Forester wheel bearings?????

[Robert2468]

good afternoon! THANK YOU for all your help, especially with daughter's car.

OK, 2017 Subaru Forester. maybe 48,000 miles. When I drive daughter's car, a low ???rumbling? from the back of the car. wheel bearings? I hope to take it to my good local mechanic this week.

1. does it sound like wheel bearings? tires are new.
2. would I replace BOTH rear ones, or all four, or just a bad one?

any other ideas?

thanks so much
bob

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

Calling @Trav

 

[Trav]

good afternoon! THANK YOU for all your help, especially with daughter's car.

OK, 2017 Subaru Forester. maybe 48,000 miles. When I drive daughter's car, a low ???rumbling? from the back of the car. wheel bearings? I hope to take it to my good local mechanic this week.

1. does it sound like wheel bearings? tires are new.
2. would I replace BOTH rear ones, or all four, or just a bad one?

any other ideas?

thanks so much
bob

These cars are known for bad hub bearings on both the front and rear so it is a good bet the hub bearing is going out but you need to conform it. With these in particular if one has gone bad the other side is usually not far behind, it certainly doesnt hurt to do both but if cost is a concern then just do the one. I just pay for my parts so for me it is easier to get the job done all at once.
Use OE, SKF, FAG, or other top name hubs not store brands, the lifetime warranty is of little value compared to the possible labor cost, if the knuckle is clean they are not difficult but if it is badly rusted that can be a different story.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Wheel bearings on those cars are problematic. I was in a few FB groups for foresters and a forum when I had my 2018 and the 14-18 suffer from bad wheel bearings.

The good thing is - as long as you can remove it from the knuckle, they are unit bearings. Not the press in type.

 

[Trav]

It goes a lot further back than that. Some of the older ones the rear ones were a real nightmare.

 

[Jimmy_Russells]

The rear ones are a bear, probably better to let a shop do it unless you have a press and can remove the knuckle entirely.

 

[wemay]

 

[brages]

Usually, with bad wheel bearings, you will hear a change in sound if you swerve left and right. The sound will go away as the wheel is unloaded (i.e. left wheel when veering left) and be amplified when it is loaded.

But IME wheel bearings can be a little tricky to be absolutely certain about.

 

[Rand]

Some of those had a bad brake backing plate which caused the bearings to die early.. I forget which year(s)

 

[97prizm]

Would jackiing up the vehicle and seeing if there is any play in the wheels help?

 

[GSCJR]

In some cases, yes, but not always.

 

[brages]

Would jackiing up the vehicle and seeing if there is any play in the wheels help?

That has never worked for me. But you can feel the spring above the wheel as you spin the wheel. The vibrations travel up the spring and may help you pinpoint. That HAS worked for me.

 

[GSCJR]

@brages method helps too but not always. On a hunch after listening and checking for free play and none were found, I replaced the LF hub on my Legacy which cured a noise. It was so minor, that most would not here it, automotive experience helps. I tried every known method even a stethoscope, I could not reproduce the sound in a shop. It was the first time I had to make an educated guess without audible/visual proof on a hub assembly. @Robert2468 , your mechanic should be able to isolate the sound. Good luck!

 

[Robert2468]

thanks so much everyone!!

 

[D60]

I service a '15 Forester that I thought might have a bad wheel bearing. The sound is almost like a playing card in spokes at highway speeds, but faster and subtle.

However he had some weird directional tires on it, and I also suspected those. The owner indicated the noise seemed to begin with the tires, so I left it alone.

I personally won't replace a wheel bearing unless I can verify by feeling play, excessive resistance, or with a temp gun or some other means. If it's not sloppy and not running hot, it feels like firing the parts cannon.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

I personally won't replace a wheel bearing unless I can verify by feeling play, excessive resistance, or with a temp gun or some other means. If it's not sloppy and not running hot, it feels like firing the parts cannon.

That may be true on most makes, but on Subarus unfortunately it’s almost never a wrong guess. If you drive on crowned roads often they should almost be on a PM schedule because they most certainly will have an abbreviated lifespan in those conditions, almost always the ones on the right side go first due to the vehicle tilt from the crown.