How To Tell If Your Wheel Bearings Are Going Bad By Sound
Typically, wheel bearings are like Simon and Garfunkel (or Disturbed, if you prefer) and omit "The Sound of Silence." Not the song, that'd be annoying, but actual silence. However, when wheel bearings go bad (you know, smoking, shoplifting, etc.), they make humming, clicking, growling, squealing, or chirping noises. When you hear these sounds coming from delinquent bearings, it's a sign they're about to run away from home. And by that, we mean a wheel could literally come off while you're on the freeway.
These bearings sit inside the wheel hub and allow the wheels to spin freely on the axles. Friction is the enemy, so each bearing assembly houses a series of roller or ball-type bearings. Heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks generally use roller bearings because they spread out the contact on the internal surfaces, which better distributes weight internally. Insane people use leather belts as engine bearings, kind of, but no one's tried it in wheel bearings, thankfully. For vehicles that need the lowest possible friction for higher speeds (i.e., smaller, lighter sports cars), ball bearings have tiny contact patches for low rolling resistance, which is more important than load handling.
Bearing failures (and wheels falling off) are pretty uncommon in 2025 as modern sealed bearing designs last roughly 85,000 to 100,000 miles. "Generation 1" bearings were the first to come out and were generally found on front-wheel drive cars. They're entirely press-fit and usually held in place by snap rings. "Generation 2" bearings have one pre-pressed flange and while they still need pressing into place, at least one side can be bolted on (still might need special tools to install/remove). "Generation 3" bearings are bolt-on assemblies that are completely sealed with lubrication. Gen-3s are the most common because they have the easiest installation and last the longest.
The forces that cause bearings to go bad
We're a far cry from, say, a 1976 C3 Corvette, which required repacking lubricant in the front-wheel bearings every 30,000 miles. But, modern wheel bearings can still fail before they're supposed to. Improper installation and unbalanced tires can put wear-inducing forces on bearings, so a little maintenance now will prevent costly bearing replacements later. Also, don't overload your vehicle's weight capacity, as the wheel bearings will become like the spinal disks of someone who never learned to lift with his knees (i.e., blown out). Wheel spacers are also a bad idea because they pretty much act like levers on your bearings.
An animation on Advanced Auto Clinic Delavan's YouTube channel shows how ball-type bearing failures can happen when the raceway in the bearing gets pits or dents. This causes the balls to roll erratically, leading to wobbling wheels. Seal failures can cause lubricant contamination, and when the lubricant inevitably overheats, it will score and etch the bearing surfaces.
Accident damage can also be a direct cause of failed wheel bearings. Let's say your newly purchased used car has undisclosed accident damage from a previous owner that led to a less-than-ideal repair, and the camber and toe not only aren't aligned, but can't be aligned. As a result, you can expect a wheel bearing to begin singing its growling song as it goes bad under the strain.
Listen to your senses
Bad bearings can click around turns, or growl and grind on the straights, then get worse around turns as surface damage on the internals no longer let the bearings spin smoothly. Chirping sounds will be rhythmic as metal surfaces rub in pulses. Drivers whose ears are more filled with music or exhaust notes than their own thoughts might miss such auditory cues. Also, it can be hard to tell the difference between bearing noise and tire noise. Fortunately, there are other signs that can clue you into an impending wheel departure. Since ABS sensors are often built into the wheel bearings, you might get a warning light on your dash telling you there's an ABS malfunction. You might even sense an odd pulsing when you apply the brakes, similarly to how warped rotors feel. Also, tire wear can become uneven.
Since wheel bearing destruction is due to internal parts grinding lubricantlessly against each other, there's plenty of friction. This can cause the car to pull to one side. It will also generate heat, so if you suspect you have a bearing on its last legs, feel your rims after a drive. If one of them is warmer than the others, it's probably due to a bad bearing.
Don't ignore the signs of a dying wheel bearings. There's no set mileage you can drive after they start to give up the ghost. Predicting when your wheel will make a break for it and head for the guard rail would require a crystal ball. And if you have a crystal ball that can accurately tell the future, go buy some winning lottery tickets and use the winnings to purchase new wheel bearings.
