I was just wondering what the symptoms of a bad wheel bearing would be... and what would happen if I didn't replace it? I am hearing a pretty loud roaring noise in the front driver side wheel area - the noise gets progressively louder with speed.

Also, when the wheel bearing is replaced , do they usually do a wheel alignment as well?

97 gxe w/ ~ 61k miles



Thanks.

 

The symptoms of a bad wheel bearing depend on how far gone it is. Symptoms include ugly noises and free play in the steering wheel. In the extreme case the bearing will fail catastrophically, leaving you stranded at the side of the road. You could end up with an expensive repair if the bearing failure resulted in serious damage to the hub, axle stub, or steering knuckle.

If the front wheel bearing is replaced according to the factory service manual procedure the steering knuckle is removed from the vehicle, serviced, and installed on the car. A wheel alignment is necessary.

If the front wheel bearing is replaced with a special time-saving tool such as the Old Forge "Hub Shark" http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/product2993.html or the OTC "Hub Tamer" http://www.mile-x.com/otchubtamer.html the steering knuckle is serviced on the vehicle and no alignment is needed.

 

A roaring sound could come from a failing wheel bearing, but look for simple causes first.

- A pebble caught in the caliper area, rubbing against the rotor.

- A stamped steel splash shield which has been bent so that it rubs against the rotor.

- A brake shim which has moved out of position and is rubbing against the rotor.

These problems, if present, are easy to find and inexpensive to fix.

 

I will look into all of these...

Thanks DBM...

 

Basically I was driving and a metal on metal noise could be heard from the front wheel. It got louder as the day progressed. The sound would go away/soften whenever I turned the wheel. Anyway, I took it to the dealer the very next day and they replaced the wheel bearing and they did do an alignment on the car. I had it back in a couple of hours so I guess it was not a major repair. I can't tell you how much it cost cause the dealer replaced it under the nissan 3 year warranty. Hope this helps.

Ed