Does a grinding noise in front driver tire mean the wheel bearings are bad?

STEFANY N EDDY RENDON

MEMBER
2005 KIA SEDONA
6 CYL
AUTOMATIC
97,099 MILES

It all started on Christmas this year sounded as if undercarriage fell from under the van then it stalled for a minute or two. Was able to drive home a couple miles very slowly smelled like burnt wires and front drive tire hub was very hott. Was told needed new rotors. Got new rotors and was told the center nut; was not tight it was loose some play in wheel. Retightened as needed now I have a grinding metal scaping noise coming from same tire I was told it's the wheel bearings and I cannot find the front wheel hub assembly anywhere. Was also told tire rod axle and also the CV boot is torn was regreased don't know if that has anything to do with the noise. Please help

4 Replies

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
30,869 POSTS

That's because the front isn't a wheel bearing hub assembly. The wheel bearing is pressed into the hub assembly and then the hub is pressed into the front wheel bearing.I would stick with a timken bearing and you go with like a off brand hub.I would replace both the bearing and the hub as a set. It takes a press to remove the bearing and a slide hammer to get the hub out. Or they make a on car bearing press to remove the bearing and reinstall the bearing. Also that tool can be used to put the new hub into the bearing. Harbor freight sells the tool the weak point of that tool at harbor frieght is the forcing screw.I have one from harbor freight and the forcing screw stripped out after about the fourth bearing I replaced.I upgraded the forcing screw with the one from the otc hub tammer now I have a very nice bearing installer.

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Sunday, April 1st, 2018 AT 11:15 AM

STEFANY N EDDY RENDON

MEMBER
2 POSTS

So I was misinformed. So I can buy this tool at Harbor Freight? Also, is it true I can go to a auto shop and pay for it to be pressed together? Does a grinding sound sound like a wheel bearing problem or maybe the tire end lock nut thing being loose cause the noise? As for my car seizing could it have been a stuck caliper?

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Sunday, April 1st, 2018 AT 12:11 PM

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
30,869 POSTS

A loose axle nut can cause a wheel bearing to go bad to begin with. Put the front wheel up in the air and the car on a jack stand. Then put the car in neutral put one hand on the front coil spring and use the other hand to spin the tire as fast as you can. If the bearing is bad you should be able to feel the bad bearing through the coil spring. Compare both sides to each other. Also, yes they have the tools for the bearing at Harbor Freight. You could have a machine shop press the old bearing and hub out of the knuckle and the new ones pressed back in. But you would have to have the car aligned if you remove the knuckle from the car. The tool at Harbor Freight is a on car bearing tool.

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Monday, April 2nd, 2018 AT 7:28 PM

SATURNTECH9