Wheel bearings are components that make it possible for the wheels on your car to spin freely and with the least amount of resistance possible. A wheel bearing is a group of steel balls that are kept together inside the hub of the wheel in a race made of metal. While driving, if you hear a humming or moaning noise, one of your car’s wheel bearings is probably beginning to fail.
Although it requires certain specialized mechanic gear, changing your own wheel bearings is regarded as an intermediate task that may be completed at home.
The generalized instructions provided here address the three most typical wheel bearing types that are present on the majority of automobiles. Before you start the repair, make sure to get the service manual for your car and figure out what kind of wheel bearings it has.
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How much does a Toyota wheel bearing replacement cost?
What will it cost to replace the wheel bearings on my Toyota? The average cost to replace the wheel bearings (for 1 wheel) across all cars in the country is roughly $350.
How can I tell if the wheel bearings on my Tacoma are damaged?
Wheel bearings help the wheels spin smoothly and support the vehicle’s weight. Here is all the information you need to diagnose and repair Tacoma wheel bearing issues.
Noise may be the first sign that your bearings are starting to act up. Any kind of rumbling or chirping noise coming from the vicinity of the wheels could be a sign of a bearing issue. Check them out right away because a bad bearing could mean losing a wheel.
Bearing noise is proportionate to vehicle speed and does not alter whether the speed of the vehicle increases or decreases. During a turn, you can notice that it changes or gets louder. It must not be mistaken with the noise a CV joint generates just when turning.
If your bearings are loud, you must take them out, examine them, and clean them. Look for any cracks and worn bearing rollers. If you see any damage, replace them, and make sure the bearing hub bore is not harmed. If it does not tightly retain the race, replace it. Inspect the front spindles for damage as well, and repair them if necessary.
Your steering will wander if your bearings have too much play, which might be mistaken for steering component wear or alignment problems. Grab the tire at the 12 and 6 o’clock locations and rock it to check the bearing. In the majority of front-wheel-drive vehicles, there should be absolutely no play. Vehicles with rear-wheel drive could have a 0.010-inch play. Check the tire for noise or jarring sounds coming from the bearing when you rotate the tire.
Check all the other bearings if you do discover that you need to replace one set of bearings. If you discover play in a sealed bearing in a car, you must replace the bearing. You might only need to modify it if you can adjust the bearings. If you haven’t removed, inspected, and cleaned it, don’t modify it. Bearings are not often loose, thus wear or damaged components may be to blame.
If your vehicle has ABS brakes, a signal loss or inaccurate speed sensor reading may cause the warning light to illuminate. Hubs that are sealed must be entirely replaced.
Any bearing that wasn’t factory sealed needs upkeep to be functional. You might find a bearing maintenance schedule in your Tacoma owner’s handbook. If not, you should disassemble, clean, and check them after every 30,000 miles. Do it every year if they have been in the water or if you tow a boat.
The bearings can be removed so that the old grease can be completely removed. Before you repack them, check them for issues. Use a lint-free towel to dry them; avoid spinning or using an air gun. The bearings may become contaminated by cotton fibers.
Use only high-quality, high-temperature grease, such as #2 NLGI lithium-based grease. 3 huge tablespoons of grease should be used. Use moderate amounts since you want room for expansion.
Use fresh grease seals once you’ve packed your bearings. Do not repurpose the old ones because they could become damaged after removal. Be careful not to overtighten the tapered roller bearings when adjusting the bearings. The front tapered roller bearings of rear-wheel drive vehicles are never preloaded.
They rotate with little more than 15 to 20 ft pounds of torque. Adjustment nut should be loosened by 1/6 to 1/4 turn. Then, secure it in place by using a fresh cotter pin. If your hub nut lacks a cotter pin, you should purchase one. The final play will measure between.001 and.005 inches. For the correct adjustment, consult your owner’s manual.
An automobile with front-wheel drive and an adjustable tapered roller rear wheel bearing will often have no preload.
Hex nut, cotter pin, bottle cap stamping, and threaded shaft settings are frequently used to mount and modify tapered single roller bearings. As you revolve the hub while tightening the nut, check for a minor bind. They are seated, thus that means. Back off the nut by 1/6 to 1/4 of a turn, or enough to leave.001 to.007 of an inch of end play. Place the cotter pin and stamping over the nut.
It is typical to utilize tongue washers, out jam or lock nuts, and hardened surface nuts on wheels with a fully floating rear axle. As you turn the hub, tighten the nut; when you feel a bind, it is seated. To account for end play of.001 to.007 of an inch, back off by 1/6 to 1/4 of a turn. To eliminate the thread clearance, tighten the jam nut. This keeps it from retreating.
- With the wheel on the ground, use a breaker bar and an extension handle to release the axle hub nut.
- Remove the wheel by raising the car.
- Remove the rotor and remove the caliper from the knuckle.
- Remove the hub nut on the axle.
- Remove the hub/bearing assembly’s bolts. If it is rusted in place, pry it open with a slide hammer between the knuckle and flange.
- Before reinstalling your new bearing, check and clean every surface. Check for scratches or damage.
If your car employs a hub nut with prevailing torque, never use it again. Install a new one and twist it according to the guidelines.
You might need a wheel bearing tool or hydraulic ram to work on these bearings because they are more difficult. Without removing the knuckle, you can remove the wheel bearings using the wheel bearing tool.
- Get the hub nut loose with the wheel on the ground.
- Remove the wheel by raising the car.
- Remove the hub nut and discard it. For installation, a new one is required.
- Entirely remove the brake caliper from the knuckle.
- If your type is captured, remove the rotor using the hub puller.
- Make a mark to show where the cam bolts go on the struts to keep the wheels aligned in case you need to remove the knuckle. Remove the tie rod ends and lower ball joint from the knuckle. Press the outdated bearings out after removing the knuckle. The hydraulic ram might be necessary for this. Measure the required clearances and note any shims or spacers. Examine and clean the knuckle cavity. Replace the bearings, shims, and spacers as well as the grease seals.
If you use the bearing hub tool, be sure to install the new bearings with all of the shims, spacers, or flingers in the proper locations with the appropriate clearance.
Press-fit bearings are typical for the wheels’ rear bearings. To replace these bearings, the axle must be removed. To prevent oil from dripping onto the brake linings, use new oil seals. Check the level of the differential oil and top it out if necessary.
When tightening lug nuts, avoid using grease, oil, anti-seize, or lubricants. As a result, there may be less friction and too much torque applied. To complete tightening the lugs, always use a torque wrench and adhere to the recommended requirements. By doing this, you can avoid the wheel falling free, braking rotor distortion, and damaged studs. All torque recommendations apply to lug nuts and studs that are dry and clean. Before you put your wheels back on, clean your wheel studs with a wire brush. Replace any broken or rusty studs or lug nuts.
Humming Noises
It’s crucial to distinguish between distinct sounds coming from a car because there are several that should raise red flags and prevent incorrect diagnoses. Noise can be deceiving because it might indicate a number of various problems, starting with your tires but also including the wheel bearing or CV joint.
Squealing & Growling
A faulty wheel bearing will typically make a cyclical chirping, squealing, or growling noise. If the sound fluctuates proportionally to the speed of the vehicle, this is another sign that it is caused by the wheel bearings. At any given moment, the sound could suddenly stop or it could get progressively worse.
Rear Differential Noise vs Wheel Bearing Noise
A howling sound that only happens when accelerating is a pretty good sign that the pinion bearing preload is loose. If the howling occurs when accelerating at various speeds, worn-out gears are most likely to blame. However, when they don’t support the gears properly, excessively worn out bearings also have a tendency to howl. When rotating, they frequently emit a rumbling sound.
What is the time required to replace a wheel bearing?
According to our research, replacing a wheel bearing takes an average of 1 to 2 hours.
The time it takes to replace a wheel bearing might vary significantly from car to car because wheel bearing components can be very different between different automobile makes and models.
Depending on whether the bearing is on the front or back wheel, the time required to replace a wheel bearing also varies slightly. Rear wheel bearing replacements typically take under an hour, whereas front wheel bearing replacements often take roughly 90 minutes.
What equipment is required to change a wheel bearing?
How Do I Replace a Wheel Bearing? What Equipment Do I Need?
- a pair of pliers with needle-noses.
- ratchet wrench and a range of socket sizes.
- screwdriver with a flat head.
- jack.
- wheel nut removing with a star wrench.
Are wheel bearing changes difficult?
A wheel bearing serves the straightforward purpose of enabling the wheel to rotate freely. Wheel bearings come in two varieties: ball bearings and tapered roller bearings. The majority of modern automobiles, SUVs, and pickup trucks use double row ball wheel bearings that don’t require any maintenance, like the one in the picture.
This kind of wheel bearing frequently ships with the hub as an assembly. What is the lifespan of a wheel bearing? When should a wheel bearing be changed? Wheel bearing replacement is not time- or mileage-dependent, and in many cars, wheel bearings can last the whole life of the car. Only when a wheel bearing is broken or worn out does it need to be replaced.
What signs indicate a faulty wheel bearing? The most typical symptom is when internal deterioration to a wheel bearing results in a buzzing sound. At faster speeds, this kind of noise is more audible. When the vehicle changes direction, the wheel bearing noise could become louder or quieter. When leaving the highway, for instance, you can hear a change in the volume. When only one row of the wheel bearing is harmed, this occurs. When the load changes to that side of the bearing during turns, the noise gets louder.
When a wheel bearing gets loose or has play in it, it is another sign. Occasionally, a squeaking or growling sound can be caused by a loose wheel bearing.
Can the antilock braking system (ABS) be affected by a damaged wheel bearing? It’s true that many cars have a tone ring for the ABS sensor attached to a wheel bearing.
The wheel bearing and hub are frequently packaged together in modern automobiles. It is bolted to the spindle or steering knuckle.
The ABS sensor may not read correctly if a wheel bearing is loose, which will illuminate the ABS warning light. The tone ring is included into one of the side seals of various wheel bearings. The ABS system won’t function if a wheel bearing is mounted with the improper side towards the sensor.
What could damage a wheel bearing? Normal wear and tear might occasionally cause the wheel bearing to degrade. A wheel bearing might fail early due to rust and moisture. Additionally, a wheel bearing may be harmed by collisions, potholes, or curbs.
Several issues, such as a faulty transmission bearing, unevenly worn or “cupped” tires, and a worn-out differential, might result in a humming noise when driving. It can be challenging to identify which wheel bearing is noisy because the noise is transmitted via the vehicle’s chassis and metal panels. Most of the time, a mechanic can tell whether a wheel bearing is bad by using a stethoscope to listen for noise and looking for looseness.
Driving with a damaged wheel bearing is it safe? It is dependent upon the bearing’s state. During an examination, only your mechanic will be able to identify this.
Does a car’s warranty cover the wheel bearing? Many manufacturers cover the powertrain warranty for the wheel bearings in the drive axle, such as the front wheel bearings in a front-wheel drive car. Otherwise, the standard new car warranty will cover wheel bearings. If a wheel bearing fails and is damaged in an accident, it might not be covered.
Should you change both wheel bearings if just one is damaged? No, it is not required. Only that particular wheel bearing needs to be changed if only one of them is damaged. A good wheel bearing does not require replacement as a preventative measure.
Can you grease a wheel bearing? Greasing is only permitted for tapered roller wheel bearings. A double row ball bearing, which is common in cars, is permanently sealed and must only be replaced if it is damaged.
What is a wheel bearing’s typical lifespan? Wheel bearings in many cars, as we previously discussed, can endure the entire lifespan of the car. According to our observations, a car might require a wheel bearing replacement after 150,000 km.
Watch out for potholes and go over speed bumps more slowly to extend the life of the wheel bearings.
What is the price of a new wheel bearing? Depending on the amount of work required. In many automobiles, a wheel bearing and hub are assembled together.
Like this one, tapered roller bearings are sold in pairs, one larger and one smaller.
It is bolted to the spindle or steering knuckle. It is simpler to replace in this instance ($80180 labor plus $65180 part).
In order to install a wheel bearing in some cars, a press must be used, which adds to the labor costs ($120250 labor plus $40120 item). It takes a lot more work and costs more money to replace a wheel bearing in some large SUVs and trucks. For instance, the parts and labor cost to replace a rear wheel bearing in a Toyota FJ Cruiser with a solid back axle might reach $1,200.
The grease and adjustments on tapered roller wheel bearings must be done on a regular basis. How can you know what kind of bearings your automobile or truck has? The majority of the time, non-drive axles employ tapered roller bearings.
For instance, the front wheels of many vintage rear-wheel drive pickup trucks contain tapered roller bearings. The adjustment nut in the tapered roller bearing design frequently has a removable cap covering it, which is one visible difference. For one wheel, tapered roller bearings are supplied as a pair, and they are always changed in pairs. Repacking the hub with fresh grease and correcting the bearing pre-tension are required when replacing tapered roller bearings.
How simple is it to change a wheel bearing at home? If you have the right knowledge, equipment, and manual, replacing a wheel bearing that comes as an assembly with the hub and bolts to the spindle or steering knuckle is not that difficult. The huge axle nut is obviously extremely tight and can be challenging to remove. It’s advisable to let the experts handle pressing the bearing in and out if that’s necessary.