Drive line

Typical of a noisy wheel bearing but you can't always go by where the sound seems to be coming from. The best approach is to run it in gear on a hoist, then listen next to each one with a stethoscope. One will sound like it's rattling, then the noisy one will be obvious when you hear the difference.

That diagnosis only works reliably for the pressed-in bearings used on older Chryslers and Fords. Turning very slightly to the right, such as when changing lanes, removes weight from that wheel and the noisy right bearing will get quiet for a moment. This vehicle uses the bolt-on style bearing and hub assembly. It is absolutely impossible to be certain you are replacing the correct one without listening with a stethoscope. Everyone in the vehicle can swear the noise is coming from the right side, and it can get quiet when turning right, and it can end up being the left bearing. Explain that to your customer. The good news is the old bearing can be installed on the left side so no more parts are needed. The first few times I got caught by this, my service adviser explained what happened to the customer and assured them they were not charged additional labor. I just lost a half hour of productivity. That's when I learned the importance of the stethoscope. Turns out that out of about 50 bearing assemblies I replaced over nine years, after listening during a preliminary test drive, I would have changed the wrong one 50 percent of the time if I had just gone by where the noise sounded like it was coming from. These bearings aren't that hard to replace, but why do two of them when only one is noisy?