Hey guys this is my first post. I look forward to learning more about my car. I am not a mechanic at all what so ever, and i hate paying other people to fix my car. I wish i knew how. I just feel like every mechanic is lying to me...

A problem i have, is my back left tire makes a lot of noise when im driving down the road. To me, it sounds like the wheel is bent, but my friend who is a mechanic, says its my wheel bearing.

I didnt first notice the noise until one day after pulling the e-brake in a wet parking lot, and sliding into a curb... Yea i know, dumb move. After that incident i started listening to my tires while driving down the road. I was listening to see if i had bent my rim, bc that was my first concern.

My friend the mechanic, said its just a coincidence, my rims isnt bent, its the wheel bearing. Which could be tru, because i definitely wasnt listening for it before i hit that curb.

He said if the rim were bent, i would be able to see it. And after a quick look out the driver window (while driving), he said "nah it aint bent". "Well okay, so how much do you want to fix the bearing?"

One more thing. The tire makes the most noise between 50-60mph. In my mind, that sounds like a bent rim? Bc wouldnt the bearing make the same noise no mater what speed i was at (probably louder as i go faster). But then again, maybe after 60, theres too many other road noises and i just cant hear the bearing anymore.

My friend is the one who is going to fix it for me probably, and he is kinda pushing me to fix it. Hes telling me how dangerous it is for me to be driving around...

So i have 2 questions for you guys. From all ive told you, do you agree with my friend the mechanic?

Im also curious how much you guys think this job should cost me. Remember my buddy is fixing it, not some big shop, with lots of overhead.
My friend is acting like it will be hard. So im guessing its too hard for me to do. Remember i dont hardly know ****.

Also, is it extremely dangerous that iim still driving the car around?

Okay, maybe that was more than 2 questions! But thanks in advance guys!

 

If your left rear wheel bearing is bad the noise should go away when turning left. changing the rear wheel bearing is very easy compared to doing a front one.

 

It doesn't really make much noise when traveling at low speeds. The noise it makes, just sounds like my tire is making a lot of noise. Like it's wobbling or something. But I'll try to listen while making a left turn. Gotta get on the highway first.

 

Jack up the car and turn the wheel in question by hand. Does it wobble? Does it make any noise? Is it loose from side to side?

Also look for unusual wear on the tire tread. Hitting the curb could have bent something in the suspension and put the wheel out of alignment.

 

On the way home from school tonight, i noticed that when i turn left, the noise goes away. That means bearing rite?
Thanks for that idea.

You say that its much easier than the front one. Do you think i could do it with some direction? Remember im not a mechanic. Changing the oil is about as far as it goes for me.

 

The rear bearing is a cartridge type. You buy the part (hub and bearing combined), remove the wheel, remove brake drum or disk, remove the dust cap then the spindle nut and swap out the hub / bearing. So basically it is routine brake work plus removing one more nut, though you will need proper tools as the spindle nut is kind of large and needs to be tight.

Again, a bad bearing will almost always make noise when turning the wheel by hand off the ground. You really should try that. Any noise at all is a failure of this test, it will get much louder at speed with the weight of the car on it.

 

I will try that. I have a concern though. If it is the bearing, is it really dangerous for me to be driving around? I need to go to Miami this weekend, and id like to drive down there and then get it fixed. I dont know if il have time to fix it b4 i leave.

Is this something that can be driven on for a while?

 

If the wheel is loose and wobbles back and forth in the wheel off the ground test, don't drive any more. If it's just a little noisy you should be able to go for a while.

 

If the wheel is loose and can be wiggled back and forth in the wheel off the ground test, don't drive any more. If it's just a little noisy you should be able to go for a while.

 

Okay I did the test. It doesn't wobble at all, but it does make the roaring noise. Thanks for the test idea. The hub assembly is 119.99$ from Honda. I would think discount would be cheaper rite? I'm going to check