What could happen if you let the wheel bearing go out on your car? Mine is starting to go but I am low on ?
Could be very serious!!!! Need to know make, model, year of vehicle, and which bearing to be able to give you more info. The other posters are correct in that the wheel could come off. The hub (where the wheel bolts to the car) is the center part of that bearing. If the bearing comes apart the hub could separate from the bearing resulting in the wheel coming off. It could also cause other damage as a result of the "play" in the bearing you could damage the brakes or brake components. The worst case scenario is damaging the brakes, the knuckle that the bearing sits in, and the wheel coming off. I can tell you that it is definitely unsafe to keep driving it. The cost to replace it will vary on the area in which you live. It should be between $200.00 and $300.00 with parts and labor.
What happens if you need a wheel bearing? Can you still drive? and what is the cost?
picture this, your pulling a wagon when you notice a wheel is about to fall off, but you want to get home anyway. You hit a crack in the sidewalk, suddenly the wheel comes off and your pulling a wagon with 3 wheels because you didn't take the time to look at the situation while the wheel was still attached. A car is the same thing, but more costly the longer you wait. Most cars today have a hub and bearing assembly with the wheel speed sensor built into them. Hub bearings are fairly expensive and usually repair shops and dealers get 1 to 2 hours labor to change depending on the application. But wouldn't you rather spend the money to fix the hub bearing now then wait and possibly lose control of your vehicle, and having a accident, possibly injuring yourself or others? In a nutshell, loose wheel bearings increases risks when driving, however a wheel cannot come off because the axle nut holds everything together.
What happens when your wheel bearings go out?
It is true that your wheel can come off (the whole wheel -- not just the tire) but that is rare, and is the result of the bearing seizing on the spindle. If it's not making a lot of noise it should be safe to drive. If a bearing is really loose you'll usually get the following symptoms: noise (especially when turning), pulling to one side when braking, and often some wander or slack in your steering response. If you have any of those symptoms, other than modest noise, do not drive it. If not, just drive it carefully until you can get it repaired and you'll probably be OK. I've been driving for many years and used to race, and have worn out plenty of bearings in my time and have never lost a wheel or seen anyone else lose a wheel.
What happens if you don't replace your wheel bearing?
WHen, not if, but when it seizes up the spindle will probably disintegrate and the wheel will go bouncing off across the traffic lanes while you plow up pavement with the front corner the wheel came off of. Don't laugh or sneer, I've seen it happen, more than one time. Get it fixed. Your gambling with your life and the lives of others.
How far can I drive with a bad wheel bearing?
Main thing is - get it fixed PDQ (pretty darn quick). Driving with a bad wheel bearing can cause the axle/hub/spindle to weld itself from friction and heat causing the wheel to lock up and spin you out. More likely, the metal will wear away from the friction and the wheel/hub will become loose. If the affected wheel has a disc brake, the brake caliper and rotor might hold the wheel onto the axle for a while, but will eventually fail too.I drove a car I had just bought in a different state about 2,000 miles (3,200 Km) to get back home. The front wheel bearings were whining the whole time, but the wheels were still fairly tight (negligible play). One of the first things I ordered upon arriving home was a new set of wheel bearings.If you jack up the vehicle and there is any play (i.e.: slackness or wiggle) in the affected wheel(s), don't drive the vehicle because you might just get overtaken by your own wheel (no longer attached to & supporting the vehicle) while driving down the road. Any play in the wheel could also be caused by worn suspension and/or steering components which should also be replaced PDQ (and a wheel alignment done post repair). Again, this could cause a wheel to come out from under the vehicle and/or point in a different direction and cause you to have a wreck.Get it fixed posthaste.<><
Soft Brakes and bad hub bearing?
Any time there is looseness in a wheel bearing, it takes a whole lot of brake pedal travel to take up the slack because the brake caliper piston is forced back into the bore when the brakes are not applied. When the brakes are reapplied it pulls the rotor back into alignment, taking up the now excessive clearance with it. Edit: It is unusual for a bearing to wear that much without making a noise, It will not necessarily make a vehicle pull except under the condition when the brakes are first applied, one will seem to take hold before the other if the wheel bearing is only loose on one front wheel. I would check axle nut torque first before replacing a wheel bearing and go from there if there is no noise because there had to be a reason for it to "just" loosen up under this scenario.
What do you do if your wheel bearings are going bad?
As a thumbnail rule, they chirp. If the bearing races are breaking down, the bearings squeal, and the wheel is loose.As I've said elsewhere, however, before you start tearing down the axles, measure the wear of the disc brake pads. All standard pads have a small metal tab that is designed to make a chirping sound, indicating the pads are worn to wafer thin, when the brake is off and the car is cruising down the road. It's most easily heard with the windows down, and you can hear it's echo off a concrete barrier, or in a tunnel. (We've got lots of both in the Pacific Northwest.) Another clue, depending on the brand, is that the anti-skid brake light stays on. I've spent a few delightful afternoons swapping out brake pads. It's not hard, really. Get a copy of the repair manual from Chilton or Haynes, at Autozone, along with the proper pads. We're talking $30-$40 for a set of 4, 2 right, 2 left. Get Lava soap. The brake dust is clingy and all over the place. Harbour Freight is handy for the tools. The specialty tools are usually a large C-clamp, and a pair of jack stands.
What will happen if you continue to drive a car with a bad wheel bearing/hub assembly?
i had a wheel bearing explode on my car. course its a 1970. so the neon i think has a sealed bearing type. anyways, what happened is the bearing blew up and luckily everything else held up when it did and i didnt loose the whole wheel. i knew someone that had bad wheel bearings and drove on em for months and months. my car didnt give any warning to them being ready to go out. so youre playin some russian roulette. get em dun asap. to be safe. or at least let your girl drive your car and you drive hers.