Wheel Bearings Bad?

Grab the front wheel/tire and shake it hard (with the car on the ground). Do you hear a clicking sound coming from the wheel bearing and/or feel wobble in the wheel? This is typical tech procedure at autox.

You can also try it with the front jacked up off the ground / on stands (don't shake it as hard).

I don't feel any wobble, I hear a faint click but it doesn't sound like its coming from the bearing.

So if it wobbles in the air but not on the ground its fine?

Hm it shouldn't wobble in either case, though the wobble from a bad wheel bearing is different from suspension parts wobbling (normal). A wobble from the wheel bearing being bad kind of feels like your lugnuts are loose.

The click could also be from suspension noise. It's probably fine… it is possible that the wheel bearing has worn a bit and is fitting a little bit looser than what it was like when new. You could snug up the nut holding it just a 1/8 of a turn or something… hard to say, I usually just tighten it by "feel".

Anyway, if it's not super obvious that something is clicking or moving around when you shake it, and you don't hear weird noises or groaning then it is most likely fine and the other two shops are trying to spaceshuttle you.

Yea tapered roller bearings are fairly tolerant of wear because they can just be tightened, but bearings can make crackling or scraping noises without being loose too…

The outer bearing is almost always the one that goes bad, and it's the easiest to replace, they are $10-15 on rockauto -- grab the fsm and do it yourself

Thanks for the advice I'm sure they're probably fine, I just wanted to be sure and get a second opinion. I'll have a look at that FSM and probly pick up a haynes manual.

Its worth mentioning a lot of people just put them in without setting the rollers and preload properly.

You Have to do it per the FSM or it won't last very long.

don't follow what these shet post say.

jack your front end up.

put a pry-bar under your tire about 3/4 of the shaft.

torsion that bitch up and down like it owes you money.

Does it click? sway, or flutter?

The style of bearings used on our cars can be adjusted. If yours have any play the nut can be snugged down a hair to correct it.