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wheel bearing is issue! pricey at dealer!

B

blipblop

Senior member
I had this issue when I put on my winter wheels in December and I thought it was just tire noise. I put on my summers and when my steering wheel is slightly off center turned to the left, I hear this slight rubbing sound, it sounds like it's coming from the front passenger tire/wheel wheel.

When I turn the wheel slightly back to the right, it goes away. It's only very apparent ~ 20-65mph, on the highly I can really seem to feel it, but when it does happen if I turn the wheel from slightly off center right to center to slightly off center left, i hear the noise.

Any ideas? I didn't notice any uneven wear and I don't think any of my mudflaps or plastic pieces were rubbing against something. I would think it's the tire, but could it be something else?

I jacked the car up and I could not see or feel any play in either of the front wheels. (assuming bearings)
I turned and spun both of the wheels separately and could not hear or feel any type of resistance or grinding noise. I've noticed my alignment is slightly off though... I made sure there wasn't a plastic cover or flap hitting the wheels and the wheels and tires looked good.

The car does seem to be off in alignment though, would that cause an issue?

call me stumped for now. any other ideas?

4/16 update, dropped the car off @ dealer to have them diagnose it. It was in fact a wheel bearing.. and they found other stuff too. This is what they wanted

wheel bearing - 575
valve cover gasket seeping - 240
rear sway bushing - 140
power steering flush (that i did myself last year) - 140

Too bad I don't have a shop press... -sigh- time to find locals!
 
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I get something similar. At highway speeds if the wheel is anywhere left of center, I hear a "thrumming" sound from the right front. Noise persists regardless of which set of wheels/tires I'm using.

Sorry, I've got nothing...
 
You sure the inside of the tire isnt rubbing against the wheel well when you turn? I got new tires on an old Jimmy, and they were just thick enough to rub when I turned to the left. It's mostly gone away since they've worn a bit. I probably need new struts.
 
Is it like a grinding/clicking sound? Could be your CV's. Good chance it could be your wheel bearings also.
 
Yea, the wheels aren't running. I had the car up on jack stands this weekend and I turned it left and right and spun. It isn't the brake shield and the sound is not metallic at all. Thee sound isn't a grinding or a clicking. Steering fluid is good, will check the belt tension though. Car in question is a 2005 Scion tC with ~ 135k miles
 
blipblop said:
Yea, the wheels aren't running. I had the car up on jack stands this weekend and I turned it left and right and spun. It isn't the brake shield and the sound is not metallic at all. Thee sound isn't a grinding or a clicking. Steering fluid is good, will check the belt tension though. Car in question is a 2005 Scion tC with ~ 135k miles
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If it's up on jackstands the wheels are now hanging... you need it to be on the ground to look for rubbing. Turn the car on and use the power steering to move the wheels left and right.
 
Could just be a tire rod or alignment issue so when you are turning slightly one tire isn't turning so much as being dragged slightly sideways.
 
What in the world would cause a wheel bearing replacement to cost $575?
Why do you need a shop press? Sway bar bushing shouldn't be difficult at all.

Those prices are not high they are flat out robbery.
 
I can do everything in my garage except the wheel bearing. It's pressed it and I have no clue how to press it in myself.
 
blipblop said:
I can do everything in my garage except the wheel bearing. It's pressed it and I have no clue how to press it in myself.
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Take the parts to a machine shop and have them pressed in... In my area most napas will do it, or they guy at the counter can at least point you in the right direction.

Past that, check rockauto.com. I've seen instances where an entire hub assembly is cheaper than a bearing+labor to get it pressed in.

I would not to the freezer/torch crap tricks to beat it in by hand.
 
SpatiallyAware said:
That works for the front wheel bearings on a RWD vehicle... In his FWD car it's most likely going to take more than that to get the new one in.
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That is if he can even find bearing sets for the hub in the first place. Most FWD/AWD vehicles these days replace the entire hub as a unit to replace the wheel bearings. Rare to find wheel bearings for FWD cars individually.
 
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