how much does it cost to get wheel bearings replaced

Wheel Bearing Replacement Cost Guide for Different Cars

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Last updated on June 23rd, 2023 at 09:35 am

If your wheel bearing is old or bad and you want to know what is the average wheels bearing replacement cost, then this article is your ultimate guide to the cost for wheel bearing replacement of cars. and I also give you estimate firestone wheel bearing replacement cost plus front and Rear wheel bearing replacement cost

The fact that you’re even thinking of replacing your wheel bearing means you know what a wheel bearing is and the importance or role it plays in your vehicle. But if you don’t know what wheel bearing is or does, then don’t worry, we will talk a lot about wheel bearing in this article. Like what is a wheel bearing, the importance of wheel bearings, what happens when a wheel bearing goes bad, wheels bearing replacement cost, and a lot more.

Here is a complete detail of all the subtopic we will cover in this article. You might also want to read this article on Causes of Repeated Wheel Bearing Failure

Wheel Bearing Replacement Cost – Guide for Different Cars

So those topics in mind let get into the article fully and we are beginning with is what wheel bearing is and the importance/function in your vehicle.

Please feel free to skip to the part that you are most interested in.

What is a Wheel Bearing?

A wheel bearing is a group of metallic balls find in automobiles that are held by a race (a race is a metal or steel ring). The wheel bearing is what helps your vehicle to spin fast without exacting lots of friction and they are present in all kinds of automobiles, be it cars or vehicles, bicycles, motorbikes to aircraft.

Normally wheel bearing cycles round the rig metal axle shaft which is fitted quite tight inside the hollow chunk of metal found at the wheel centre called the hub.

The hub then holds the lug bolts used to bolt the car tire onto the wheel and then the wheel bearing is pressed into the hub from the back for stabilization while on the motion.

Importance of Wheel Bearings

The main function of a wheel bearing is to help the car wheel spin without causing or exacting much friction which in otherworld’s helps improve the speed and performance of the vehicle.

It is the presence of the wheel bearing automobile that brings about friction-free motion and rotation of the hub, tires, wheel for a smooth ride.

What Happens When a Wheel Bearing Goes Bad?

When your car wheel bearing is bad, worn out or defective, it will make your vehicle to involuntarily slow down or even it could escalate to the point where it totally prevents your car from moving altogether.

Also, a bad wheel bearing can make your car steering wheel feel and turn loosely.  And finally, you will also notice your car tires wearing out faster than usual.

What Happens When a Wheel Bearing Goes Out?

Well, if a car wheel bearing goes out, there are a couple of things you will experience. First, if you are on the highway, the car wheels might fall off while the car is on the move which might cause an abrupt stopping of vehicle obstructing your trip or it could lead to an accident. And second, your car tires might start shaking, steering feeling loose while the wheel makes weird loud squeaky noise or sounds, then the car slows down. So those are all what happens when a wheel bearing goes bad in your vehicle.  

If you notice any of this, then know that it’s time to have your car bearings replaced. You looking the cost for wheel bearing replacement then bearing resolved as quickly as possible.

Is it Safe to Drive with a Wheel Bearing Gone Bad?

Well, the answer to this question is no. It is not safe to drive your vehicle if the wheel bearing is bad or worn out. That is because a missing wheel bearing can cause the car wheels to fall entirely off from the vehicle while the car is on the run or in motion which might lead to an accident.  

The wheel bearing is vital in keeping your car wheels attached to your car, so without the wheel bearing, the car wheel will have nothing to hold the wheels on to.  Driving without wheel bearing is a very hazardous situation to be in especially when driving on high speed because you can lose control of your car and then the tires can cause obstruction to other individual driving down the same lane as you. You can read more in this article here.

How Long does it take to replace a wheel bearing?

So when it comes how long it takes to replace a wheel bearing, I will say it depends on the experience level of the mechanic doing the job and which of the wheel bearing that is to be replaced.  Is it the front or rear wheel bearing?  On average the replacing the rear wheel bearing will take about 15 to 45 minutes depending on the experience leave of the mechanic. For vehicles that have their rear wheel bearing and hubs are permanently bolted to the car spindle replacement might about 20 minutes to one hour. 

And for the front wheel bearing, it might take around 30 minutes to 1hour 30 minutes. Again this is all dependent on who and the experience level of the mechanic.

And for rear axle bearings on the rear-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive can take hours because this type of wheel bearing replacement is a big job and requires a lot of time and attention.

When to replace wheel bearings? + Cost for Wheel Bearing Replacement

one of the ways to know when to replace wheel bearing is when you notice a growling or grinding noise from the vehicle wheels.

A bad, Failed or failing wheel bearings normally will be making a growling noise that gets louder as you keep driving the car. if you notice the wheel bearing noise is coming from just one side of the car, you want to diagnose the vehicle by unloading and loading up the weight on the car. one way to do this is by swerving side to sides.  For instance, swerving to the left will greatly increase the noise to coming from there meaning that the weights on the left is shifted and now heavier on the right.  And this most time is showing that the wheel bearing on the right of the car is failing and Verse Versa.

Related Article:

Other signs to show When to replace wheel bearing are:

  • When the car axial or radial is playing from the wheel or from the wheel hub. So if you notice that the wheel hub is moving up and down or moving in and out, then know that is might be that the car wheel bearing may have worn out and this requires you to start thinking of cost for replacing wheel bearing.
  • If you observe that your car steering wheel is vibrating and the entire car begins to shake, then you might need to look into the replacing your car wheel bearing but make sure confirm it is the wheel bearing and not other issues with the car
  • When the car tires and the wheel assembly is not turning smoothly, then know that the wheel bearing may be bad or worn out.  When the car wheel is jacked up and car gear is taken off, normally the vehicle wheel should be able to rotate smoothly without hardness.
  • And finally, a rough or inconsistent car movement usually complemented with a noise can be an indication of a damaged or bad wheel bearings.

Cost for Wheel Bearing Replacement |How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Wheel Bearing?

Normally car wheels bearing replacement cost is highly dependent on whether you are replacing the front or the rear wheel bearing and the kind of car you have and then the auto shop you took your car to. And there are two main kinds of expenses that come with replacing the wheel bearing cost. The first cost for wheel bearing replacement is the amount you spend to buy the required parts and second wheels bearing replacement cost, is the cost of labour.

Usually, the labour cost more than the amount you spend on buying the parts needed and that is why most persons would want to do it themselves.

But if you have no mechanical experience then you do not want to attempt replacing your car wheel bearing yourself. Rather you want to hire an expert mechanic else you could create more problems or even damage the car more.

Wheel Bearing Replacement Cost

So let begin with the rear wheel bearing replacement cost

How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Wheel Bearing

Rear Wheel Bearing Replacement Cost

Replacing the rear wheel bearing on the average will cost anything around $190 and $310 for the parts. And when it comes to the labour for replacing your rear wheel bearings, the average labour will cost anywhere in between $200 and $350. This is the cost of rear wheel bearing replacement, next let’s look at the front wheel bearing replacement cost

Front Wheel Bearings Replacement Cost

So when it comes to the cost for replacing your front wheel bearings, this service costs a little more than replacing the rear wheel.  And the average cost for buying parts are around $150 and $300 while the average labour costs are between $350 and $450

Example Table of Front Wheel Bearing Replacement Costs

Model Labor Parts Total
Ford F-Series   $162-$207   $240-$538   $402-$745
Ford Focus $360-$459 $264-$420 $624-$879
Ford Fusion $252-$321 $184-$256 $436-$577
Toyota Camry $252-$321 $150-$230 $402-$551
Toyota Corolla $486-$620 $134-$242 $620-$862
Nissan Altima $315-$402 $290-$408 $605-$810
Honda CR-V $234-$298 $378-$430 $612-$728
Honda Civic $234-$298 $180-$274 $414-$572
Honda Accord $315-$402 $224-$336 $539-$738
Chevrolet Silverado $216-$275 $634-$1212 $850-$1487

Front and Rear Wheel Bearings Replacement Cost

So If you are looking are replacing both the front and rear wheel bearing together, then you should budget anything around $800 and $1,000 for changing your vehicle wheel bearing.  Except you have a warranty plan where part of the expenses is covered for by the warranty, otherwise this is the average for cost for replacing your front and rear wheel bearings together.

Hub Wheels Bearing Replacement Cost

So there some vehicle models that use hub bearings in the rear.  These types of vehicles wheel bearing as I mentioned earlier have their wheel bearing attached to the hub assembly, and they have s built-in speed sensor. 

For these type of wheel bearing, the average cost to replace the part is around $400 to $500 for one side labour is also included here.  So on both sides, you will spend around $800 to $1000.

If you would like to see more wheels bearing replacement cost than take a look at below table.

This is it for this post on cost for wheel bearing replacement. I hope you were able to get insight on what are wheels bearing replacement cost for your vehicle?

Here is what we have covered in this article and you can skip to any part you are more interested in:

  • So first we started off with what is a wheel bearing?
  • Then move unto the importance of wheel bearings
  • After that, we discussed what happens when a wheel bearing goes bad?
  • Then followed by what happens when a wheel bearing goes out?
  • We also answered this question “Is it Safe to Drive with a Wheel Bearing Gone bad?”
  • Next, we talked about When to replace wheel bearings that signs and so?
  • how long does it take to replace a wheel bearing?
  • how much does it cost to replace a wheel bearing (cost for wheel bearing replacement)
  • And finally an Example Table of Front Wheel Bearing Replacement Costs

If you are wondering how much is a firestone wheel bearing Replacement cost? Then you should expect to 450 to 550 dollar for a firestone wheel bearing replacement cost. the part costs about $275.6 to $317.50 if you are getting the parts from them and then labour will cost you around $124.80 to $150.7.

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