Symptoms Of Damaged Wheel Bearings

Modern wheel bearing is not as sturdy as it was in the days of large rear-drive cars. Many cars now use fairly small double-row ball bearings for their wheels. They are strong enough for normal loads. And their resistance is much less than that of a pair of large tapered roller bearings. But if the tire hits a bad pothole or curb, and the tire is deformed so much that the rim hits, then the tiny contact surface of the ball bearing is likely to cause a tiny dent in the bearing ring. If this happens, the immediate result is a roaring noise from the cone of the hit car. It doesn’t look bad at all, but the ball is no longer rolling smoothly. Small dimples begin to tap on the rest of the assembly. Before long, the car will get very noisy and even start to shake. Don’t let it last too long. The wheels will begin to function or run out, thus making the entire wheel assembly move more and more. Not only will the car begin to vibrate and drift, the extra movement will push the brake pads away from the rotor. This may cause you to have to push the brake pedal further to start slowing down.

The bottom line is that if you hear a roar from a corner of your car, check the wheel bearings before they are damaged enough to cause real trouble. As soon as you feel it vibrate, it gets really bad. If the car is rolling quietly and you feel vibrations, it may not be the wheel bearings, but it’s a good idea to check them to make sure. Most vibrations that vary with speed are caused by tires or brakes.