Wheel bearing replacement is the cure for a hum or growl that rises with speed. The bearing lets the wheel turn smoothly on the hub; when it wears, the noise starts, then play develops in the wheel and, if it is ignored, the bearing can run hot and damage the hub. Tell us the vehicle, which corner you think it is and how it sounds, and we pass your request to independent workshops and tyre shops in your area that replace bearings. They quote you directly, free.
Signs of a worn bearing
- A humming, growling or droning noise that gets louder with speed
- The noise changes when you turn: often louder when the load shifts onto the bad side
- Play or a knock when you rock the jacked-up wheel from top to bottom
- A rough or gritty feel when the wheel is spun by hand off the ground
- On some cars, an ABS warning, as the wheel speed sensor can sit in the hub
Tyre noise from uneven wear can sound similar, so a good shop checks the tyres too. A vibration rather than a hum is more often wheel balancing.
Hub units and pressed bearings
Many modern cars use a hub unit: the bearing, hub and often the ABS ring in one assembly that bolts onto the knuckle. It is usually quicker to fit. Other cars have the bearing pressed into the knuckle, which means taking the knuckle off and using a hydraulic press, so the job takes longer. Front and rear bearings can differ on the same car. Ask the workshop which type yours has, whether it includes an alignment afterwards if the knuckle came off, and whether the axle nut is replaced and torqued to the maker's figure.
Trailer and caravan bearings
Trailer, caravan and boat trailer bearings are often taper roller bearings that need to be repacked with grease, adjusted and checked rather than simply replaced. Have them checked before a long trip, at least once a year, and every time a boat trailer has been in the water. A hot hub after a short stop, a wobble or grease thrown onto the rim are warning signs. While the wheels are off, ask for a tyre check and tyre fitment if the tyres are old.
What affects the cost
The price depends on the vehicle, whether it is a bolt-on hub unit or a pressed bearing, front or rear, the quality of the replacement part, and whether seized bolts or a damaged hub add time. A 4x4 with locking hubs or a bakkie with a solid rear axle is a different job from a hatchback. Ask each workshop for the part type, the labour and whether a wheel bearing on the opposite side is recommended. Sort a bent wheel at the same time with bent rim repair if a pothole caused both.
What to put in your request
- Vehicle type and year
- Which corner the noise seems to come from
- How it sounds and when it is loudest
- Car, bakkie, trailer or caravan
- Any recent pothole or kerb hit
Wheel Bearing Replacement for drivers, fleets and workshops
- Private car owners: a hum on the highway that gets louder at speed and changes in long bends
- Enthusiasts, 4x4 and performance drivers: 4x4s and overlanders whose bearings take a beating on corrugations and river crossings
- Company and rental fleets: high mileage company cars and vans with bearings replaced before they fail on the road
- Dealers, panel shops and insurers: used cars with a bearing noise found on a test drive and fixed before sale
- Tyre shops and wheel workshops: tyre shops referring bearing noise found during tyre work to a workshop that replaces them
- Truck, bus and taxi operators: minibus taxis and delivery vans with heavy loads and high daily distances
- Farms: farm trailers and bakkies whose bearings suffer from dust, water and heavy loads
- Mines and construction sites: site vehicles with bearings worn by dust and rough haul roads
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to drive with a noisy wheel bearing?
Should both sides be replaced?
Can potholes damage wheel bearings?
Do you replace bearings yourselves?
Wheel Bearing Replacement by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg