Wheel Bearing Failure: Hub Noise and Growl

What It Is

A wheel bearing is a sealed assembly of steel balls or rollers inside the wheel hub that allows the wheel to rotate with minimal friction. As the bearing wears -- due to age, impact damage, or water intrusion -- the ball races develop pitting and roughness. This creates a droning or growling hum that increases with vehicle speed and often shifts in intensity when changing lanes.

Symptoms

• • Low-frequency droning hum that increases proportionally with vehicle speed
• • Hum changes in pitch or intensity when gently steering left or right
• • Deep thumping or growling in severe cases of advanced bearing wear
• • Slight vibration felt through the steering wheel or floor
• • Play detectable in the wheel when rocked at 12 and 6 o'clock with the vehicle on a lift
• • ABS or traction control warning lights triggered by damaged wheel speed sensor in the bearing

Ford F-150 front hub assemblies are a documented wear item; Chevrolet Silverado 4WD front bearings fail frequently; Toyota Camry rear wheel bearings are known to fail between 100,000 and 130,000 miles.