Wheel Bearings, Seals & Wheel Hubs

Replacing a damaged or heavily worn wheel bearing will eliminate noises such as humming or growling caused by increased clearances and worn components within the bearing or hub. This will result in a better driving experience with less distraction.

A new truck or car wheel bearing / hub will improve vehicle performance when replacing a worn or damaged bearing. Fresh components with proper tolerances results in smoother movement and rolling, reducing friction and drag. Fuel mileage can increase from bearing replacement due to the reduced friction when compared to a heavily used and worn bearing.

A wheel bearing is one of the parts of a wheel that allows it to rotate with minimal friction using a ball or tapered roller design. Wheel bearings can be "sealed" as part of a hub that requires no maintenance or grease packing, typically found on late-model cars. They can also be designed to work as individual components on older vehicles with inner and outer bearings installed in the brake rotor, which rides on the vehicle spindle or between the axle and housing assembly.

In most cases, a bad wheel hub bearing will sound similar to rhythmic humming, whining, growling, squealing, or howling depending on vehicle speed. Noise will also be heard when turning.

There are several indicators of a bad wheel hub bearing:

There are different ways that a bad wheel bearing and hub assembly can be diagnosed.

Depending on the year, make, and model of the vehicle, wheel hub bearing replacement steps can vary. In nearly every case, the wheel and brake rotor needs to be removed to gain access to the wheel bearing, whether sealed or individual. If sealed, the replacement is straightforward and may include removing the driveshaft (in AWD or 4WD applications) as well as ABS sensor connection (if equipped). For individual wheel bearing replacement, they will need to be repacked with grease using a bearing packer before being reinstalled.