Wheel bearing "slight" noise by hand

K

kehyler

Joined
Jan 23, 2019
Messages
160
Location
MA
Hi Guys,

Would you consider a "slight" wheel bearing noise, audible only when rotating the tire by hand, enough to warrant replacement? No play when attempting to induce movement by grabbing the tire at 3/9 clock. 190k miles. My initial feeling was no.

Thanks,

-kehyler
 
Noise by hand ,noise usually increases when driving.

My bad wheel bearing was hard to find because no noise by hand only higher speeds
 
kehyler said:
Hi Guys,

Would you consider a "slight" wheel bearing noise, audible only when rotating the tire by hand, enough to warrant replacement? No play when attempting to induce movement by grabbing the tire at 3/9 clock. 190k miles. My initial feeling was no.

Thanks,

-kehyler
Click to expand...
Its difficult to go by sound, if the brake pads are still in place.
 
Best trick I know is to feel the spring for vibrations while you spin the hub. Good luck, in my experience a bearing may be irritating to drive on but seem pretty good when you have the wheels off.
 
When unencumbered the bearing should be completely smooth. No noise, no vibration at all. There almost impossible to find by hand. Sometimes if you put a stethoscope on something nearby not spinning you can hear it, but even that is difficult.

Spinning with the brakes and wheel still on isn't going to tell you much unless its really bad.
 
I agree you've gotta get pads or shoes out of the equation.

Then, if you're positive it's the bearing, I'd absolutely replace on my own vehicle. This would be the first warning sign in most cases. I'm sure there are exceptions.
 
A wheel bearing that's slightly noisy, probably won't show any play. If you're only hearing it by hand and not inside, you probably don't have anything to be concerned about.
On a drive axle they can usually be checked by sitting inside windows up, and stopping one wheel at a time, while the axle is off the ground. (ABS and traction control must be turned off)
If it's a non drive axle it may be a good idea to use a Chasis Ear on both sides, to compare the sound while driving.
The difficulty of replacing wheel bearings varies greatly. Some are easy, some are a major project.
 
kehyler said:
Hi Guys,

Would you consider a "slight" wheel bearing noise, audible only when rotating the tire by hand, enough to warrant replacement? No play when attempting to induce movement by grabbing the tire at 3/9 clock. 190k miles. My initial feeling was no.

Thanks,

-kehyler
Click to expand...
A bearing goes through a lot of stress. ANY imperfections is cause for replacement in my book. However as mentioned, you need to check it without any external items which may affect what you observe.
 
Mechanician said:
A wheel bearing that's slightly noisy, probably won't show any play. If you're only hearing it by hand and not inside, you probably don't have anything to be concerned about.
On a drive axle they can usually be checked by sitting inside windows up, and stopping one wheel at a time, while the axle is off the ground. (ABS and traction control must be turned off)
If it's a non drive axle it may be a good idea to use a Chasis Ear on both sides, to compare the sound while driving.
The difficulty of replacing wheel bearings varies greatly. Some are easy, some are a major project.
Click to expand...
https://www.amazon.com/Steelman-Pro...ocphy=9002256&hvtargid=pla-1643832959465&th=1

Is that what you're talking about?
 
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