Wheel bearings

[Guest leatherneck]

What kind of noise or other indicators could I detect if the wheel bearings in my 94 Legacy wagon are starting to go?

[Guest 97svx]

It will start as a hum, and get louder as the bearing gets worse. It can get quite loud.

 

Matt

[Guest 99obw]

Maybe I am hearing impaired and I don't hear them until they start grinding. Like an old foot powered grinding wheel.

 

99obw

[Guest ShawnW]

You can use a thermal scan gun to measure the temp of the wheel sometimes.

[Guest gbhrps]

My 97 OB rear wheel bearing started to make a roaring noise, especially in turns. Putting the car into a sweeping right turn at speed (80 kmph) made it roar more loudly, than a sweeping left turn where it wasn't as loud. Driving straight ahead wouldn't make any noise at all. In a large grocery store parking lot, you could get it to make exactly the same noises in a series of tight left and right turns at lower speeds. The grinding noise that you describe in your last post sounds more like you have worn a set of brake pads down past the warning clip and through the brake pad material to the steel backing plate. Sounds like your brake pad backing plate may be riding on your rotor. Easy to check. Pull the wheels and check your pads.