Rear hub bearing

[9COOP5]

Was told I need a left rear hub/wheel bearing. I am going to have repaired this weekend at the latest. Will this be ok to wait maybe until this coming weekend to have repaired, or take it in ASAP?

 

[07gtman]

should be fine i waited all winter,and had about 3/4 inch of play in mine.

 

[9COOP5]

OK. I did start to hear some scrubbing noise in the back also.

 

[fordysenior]

Jack it up and see if you can move the wheel around -- when my right rear started singing I drove around for a couple of months, then one day on the freeway I heard a funny crunch noise. I pulled over and could wiggle my wheel back and forth -- I drove it slow about 12 more miles and got it home ok. So the answer to your question is 'depends on how long its been bad and how bad it is'.

 

[07gtman]

if its a grinding sound,May be your brakes,the bearings are more of a deeper kinda howl.

 

[07gtman]

Jack it up and see if you can move the wheel around -- when my right rear started singing I drove around for a couple of months, then one day on the freeway I heard a funny crunch noise. I pulled over and could wiggle my wheel back and forth -- I drove it slow about 12 more miles and got it home ok. So the answer to your question is 'depends on how long its been bad and how bad it is'.

I have not had that happen did it destroy the hub.I just did my left rear took me 1 hour 40 minutes.I'm getting good at these.

 

[fordysenior]

It wasn't anything I wanted to tackle -- I don't have a garage or good smooth work surface for that kind of work. I took it to a shop and had them put a whole new assembly on it. I've done the fronts, but let a shop do both rears.

 

[9COOP5]

I just started hearing the noise a few days ago, the deeper grinding noise. Brakes were done not too long ago.

 

[07gtman]

I bought a 20 ton press after i bought my second Mountianeer, it was cheaper then the labor to have someone do the job.the first time i did one of the rear bearings it too 3 1/2 to 4 hours..

 

[lincolnshibuya]

could be your parking brake shoes disintegrating that's why it's grinding.
wheel bearings will howl and will cause vibrations if in really bad shape, my wife drive mine for years before I replaced the bearings (she thought it's normal until it started to have vibrations)

 

[Number4]

Check for wheel play. Make sure the axle nut is torqued all the way.

A loose axle but will also cause wheel play.

 

[Drewmcg]

Lots of advice here. If any grinding or crunching, plus wheel play, then recommend you keep driving to a minimum and at low speed (under 30 mph). I let a noisy (but not grinding/crunching) front wheel bearing go for a few weeks, then it went out suddenly and sounded real sick. I hobbled back home 6 miles on shoulder at 25mph and considered myself lucky to make it! Lots of play in wheel at that point; installed new hub in my garage the next day.

So these can linger and then go quick. Safety issue or much more expensive damage if the hub disintegrates on you at high (or even medium) speed--e.g., new knuckle/spindle, new wheel, etc., etc.