greatest weight in your car. The wheel bearings need maintenance periodically or else they become a danger to any car driver and passengers. The wheel bearing is one of the parts of the car that will cause accidents once it is malfunctioned. That is why it needs extra care and attention, so that you can ensure its safety.