Failing wheel bearing sound?

[jkosmides]

What does a failed wheel bearing sound like?

I've got a 2002 Impreza WRX (70K miles) and when making sweeping left
turns I hear a grinding type noise coming from the front right
(passenger) side tire. I actually thought it might be the brakes
because the sound reminded me of what it sounds like when your brakes
get very worn and the rotors start to get damaged - but I got four new
brakes (the car has 70K miles so I needed that anyway) but the sound
did not go away.

I'd like to diagnose the problem before going to a mechanic as they
tend to be poor diagnosticians (imho). BTW, any other thoughts on what
the problem might be or whether this job is best done by the dealer or
a good corner mechanic?

thanks -

 

[Dmitriy]

What does a failed wheel bearing sound like?

I've got a 2002 Impreza WRX (70K miles) and when making sweeping left
turns I hear a grinding type noise coming from the front right
(passenger) side tire. I actually thought it might be the brakes
because the sound reminded me of what it sounds like when your brakes
get very worn and the rotors start to get damaged - but I got four new
brakes (the car has 70K miles so I needed that anyway) but the sound
did not go away.

I'd like to diagnose the problem before going to a mechanic as they
tend to be poor diagnosticians (imho). BTW, any other thoughts on what
the problem might be or whether this job is best done by the dealer or
a good corner mechanic?

thanks -

A bad wheel bearing will sound like low pitched, deep grinding/roaring.
If it's high pitched (like a squeal), it's probably something else. The
sound usually increases with speed and load on the wheel. So in your
case, when you make a left turn, it places more load on your right side
and thus makes the bearing be more noisy.

Another way to check for a bad bearing is to grab the wheel and shake
it. You have to shake it kind of hard, and if the bearing is indeed bad
you will hear a *clank* *clank* type sound. You should also shake the
other wheels to compare... the bad one will have a bit more movement.

This is a kind of a PITA to do... especially if you have some miles in
the salt on your car (i.e. rust).

Refer to this and links posted in it for more info --
http://rs.pmgz.net/?page_id=17

 

[etienne]

Probably a worn CV joint, they usually make very pronounced sounds
either accelerating or during turns.

 

[Yousuf Khan]

What does a failed wheel bearing sound like?

I just had that problem on one of my back wheels, a 2000 OBW. Initially
I thought it was my muffler going because it sort of sounded like a dull
roar. I took it to the dealer and they discovered it wasn't the muffler
but my rear wheel bearing. It seems to be a very fooling sound, because
it sounds like so many other things. It may even sound like the sound
snow tires make on dry pavement.

Yousuf Khan

 

[jkosmides]

Another way to check for a bad bearing is to grab the wheel and shake
it. You have to shake it kind of hard, and if the bearing is indeed bad
you will hear a *clank* *clank* type sound. You should also shake the
other wheels to compare... the bad one will have a bit more movement.

I jacked up my front end and shook both tires very hard and honestly
did not hear anything or feel anything different or unusual. In other
words, it did not make the clank clank sound you mentioned. Here's
some more detail on the problem:

First, there are no noises or sounds coming from any tire when driving
straight at any speed. Only the front right wheel produces a noise
when making a sweeping left turn (the type that loads up the right side
of the car). The noise is a low pitched metal on metal type grinding
sound.

Since some people mention they hear the wheel bearing sound most (all)
the time could it be that the bearing is just starting to go and isn't
completely bad yet? Also, someone mentioned it sounded like the CV
(don't know what that is...) but is there a "test" I could do to try to
confirm this?

Thanks again!

 

[AJay]

I had a CV joint go bad on one of my Subaru's and it had the same
symptoms you just described. The CV went bad because the boot got
torn and salt and slush seeped into the joint.

AJ

 

[k. ote]

What does a failed wheel bearing sound like?

I've got a 2002 Impreza WRX (70K miles) and when making sweeping left
turns I hear a grinding type noise coming from the front right
(passenger) side tire. I actually thought it might be the brakes
because the sound reminded me of what it sounds like when your brakes
get very worn and the rotors start to get damaged - but I got four new
brakes (the car has 70K miles so I needed that anyway) but the sound
did not go away.

I'd like to diagnose the problem before going to a mechanic as they
tend to be poor diagnosticians (imho). BTW, any other thoughts on what
the problem might be or whether this job is best done by the dealer or
a good corner mechanic?

thanks -

In my old 2002 WRX, there is a dust shield that rides *very* close to the
rest of the wheel. It would get bent just looking at it cross-eyed, and it
had to be bent back out about four or five times. I would describe the
sound it made identically to the sound you made.

It was completely harmless in my case. I hope that it's the same problem
you're seeing. It was a big relief when I found out what was going on with
it.

I also had a wheel bearing fail on me and the noise was completely
different. In fact, I would say that it was more like road noise in that
case, accompanied with a definite vibration. Driving up the Oregon coast
with it I didn't even notice that there was something different, and it
took some nice clean, smooth pavement just to realise something was wrong.
(The Oregon coast roads are rough, but give tremendous traction. GREAT ride
in a WRX.)

 

[Dmitriy]

I jacked up my front end and shook both tires very hard and honestly
did not hear anything or feel anything different or unusual. In other
words, it did not make the clank clank sound you mentioned. Here's
some more detail on the problem:

First, there are no noises or sounds coming from any tire when driving
straight at any speed. Only the front right wheel produces a noise
when making a sweeping left turn (the type that loads up the right side
of the car). The noise is a low pitched metal on metal type grinding
sound.

Since some people mention they hear the wheel bearing sound most (all)
the time could it be that the bearing is just starting to go and isn't
completely bad yet? Also, someone mentioned it sounded like the CV
(don't know what that is...) but is there a "test" I could do to try to
confirm this?

Thanks again!

A few possibilities I see here:
(1) It might be the wheel bearing in the beginning stages of going bad.
The only diagnostics for wheel bearings that I know of are the sound
and shaking the wheel... which have been covered already.

(2) Might be a bad CV joint. I have no experience with these in
Subaru's, but the two symptoms of a bad CV joint I know in general are
- worn/leaking boots and pulling to one side during acceleration.

(3) Might be something else... like the brakes rubbing in some way.

 

[Chicobiker]

I agree on the wheel bearing description in that it does not make a
very pronounced sound. I had just put new tires on my car and was
convinced that it was just tire noise that I wasn't used to. I drove
about 15,000kms on them and the noise just kept getting louder and
louder. It was both rear bearings.

When my CV joints went on my old Honda, it was a clicking sound only
heard when turning. Didn't matter what direction the turn was, and the
speed of the clicking changed with the car speed. I drove a long time
on them before getting them replaced.

It would be a hard thing to check without taking the wheels apart,
unless your CV boots are torn. Those are the rubber accordion-style
boots at the transition between the inside of the wheel and the drive
axle. There's another boot on the engine-end of that same axle. Check
the inside creases of the rubber boots for cracks. You might be able
to check at least the outside boot by just turning the wheel all the
way, otherwise you have to jack the car up.

If you're lucky it's just a shield that someone else mentioned.

 

[M.J.]

I drove a long time on them before getting them replaced.

My '00 Impreza rear wheel bearings started deteriorating at
only 15k miles.

First, for about 1000 miles a very low frequency hum was
audible, nothing really worrisome. Then it slowly became
louder over about 300-500 miles. Finally it turned into a
grinding type noise, but only at very low speeds 10-20mph.
At higher speeds it would revert to a progressively louder
hum.

I took it to the dealership for service at this point as it was
becoming too dangerous to drive.

M.J.

 

[jkosmides]

In my old 2002 WRX, there is a dust shield that rides *very* close to the
rest of the wheel. It would get bent just looking at it cross-eyed, and it
had to be bent back out about four or five times. I would describe the
sound it made identically to the sound you made.

Hey, I like this suggestion and I'll take a look when I get a few
minutes. But question - am I looking for this dust shield on the
inside of the wheel. To see and correct this (on my front right tire),
should I park with the tires turn full right and then can I look and
reach in to see and fix this. Or do I remove the tire and reach
around. Just get me pointed in the right direction so I know where I'm
looking. Thanks!

 

[Dmitriy]

Damn dust shields.

I'd take the wheel off... otherwise you can't see much.

 

[k. ote]

In my old 2002 WRX, there is a dust shield that rides *very* close to the
rest of the wheel. It would get bent just looking at it cross-eyed, and
it had to be bent back out about four or five times. I would describe the
sound it made identically to the sound you [described.]

Hey, I like this suggestion and I'll take a look when I get a few
minutes. But question - am I looking for this dust shield on the
inside of the wheel. To see and correct this (on my front right tire),
should I park with the tires turn full right and then can I look and
reach in to see and fix this. Or do I remove the tire and reach
around. Just get me pointed in the right direction so I know where I'm
looking. Thanks!

I think it's on the inside of the wheel, just on the other side of the
rotor. To tell you the truth, they didn't actually point it out to me, and
the only time I spotted one was when I was in a very awkward position
leaning under the car trying to find the source of the noise--and then I
wasn't sure what the hell the damn thing was even there for, so I didn't
realise I was yanking on a "dust shield."

 

[strchild]

I went through three wheel bearings on my old GL Wagon, all within a couple
months of each other, each time a front bearing went, it sounded like I had
worn through my breaks and was tearing through the rotors, then after about
a week it sounded like a freight train going down the tracks with high
pitched squealing. I tried the wheel shake myself with the wheel elevated
off the ground, but no luck there. Guy at a tire shop was able to confirm
one by shaking it though. Guess you have to be pretty forceful with it to
get much play at all sometimes. Noise would come and go in the back, just
sounded like a bit of excess drivetrain noise for the longest time. Took
eight months or more for the rear bearing to finally get to the point it was
constantly rubbing, and without all the racket of the front ones either,
just excess rubbing noise like it was starting to get stiff back there.

A guy who helps me out with mechanical things such as these told me to just
fix them as they go bad, but I wonder if there is any benefit to having them
done, both sides at once, or all four? Any suggestions from the group on
this?

~Brian

 

[strchild]

Now that you mention it, had the same thing happen with the dust shield on
my Impreza after replacing a front halfshaft. Seems the shield was bent
just a fraction of an inch outward during the removal of the old shaft and
starting rubbing the rotor just like the screech pad on the brakes. Was
glad that's all it was.

~Brian

 

[k. ote]

I went through three wheel bearings on my old GL Wagon, all within a
couple months of each other, each time a front bearing went, it sounded
like I had worn through my breaks and was tearing through the rotors, then
after about a week it sounded like a freight train going down the tracks
with high
pitched squealing. I tried the wheel shake myself with the wheel elevated

I've had wheel bearings go on my old '02 WRX and the most they did for me
was vibrate and rumble. No squealing there. You sure it was a wheel bearing
going on you? (And why are you letting a tire shop guy fiddle around with
your Subaru? Just fix them as they go bad. What I'd be curious about is
the cause for your wheel bearings to be *going* bad to begin with. Perhaps
there's something bent or not quite aligned? Are you bumping your car
sidewise against.. say, a sidewalk on a regular basis or something?

 

[Dmitriy]

There was a period of time when Impreza wheel bearings were prone to
going out often... just because they were poorly made/designed parts. I
believe mid 90s - early 02s is the period of time... Subaru then
replaced the part with the one from the legacy, which uses roller type
bearings instead of ball bearings.

Another thing that can happen, is a bad wheel bearing can score or
deform the housing or hub, in that case you will be going through
bearings like crazy. Make sure the bearing fits VERY snugly onto the
hub spindle and does not have any scoring or marks from extreme heat.

 

[strchild]

Well actually, the car was an '89 GL Turbo Wagon with 166k on it when I
bought it from the dealer and 206k when she died. For the two years I had
her she did a couple of rural paper routes. Had to have a sturdy car for
both, so actually, considering I must have done over 9,000 miles of rough,
washboard gravel in it, not to mention the other driving I did on paved
roads, I think it held up exemplary. In the second half of the second year
is when I went through the three wheel bearings, which I'm sure had to be
the originals, both front transaxles, a muffler, and somehow a front
differential to which the Subaru dealer said, "huh, that's an unusual part
to go bad!", but I got another 4EAT out of a salvage yard for about $150
thanks to the frequent flier miles a friend has there and that turned out to
be the cheapest trannie job I'll ever get in my life! (-;

Yes, they were definitely wheel bearings. I had the car in for tire work,
something I did often, and the shop has a full set of services they do, if
you're familiar with the Les Schwabb chain of tire stores.

Part of the bearing damage up front may have been my own fault though, as I
did let the transaxles run a bit longer than I should after they started
clicking and vibrating the stearing. It's just not always convenient to hop
under the car and fix them when you're already working 70 hours a week, so
in the process of the bearings being replaced, I also had to replace the
splined outer piece, or whatever the axle slides through, as it had worn
down the teeth that it mates with on one of the wheels. I'm sure all of the
excess heat did not do any good for the bearings either.

~Brian