Symptoms Of Bad Wheel Bearings
5 Symptoms Of Bad Front & Rear Wheel Bearings
5 Signs of Bad Front & Rear Wheel Bearings from Cochrane Dodge Jeep RAM in Cochrane, Alberta
Wheel bearings are paramount to keeping your tires - and by extension, your vehicle - running smoothly, but trouble with one doesn't always mean there's trouble with the others. At Cochrane Dodge Jeep RAM, we know a thing or two about front and rear wheel bearings and maintenance, and we're happy to provide our customers with a list of common signs they need to be replaced. If you hang your hat in Cochrane, Alberta or any of the nearby areas of Calgary, Airdrie, or Crowfoot, contact our service centre today to book an appointment and get your wheel bearings tended to.
A Handful of Common Symptoms of Bad Wheel Bearings
Uneven Tire Wear
As previously mentioned, one worn-out wheel bearing isn't a guaranteed sign its three mates are in the same condition. Wheel bearings wear down unevenly, and their condition will extend to your tires. While mileage and wear and tear can often make all four tires equally long in the tooth, uneven tire wear can be a tell-tale sign at least one of your wheel bearings needs replacing. That said, skewed wheel alignment and unbalanced tires can just as likely cause your tires to wear down unevenly, which is why we recommend looking out for other symptoms before getting your bearings changed at our dealership.
Grinding Noise
No matter what kind of trouble it's in, your car will find more than a few ways to tell you it needs some TLC, often by making some troubling sounds. Bad wheel bearings are no exception, as they'll often make a loud grinding noise, especially during gear shifts and turns. Since worn-out wheel bearings often mean uneven tire wear, this unpleasant noise usually stems from a single wheel first - although the others could follow suit sooner or later - and is usually owed to a lack of lubrication in the wheel that causes heat to build up within.
Vibrating Steering Wheel
Unfortunately, a vibrating steering wheel can be caused by more than your vehicle's Lane Keeping Assist function. This common sign of bad wheel bearings will often rear its ugly head when you're traveling at lower speeds and get worse as you accelerate. Such vibrations are also commonly owed to unbalanced tires, but they only arise at higher speeds in this case. In short, if it's not a driver-assist function that's making your steering wheel vibrate, we strongly suggest you contact us for a proper diagnosis.
Drifting Vehicle
The first thing to go in your wheel bearings is their lining, which is often part and parcel with corrosion. Once the bearing is pitted or corroded and the lining is worn out, its rougher surfaces are exposed, causing the tire in question to vibrate and pull your vehicle toward the corresponding side. Such drifting could also occur when applying the brakes and either be due to bad brake rotors and/or calipers or worn-out wheel bearings. In any case, if your vehicle is taking on a life of its own, we recommend getting it serviced at Cochrane Dodge Jeep RAM with minimal delay.
Excess Wobble in the Wheels
Since a lift is required to detect it, this symptom may well go unnoticed until you leave your vehicle in the care of our technicians. Once raised, a member of our staff will rock one of your wheels to gauge its wobble or play, then do the same to the wheel on the opposite end of the axle. If a wheel is all too willing to rock back and forth, its bearing likely needs replacing.
Cochrane Dodge Jeep RAM Can Replace Your Wheel Bearings at an Affordable Price
Whether your car's entire hub assembly or an individual wheel bearing needs replacing, our dealership's service centre can tend to your vehicle at an affordable price. Front and rear bearings both cost a few hundred dollars, while individual bearing replacement runs at about half the price. Since hub assemblies require wheel bearings to be installed as a single unit, this service is indeed a bit pricier, yet still soundly in the three-figure range. Feel free to get in touch with our parts department for more on wheel bearings and their price points, and contact us at Cochrane Dodge Jeep RAM to book your bearing replacement today.