how to diagnose bad wheel bearings, tie rods, or ball joints on 4wd trucks

[@avuky191]

When it comes to wheel bearing. The best answer is BOTH, in order to save time and money on both parts sooner or later.

[@dduj777]

Yes, and bad tie rod ends mean it has play left and right

[@davemi00]

It’s Smartest to Replace Both Bearings. When One is Bad. It’s easier to do them Both at the same time, and prolly the Brakes too.

[@kachiquitaito3341]

They did both in my car, and now the good one made noise and bad vibration, but they told me is the tire when i never have the problem before plus now my tire move like the video and they already did steering ball joint inner and outer.

[@davemi00]

@@kachiquitaito3341 I’ve gotten new CV Joints and Bearings that weren’t Rebuilt thoroughly and they Replaced them. It does happen.

[@kachiquitaito3341]

@@davemi00 Thank you for your information, it will help me a lot.

[@jonnysnipes3123]

i use a crow bar to check the ball joint. you stick it under the wheel and pull up. if your ball joint is bad youll hear a popping clunking type kind of movement. i usually check the wheel bearing side to side, youll feel movement if its bad

[@joyofwrenching]

Good tips here guys!

[@Paulpoission]

Side to side could be tie rod as well

[@salteastsimon]

i swerve like a drunk person. if you hear it get louder as you swerve on one side, its the side all the weight transfers too, (the outside tire while turning) ,wheel bearings roar and whine. tie rods feels like loose steering, ball joints rattle and chatter on bumps

[@giveme10feet]

I agree except that sometimes a bearing may have no audible noise, but a wobble and/or vibration!

[@MrFrambooise]

@@giveme10feet can it have noise but no noticable play on the wheel?

[@giveme10feet]

@@MrFrambooise that's what it does most of the time, but the noise happens because it's going bad and can seize up on you! Vibration will follow before the seize too. Just make sure it's not brake squeal. So definitely replace it asap!

[@zachslump5844]

@@MrFrambooisecurious as well

[@draileduncommon]

That's a Cadillac so once you repair the front bearings the rear bearings will fail and once you fix that the water pump will leak and when that gets replaced the heater core will leak and when you fix that the starter will fail and when you fix that it won't start because of the security system. And when you fix that the instrument cluster will flicker. And when you get fed up at 60k miles you can trade it in for $4k

[@joyofwrenching]

ouch...sounds like you've had some bad experiences with one!

[@draileduncommon]

@@joyofwrenching I won't touch them. When I was operating my own shop people would ask why and I would just tell them I can't risk my reputation. As my former employer was always getting sued and bad reviews BB complaints from Cadillac owners. Worked at a GM Cadillac dealer (behind the counter) and same problem. You would be surprised at what many actions the manufacturer would come with. They sent out cases of stop radiator stooleak and said 1/2 quart oil consumption between 3k mile services is normal. And what about those old cracking aluminum blocks. And why the heck did they put the starter inside the Northstar. And a bad heater core that needs the engine removed to replace.

[@giveme10feet]

@@draileduncommon 😂😂😂! And let's not get started on Dexcool! That stuff cakes up and CAUSES LEAKS!

[@draileduncommon]

@giveme10feet yep and reaction with aluminum. they would say not using it would void the warranty

[@eddiesgsr]

Right on the money. Lost about 20 grand on yukon Denali fix one thing something else breaks. 7 years couldn't get more than 6 months without something breaking

[@dianasmith6588]

thank you i will definitely take note of this for future reference as well, single mom dv survivor with no help so i am learning to take care of me and my daughter cause i think i have a bad wheel beating so i will check today my daughter's safety and mine is priority cause i cant afford a mechanic shop to do it currently

[@Cocozen]

Same for me except I have 3 kids. I've fixed so much on my car myself I could probably get certified as a mechanic 😂

[@trga2568]

So you’re saying you are single

[@Smackaroni_]

Excellent video, thanks!

[@joyofwrenching]

You're welcome, and thanks for the encouragement

[@dangerdavefreestyle]

very nice. and he immediately addressed my instinctive reaction "listen to it", but hey, even still with all those gears in there ive found it to be a miracle tool and has saved me alot of yanking my hair out and that is the "steelman wireless chassis ears"

[@joyofwrenching]

I'd love to have that set for such things

[@W1LDWESLEY]

This will be my 4th time getting a front bearing replacement. May let my brother do it this time. Basic 2010 4 door civic automatic. It will last 4 months before I start hearing the growling. There's no play in the wheels but a little growling when I roll the wheels. I'm looking for a long term fix, not every 6 months.

[@joyofwrenching]

That should be warranted part at least! Definitely try different supplier too. Best of luck this time it's the last time!

[@ttowen02271]

Get a good quality part also

[@swifty5530]

get oem part

[@W1LDWESLEY]

Been trying that. I told my old-school mech of years ago to up a few dollars for quality. He said that the noisy bearings were still new looking new before he put fear ones on.. I showed him the receipts of the previous. Repair so hopefully he did something new.

[@W1LDWESLEY]

@friendly_mechanic Me personally, I don't care if it's warranted or not. can't be bringing it in or risk having the catastrophic failure. The most of us, we know that this shouldn't happen to a Honda.

[@davemi00]

Great Demonstration for checking wheel bearings. There should be a Low Hum that gets slightly louder as you Speed Up. You cannot always tell from which Side while Driving. That Bearing Noise source can Trick you, usually does.

[@joyofwrenching]

so true, I often guess from driving then it's the other one when I check them by hand and/or with a stethoscope!

[@davemi00]

@@joyofwrenching Everytime so far, it sounds like it’s on the Other Side. that’s 5 vehicles for me. 🤔

[@cloroxlavenderscent4307]

Most Chevies have slop in the steering itself. Doesnt necessarily mean it has bad parts. Spin the wheel as you hold onto the strut/spring. If it makes a rumbling or a vibration through it, it means that bearing is going bad. However if you already have play in the bearing thats all you need. Also in some dodge 2500s its normal to have a small amount of up and down play. Every manufacturer is different so check the repair manual or AllData.

[@str8menace923]

Atta boy. Waiting for movement its way past gone

[@marioduran5249]

Awesome video man !!

[@joyofwrenching]

Thanks Mario

[@andreyzagoruyko5390]

SUPER USEFUL VID THX!

[@joyofwrenching]

You're welcome my friend

[@TocyBlox]

Life the axel up. Put one hand on the coil spring and turn the wheel. You can feel the bearing if it’s bad.

[@joyofwrenching]

That's usually true and a great tip for all to remember. Thanks!

[@munnachakra4342]

Great knowledge

[@SirD31V1D]

Nice video! Thanks for these tips.

[@joyofwrenching]

Thanks and you're welcome

[@splatjojo3963]

does the key have to be turned to do a front end inspection?

[@joyofwrenching]

@@splatjojo3963 good question, but in most cases, no, as long as both front wheels are off ground they will turn

[@ttrapp6303]

That’s how I was taught also never fails

[@joyofwrenching]

good lessons to learn and for us to pass on!

[@Ssedia412]

Doing God's work

[@joyofwrenching]

I'm trying!

[@jennifergonzalez9129]

Sharing with others your talent is kind❤️

[@richieshrug]

Thank you, sir!

[@joyofwrenching]

you're very welcome!

[@edwardwalsh4657]

Not always when a bearing is about to lock up there will be no play. I just replaced one. the only way I knew was the sound of the bearing on the road. It sounded lie tire noise.

[@joyofwrenching]

They can have many telltale symptoms, so true

[@truejey7475]

what abut the transexual when it starts bending down?

[@RandomDaniel-]

Hit it from behind👍

[@BabaYaga214]

I laughed way too hard at this 🤣

[@victorgonzalez7629]

Very helpful thanks

[@joyofwrenching]

you're very welcome!

[@DavidMyers-id6up]

Yeah man, and I can hear that hum in the front end getting worse. Rebuilt the whole front end steering, new tires, these are next

[@joyofwrenching]

@@DavidMyers-id6up hope you get that thing running like brand new!

[@powdere4donuts]

Would any of those symptoms be for a bad axle as well? I know they click, but trying to figure some things out

[@samkdaily3055]

A CV shaft will click on turns, steering control on turns can feel really bad, also if they're severe enough they can actually rattle on acceleration.

[@AllPraiseToYah]

If it clicks while making turns. You drive axles (CV Joints) need replacement.

[@scpc2006]

At what time frame or milage should a wheel bearing be repacked with grease or replaced?

[@joyofwrenching]

These modern cars have sealed bearings so no repacking, and they need to be replaced when you start hearing and feeling issues with them. I don't do it as a preventative measure but you could. I would say after 200k miles if you want to

[@JohnnyDiaz-f6k]

My steering wheel shakes at higher speeds even after getting a wheel alignment when I let go, the steering wheel swerve to the right. What could it be? Bad wheel hub?

[@joyofwrenching]

could be, or could just be some other part of suspension and steering system that's worn out, this wiggle test should help you find it.

[@frankieguinto8121]

Isn’t that Escalade AWD?

[@joyofwrenching]

I think it was.

[@DJEpisteme]

Cool!

[@sorryfanaticyt6920]

So all of these can cause death wobble?

[@joyofwrenching]

they can contribute, but most of the time death wobble is associated with worn out steering stabilizers and lifts that don't keep good alignment of components.

[@tashalousdadful]

Hi. I just had a mechanic replace a noisy rear wheel bearing in my Focus. Is it unusual for it to still make a little sound when just installed? Do they sometimes need a little break in time. It sounds better but I can still hear a slight howl sound. I was thinking of giving it a few days. Thanks for any info.

[@joyofwrenching]

no, it shouldn't take any break in period. Could be other side, could be they had to really work to get old one out and bent something or installed incorrectly, and if it's a cheap brand part, could be the part is just not best quality

[@someone7773]

My car is shaking and one rim gets hot. I also have a bad steering rack and just have been refilling the fluid for now, could that have caused a bad tie rod?

[@joyofwrenching]

the fact that the rim is getting hot leads one to suspect the wheel bearings as they are the only thing touching the rim directly by being bolted to it. The brakes could be another suspect. tie rod unlikely, best to jack it up and do the wiggle test to see where the movement is, and based on your description, sooner rather than later as a wheel could fall off on the road if it gets too bad!

[@someone7773]

@@joyofwrenching today I drove it and the rim wasn’t that hot as yesterday. Anyways I’m going in tomorrow to get it replaced. I really hope this is the problem! Car is wobbly and vibrating when I drive and makes a noise like it’s driving on a bunch of rocks

[@joyofwrenching]

@@someone7773 sure sounds like a really bad wheel bearing or cv axle

[@draileduncommon]

​@@someone7773possibly brakes getting stuck or abs problems. Causing warped rotors that will eventually damage other steering components like the rack

[@jackreacher1963]

Easy put your truck in reverse and back up and if wheel bearing is no good it will show. A macanic showed me this i had a turbo dodge omni and it was make a little noise but seemed fine but when i reversed the wheel camber was out like 2binchs but well driving forward it did not do this and thats how i check my wheel bearing but proble doesn't work on these mew vehicles

[@robledochavez86]

N & S/12 & 6 is wheel bearing, not ball joint.😂 ball joint needs to be pressed from under the tire upward.

[@SyntheticStuntMan]

worn ball joints/tie rod ends can affect the testing of the wheel bearing by introducing movement that can be mistaken for wheel bearing.

[@gfriedman99]

There’s no way to be sure without looking at the parts while you tug at the wheel

[@michaelconquergood9556]

Kinda 20 year tech check control arm bushings first

[@megaprimemaster]

Rename it from bad to critical wheel bearing

[@jr8958]

the most idiot proof way to do it is drive it and if the noise gets louder its a bearing. always good to verify which wheel its from as shown in the video

[@solobody859]

Bad teacher

[@khalid95eG]

Thats alot of could be's

[@joyofwrenching]

True...that's the reason we must diagnosis the problems fully before guessing and throwing parts at it hoping it fixes an issue. This is a quick and dirty method but works well to guide a deeper dive