Last week I started hearing a noise from my front tires as they rotated and not while the brakes were on. My brother said it might be the wheel bearings.
Today I took it to the dealer and he said it was probably an early warning sensor on the front brakes. He quoted me a price of what it would be if the brakes had to be replaced and said it would be more if they had to do something with the wheel bearings. Are the two items (brakes and wheel bearings) related?
2006-08-07 17:17:43 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Thanks for the good insights.
It's a Lexus SUV, the equivalent of a Land Cruiser with the needless Lexus add-ons with 70,000 miles.
2006-08-07 17:28:24 · update #1
When a wheel bearing goes bad, when driving down the road you will hear a low pitched noise at slower speeds and a higher pitched noise at higher speeds. Sounds kinda like a growl. Usually the brake sensor is a lot higher pitched.
Take it for another opinion, go to someplace like Tuffy Service Center, Firestone, any shop that does brake jobs, they do free inspections, tell them its making a noise and you want a free quote.
2006-08-07 17:31:11 · answer #1 · answered by justmyjusrty 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you car is front wheel drive, it's probably not wheel bearings. Get a second opinion from a good brake shop. They can repair both for a lot less than the "stealership" will charge for premium pads. Sounds like wear sensors on your brake pads. But without knowing details about your car it would be only a guess. When was your last brake pad replacement, more than 20,000 miles ago. In most cars brakes and wheel bearings are closely related. Applying the brakes does change the load on the wheel bearings and could stop them from making noise, but usually wheel bearings don't suddenly fail between brake jobs on a well-maintained vehicle.
2006-08-08 00:35:03 · answer #2 · answered by Albert F 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the two items are not related-at least not usually. there is a wear sensor on most brake pads that will generate a squeak/squeal noise when the brakes are not applied to warn you that the pads are getting low and need replacement. that sound usually goes away when you apply the brakes. the wheel bearings will usually produce a low hum or grumble noise that is most audible when turning slightly at hwy speeds. sometimes it will only be noisy in turns and quiet when going straight. sometimes it can be felt as a vibration through the floor by your feet. that should shed some light on the subject for you. good luck!
2006-08-08 00:48:32 · answer #3 · answered by gillyguy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The noises they make are, but if you only heard the noise when you applied the brakes then your wheel bearings are most likely O.K. When your car gets over 100K on it, then you can expect to hear some noise from the bearings and you'll want to replace them ASAP, but that does not mean that you'll be replacing the brakes as well...they are two seperate items. What you are describing sounds like you need to replace the brake pads. Good luck.
2006-08-08 00:23:28 · answer #4 · answered by jeff s 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Only in that they are both related to the wheel. I would not generally expect the wheel bearing to wear out within the average life of any newer car and they would not wear out in any relation to the brakes wearing out. If you drive under harsh, dirty conditions, maybe you'd expect wheel bearing problems.
The brake indicator sounds like the ultimate fingernail-on-the-chalkboard screeching you can imagine when they get pretty worn. When they first start to touch, some people can't even hear them. Wheel bearing would sound more like a coffee grinder noise.
Good luck.
2006-08-08 00:20:59 · answer #5 · answered by Picture Taker 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not exactly. They are both located in the same area,wheel bearings allow the wheel to turn, brakes allow the wheel to stop. Wear indicators sound like a scratching of metal on metal, wheel bearings are more of a rattle sound.bearing just need to be packed with grease and shouldn't cost that much more . Beware of the dealer selling you more than you need. they work on commission. Other places{western auto} give free estimates
2006-08-08 00:26:07 · answer #6 · answered by terehulagirl 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jack the wheel up that's making the noise, so it clears the ground. Grab the top of the tire and pull & push. If you got slop, it's the bearing. If not, pull the tire and look at your pads. You should be able to see the wear indicator.
2006-08-08 00:24:08 · answer #7 · answered by yo_momma_is_sweet 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds to like the bearings need to be replaced. Early that or if you had a recent brake job they messed up big time. (It's happened before)
2006-08-08 00:22:03 · answer #8 · answered by Shady 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what is it ..a uni-cycle ? Mechanics need details like...WHAT KIND OF CAR ?!!
2006-08-08 00:24:23 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
take test drive with mechanic and tell him thats the noise other than that they charge u up for any little noise they here not wat u here
2006-08-08 00:38:49 · answer #10 · answered by ted 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋