What is a wheel bearing? Is my mechanic ripping me off?

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JenJen

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My mechanic said my car needs a new wheel bearing - What is a wheel bearing, exactly? What is its function and what happens to your car when it wears out?

I took my car to the mechanic a couple of weeks ago to get the axle worked on because of a clicking noise it made when I turned. When I got the car back, the clicking noise was gone, but instead it was making a "whomp, whomp, whomp" noise from the front end, kind of like a fan with extra weight on one blade. When we jacked up the car to investigate the noise, we found a bungee cord still hooked to the spring above the part that had just been replaced. We removed the bungee cord, but the noise continued to get louder. When I took the car back to the mechanic, they said the noise was caused by a worn out wheel bearing and that damage to the wheel bearing couldn't have been caused by the bungee cord or anything they did while working on the axle. Does this sound right?
 
a wheel bearing is a set of ball or roller bearings, within a cage, which the axle or stub axle turns in.
When they wear, you get a sort of rumbling noise which varies with speed and cornering. A clicking noise when turning, is usually a CV joint on it`s way out, with a front wheel drive car!
 
Well I ride a Skate board and a skateboard bearing is the same thing as a car bearing except smaller. The car bearing helps the wheel spin on the axle. Its basically inside of the wheel and wont spin right if its not on right so instead of having the mechanic fix the rusty bearing have him check to make sure that it's on right. That causes the same sound on a board when its not properly put on. probably just something happened when he removed the wheels to fix the axle. He might be ripping you off.
 
The only thing that bothers me is why the mechanic let you leave
the shop with a different noise in the front end. Or did this happen
down the road , after a few miles ?

No, the bungee cord was not the reason, although it shouldn't have
been left behind. Kind of like a doctor leaving a patient with a thermometer stuck in their #$$.. But these thing do happen.

So , it sounds like you need a new wheel bearing. But for peace
of mind, I would ask the mechanic , why they did not notice this
during a test drive after the cv fix. I'll bet they never did test drive
it. I hope you know your mechanic well enough to tell you the
truth, or I would be looking for a new one.

Good Luck to you.
 
It is what allows your tire to turn. Characteristics of a failing one could be grinding, squealing and noises in general. I wouldn't think a sound that a failing one would make would be like anything you described unless it was creating a lot of friction messing with the differential.
 
If the car was not doing the "whomp, whomp, whomp" noise when you took the car to the shop they mess it up they should fix it. Oh they are mechanics their job is too mess your car up so you keep coming back.

Sorry butt that's the way it is!!!
 
your wheel bearings are what allow the wheels to spin. you have caged roller bearings that fit over whats called a spindle. your wheel bearings are contained in your wheel hub, and your wheel fits over your wheel hub. if your bearings fail your wheels will not turn properly and could possibly cause your wheel hub to become damaged. and theres a possibility that your wheel can break off the axle because of it. it sounds like your original problem might have been a bad constant velocity joint (c-v joint) , but it also could have been bad bearings also. take your car to a reputable mechanic and get a second opinion
 
The bungee cord couldn't hurt anything. Sounds like a CV joint to me. If its a front wheel drive car it may need replaced. It's kinda expensive $250 for the part plus labor.
 
I will have to side on behalf of your mechanic. Whenever removing an axel (front wheel drive) it must be removed from the wheel bearing. Sometimes this putt's extra stress on an already weak bearing so when reassembled, problems occur. Without wheel bearings, your care will not move and because it is a moving part, they wear out. Just have it changed an it will last for quite a while.
 
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