Wheel Bearing Repair & Replacement

Any time your vehicle is making unusually loud noises it’s safe to assume that something’s not right. Sometimes the culprit is your car’s wheel bearings. Read below to learn about symptoms of problematic wheel bearings and replacement services.

Getting Your Wheel Bearings Inspected

Your vehicle utilizes a wheel bearing at the hub to allow the tire and rim to smoothly rotate at both low and high speeds. As a rotating part, the wheel bearing's material slowly wears down during usage.

Upon reaching the end of its service limit, the wheel bearing might start making a racket when you drive.

At this point, you must have a qualified technician change out the worn components using a wheel bearing press to restore your vehicle to good working condition and eliminate distressing noises and poor ride quality.

Bad Wheel Bearing Warning Signs

At first, bad wheel bearings will start to squeak loudly while you drive. You will know it is time to replace the wheel bearing if the noise is constant, not just when you press the brakes.

If you allow the problem to worsen, your vehicle might feel shaky while you drive, especially at high speeds

Understanding Wheel Bearing Replacement Cost

In order to understand the big picture and repair your vehicle properly, technicians must check wear on a variety of components from tires and brakes to tie rods and control arms to find the source of the noise and vibrations.

In many cases, the diagnostic process will quickly pinpoint the front wheel bearings as the cause. Upon confirming the diagnosis, a technician will write up a work order that includes the total cost to replace your wheel bearings.

How Wheel Bearings Are Replaced

Technicians receive ample training to learn how to change wheel bearings correctly. Technicians use heavy-duty tools in the shop, including a large press, to pop the bearings out of the hub. On most vehicles, your technician must remove the tire, rotor and hub to access the bearing mounting point.

After placing the hub in the press, it takes several minutes to change the wheel bearings. Your new bearings must also be pressed into the hub to seat their rear surface at the correct point.

Upon completing the service, the technician will take your vehicle for a test drive to check the noise levels and ride quality. If all goes well, you will then have your vehicle returned to you.

Is Your Car Squeaking?

The noisy culprit could very well be your wheel bearings.

Let your local Meineke Car Care Centre perform a diagnosis and we’ll let you know how we can repair or replace your wheel bearings to get your car back to a healthy state.