Bad wheel bearing?

[MGregoir]

I took my car in today (1999 Malibu) because the ABS light was on and I don't have a code reader. The car has a pull to the left. Hold the wheel on center and it tracks straight, release the wheel and it cocks to the left slightly off (three degrees) and steers its way ever so neatly into oncomming traffic.

I have had a wheel speed sensor fail before, and imagined that was the problem for the ABS light. Two years/25,000 miles ago I had both front wheel bearings done, and last spring I had a tie rod end and alighnment done. This shop said it was a bad wheel bearing last time but it was actually a tie rod end, and now they are saying the same wheel bearing has gone bad and the oscillation in it broke the connector (which passes through the wheel bearing) for the ABS.

Does this all add up before I sink a few hundred bucks into the repair?

They said they have to wait on the part and can't book me in for a while yet to do the work, so I told them I will pay the $50 diagnostic charge and pick it up and call them back if I need to re-book. If it is the wheel bearing (which could be causing the pull to the left, it does not grind and it felt tight the last time I checked), I will just replace the whole works myself.

I just don't think a Timken or SKF wheel bearing should go bad in 25,000 miles of pavement driving.

 

[MGregoir]

Well, I just read further and the wheel speed sensor is part of the wheel bearing so even if the bearing is fine, the whole works has to go. It does not look that difficult to do and a mechanic owes me a favour, so I will probably just buy the parts through a shop where I get a good deal and have him do it for me, then take it back to this shop for an alignment if it doesn't fix the pull.

 

[moribundman]

Every wheel bearing that has gone bad on any of my cars become noisy. It always seemed to start with a whining that turned over time into a helicopter-in-pursuit racket. None of those bad wheel bearings caused the car to pull to either side.

If you jack up the car and spin the wheel, you should be able to hear a grinding noise or feel some roughness, even if there's no noticeable play.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: MGregoir
the wheel speed sensor is part of the wheel bearing

 

[Junior]

I have heard that the ABS light can also indicate a bad wheel bearing. That is all I know...

 

[LeftyLefty]

On my 96 Buick the machanic broke the wires on the
wheel bearing/ABS unit and replaced both front
units(sealed bearing) He went through two sets of
chinese bearings before he got a pair that was
quiet. The good replacement was made in Tiawan.
Looks like it is a [censored] shoot getting good parts
at any time.
LeftyLefty

 

[kelpie]

A bad tire can cause the car to pull.

 

[MGregoir]

I want to measure the tread depth on all my tires and try and shift the "stagger" to where it centers best, as close as poosible to equal roll out on the front tires and the left rear the largest diameter with the right rear the smallest.

I don't think it is a bad tire though, as it drove fine on these tires before, but I may have to mess with the rotation to get them all in the right places.

 

[mechtech2]

A bad bearing or bad installation will cause premature failure.
Even with a brand name.
But I'd want to absolutely identify the problem that you have. Right now, I am not sure it is a bad bearing.

 

[bdcardinal]

Originally Posted By: LeftyLefty
On my 96 Buick the machanic broke the wires on the
wheel bearing/ABS unit and replaced both front
units(sealed bearing) He went through two sets of
chinese bearings before he got a pair that was
quiet. The good replacement was made in Tiawan.
Looks like it is a [censored] shoot getting good parts
at any time.
LeftyLefty


on hub and bearing units i only go OEM, just not worth the hassle of aftermarket ones having issues.

 

[LeftyLefty]

OEM is not always a sure thing. On the same buick the
A/C comp went bad. Replaced it with OEM(Korea) and it
was bad. The second one from GM(Korea) worked fine.
Maybe I just have a hard luck car or I have kept it
too long. It only has 173K.
LeftyLefty

 

[The Critic]

Jack up the car, put your hands on the 12 O'clock and 6 O'clock positions of the tire, and give it a "rock." This should tell if there are any wheel bearing problems.

 

[Kestas]

The only works if damage in the bearing is severely advanced. The bearing will make noise LONG before it reaches the point of looseness.

 

[MGregoir]

The rear wheel bearings on these things last forever but they were designed for much heavier applications, and used in vehicles such as Cadillacs. The fronts are N-body specific and wear out early and often. I didn't realize how bad the OEM wheel bearings were until I changed them, it was like a whole different car after.

If to fix the ABS, I have to replace the wheel bearing anyways because of the integrated wheel speed sensor, it has to go but I am wondering why it would eat the right hand one and not the left hand one. I haven't curbed the car or anything so I don't know how I lost an alignment in 30,000 miles of fairly easy driving.