How To Tell If Your Wheel Hub Is Bad? How to check your Wheel Hub Assemblies? new for 2022

How To Tell If Your Wheel Hub Is Bad?

How to know if your wheel hub is bad? The wheel hub is a vital part of your vehicle that includes a bearing assembly. This allows the wheels to rotate freely as you drive. If there is any damage to one of these assemblies, it will cause problems with the car’s performance and safety.

It’s always preferable to get an automotive problem fixed as soon as possible. More often than not, if you don’t address a little issue right away, it will grow into a larger and more costly problem down the road. Here are some indicators that your wheel hub bearings are worn:

Unusual Sounds

“Unusual noises” is a rather broad term, but it makes sense. A worn wheel hub bearing produces a variety of uncommon sounds. Some of the most prevalent noises are as follows:

Turning Causes a Knocking/Clunking Noise

The wheel hub bearing is responsible for much of the support to the CV-joint. When it begins to wear out, extra strain is put on the CV-joint, which can result in a knocking or clunking noise whenever you turn the vehicle.

Crackling Sound

A worn or damaged outer CV-joint causes the popping sound. It might also indicate bearing endplay as a consequence of excessive clamping.

Rumbling/Growling Sounds

The sound produced by the broken wheel bearing is one of the most distinctive noises a vehicle makes. When in motion, this noise is particularly noticeable. It gets worse when the car is turning at 15-50 mph in a little circle. If you hear this clatter, you can usually identify the faulty wheel bearing as its source. The rumbling noise is typically caused by a bad bearing.

Grinding Sound

A grinding noise coming from your car usually means there is some sort of issue with the steering or suspension system. This could be due to something as small as roller or raceway damage. If you have a worn wheel hub bearing, this noise will be more noticeable when making turns.

If you hear strange noises coming from your automobile’s wheels, such as clicking, popping, snapping, or knocking, it’s possible that they’re the result of wheel bearings failure. However, various automotive components can produce these types of sounds. If you’re concerned about the noise coming from your car and want to find out what the problem is, book an appointment with a qualified mechanic to have it examined and fixed.

Loose Steering Wheel

When a wheel hub bearing starts to fail, you might feel some looseness in the steering wheel. The spindle holds the bearing in place within the wheel hub, but as it wears down, it becomes loose and causes your steering wheel to feel unstable.

Wheels that vibrate or wobble

If your wheels are shaking or moving in a strange way, it’s likely that there is an issue with the suspension, brakes, tires, or wheel hub bearings.

Car Pulling to One Side

A sure sign of a failing wheel bearing is if your car starts to pull to one side while driving, especially when braking.

Uneven Brake Pad or Tire Wear

If one of your tires has a lot more wear than the others, or if your brake pads are wearing down faster on one side, there might be an issue with your wheel hub bearing, wheel alignment, brakes, or suspension. These concerns should be dealt with by a specialist.

You can know more at the article What Does A Wheel Hub Do? All About Wheel Hub

Why are damaged hubs dangerous?

Wheel hub assemblies are designed to last the lifetime of your car, but they often become damaged due to the immense strain they’re constantly subjected to. Therefore, it’s likely that most drivers will have to deal with a damaged hub assembly at some point during their vehicle’s lifetime.

A badly damaged wheel hub assembly might completely fail, leaving you without control of your vehicle. This is the type of worst-case scenario that not many people face. A broken component, on the other hand, continues to limit your automobile’s normal operation! It can exacerbate wear and tear on other critical components, such as your brakes and tires. While driving, a damaged wheel bearing may put your safety at risk.

How to check your Wheel Hub Assemblies?

You should look for “play” in each wheel hub assembly to determine if anything is wrong. When the wheel is fully bolted down, any looseness in its connection to the axle is known as play. You may check for play by grasping the wheel at both ends and pushing one side while pulling the other. This way of checking for play shouldn’t be able to wiggle the wheel; if you can, there’s an excessive amount of it.

If you find that your wheel hub assembly is damaged, it’s essential to replace it with either OEM parts from the manufacturer or aftermarket replacement parts that are of similar quality. For example, WJB offers excellent quality aftermarket replacement parts that meet the same standards as OEM parts. Keeping your vehicle running on healthy wheel hub assemblies is a crucial part of maintaining your vehicles – and yourself – safe while driving.

Read more Knocking Noise From Front Wheel When Going Over Bumps? What Causes A Clunking Noise When Going Over Bumps?