Last updated on January 3rd, 2024
Wheel bearing noise goes away while turning left because of faulty right wheel bearings. The noise is from the damaged wheel bearings and disappears when the weight is shifted off them.
Read this article to understand why wheel bearing noise goes away while turning left, the solution for it, and its cost estimate.
Why Does Wheel Bearing Noise Go Away While Turning Left?
Wheel bearing noise goes away while turning left because of the damaged right wheel bearings.
When you turn to the left, the weight of your car also shifts to the left from the right. And when the weight is lifted off the faulty wheel bearings momentarily, the noise stops.
This noise happens due to metal-on-metal rubbing at a fast rate when the faulty bearings scrape against their housing and the wheel hub.
Other Signs And Symptoms of Bad Wheel Bearings
- Grinding sound that gets louder with acceleration
- Wheel looseness while steering
- The vehicle pulls uncontrollably to one side or other
- Uneven wear on the tire
- Vibrations upon taking turns or changing speeds
- Uneven brake pad wear
- Anti-lock brake failure
- Noise classified as humming, squeaking, squealing, popping, clunking, growling, knocking or snapping
How to Be Sure You Have Faulty Wheel Bearings?
If your car shows the symptoms listed above, it almost certainly, has wear on the wheel bearings. To further verify the validity of this assumption, follow this method of checking.
- Reach in under the fender and grab the top of your wheel.
- Now shake it with as much force as you can.
- If it shows any movement at all, your wheel bearings are damaged.
- If no movement is detected, jack the corner of the car up and support it with a jack stand.
- Repeat steps 1 to 3.
- If the wheel wobbles, the bearing is severely damaged.
What Causes Wheel Bearings to Go Bad?
There are a number of reasons your wheel bearings are likely to undergo damage. It is important to know these so that you can avoid making mistakes that make wheel bearings go bad.
- Impact damage due to rough driving or poor road conditions( or both)
- Reusage of old accessories
- Inappropriate usage of tools during installation
- Using rims, tires, shock absorbers, and springs of the wrong specifications
Can You Drive With Bad Wheel Bearings?
You must not drive with a bad wheel bearing as it can lead to serious accidents. Your wheel could suddenly stop working, or you might find yourself unable to steer your car.
Not only is this a formidable risk to you but also to other drivers on the road.
Even if such a situation does not happen, faulty wheel bearings will affect other parts of your vehicle negatively in the long run.
Your hub, CV joint, and transmission will be subjected to strain and your tires will wear out faster.
If you don’t take care of this problem soon enough, you might have to spend hefty amounts of money on auto repair services.
By now you have most likely understood the importance of keeping your wheel bearings in good shape.
For this, you need to service the wheel bearings every 30,000 miles (12000 miles for trailers) of driving.
How Much Does It Cost to Replace Wheel Bearing?
To fix wheel bearing noise and its more serious underlying issues, we recommend you take your vehicle to a mechanic.
If the problem is limited to the wheel bearings only, you will just need a replacement for the bearings. The cost of this is around $246-$325 for parts and $137-173 for labor.
FAQ
What Is The Average Life of Wheel Bearings?
Wheel bearings last around 136,000 to 160,000 km (approximately 85,000 to 100,000 miles) on average. However, this can vary significantly depending on the quality of the wheel bearing and the driving conditions.
Do Faulty Wheel Bearings Negatively Affect Brakes?
Yes, faulty wheel bearings can affect brakes negatively. If you have a faulty wheel bearing, the brake rotor that is held in alignment by the bearings will wobble on its axis. This causes the brake pedal to go soft or spongy.
Can Wheel Bearing Noise Go Away?
The noise coming from faulty wheel bearings does not completely go away. Instead, it changes in proportion to speed. The sound may go away at some speeds or only happen at certain speeds. It may get worse when turning, or disappearing momentarily.
Final words
That is all you need to know about why wheel bearing noise away while turning left. Now you know what to do when this happens, how to fix it, and how you can prevent it from happening.
