Dealer says I need new hub bearing....

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So I am at the dealer having some brake work done on the Accord and they just told me one of the hubs is making noise. I have always noviced some noise but it has never been excessive and it's not a noise you can pinpoint. It just sounds like tire noise. What do I do? Wait for it to get worse or go ahead and have it replaced?
 
It is easy to check.

You can jack the car a little bit till tire is off the ground and rock the tire both on the x-axis and y-axis.
If it feels loose or there is a play instead of tight and you cannot rock it, that means you need a hub bearing.

Check Youtube on it. The process is valid for any cars not Accord specific.
 
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You have noticed a noise that sounds like a wheel bearing and a mechanic has found a problem with a wheel bearing. Maybe it's time to trust a mechanic. A bearing can make a noise and have no play in it. I'm cheap, but I would have had it done when the mechanic had it up on the lift.
 
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Replace the hub bearing, sometimes you wont feel play in them but get noise. The reason is on most cartridge type hub bearings there are two sets of ball (usually ball) bearings, one set can be tight but the other one is worn and making noise.

+1 Wobbly, posted same time.
 
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Originally Posted By: JMJNet
It is easy to check.

You can jack the car a little bit till tire is off the ground and rock the tire both on the x-axis and y-axis.
If it feels loose or there is a play instead of tight and you cannot rock it, that means you need a hub bearing.

Check Youtube on it. The process is valid for any cars not Accord specific.


Ok, just went out to service bay. There is no play in the wheel but there is vibration when spinning it. Is this normal?
 
They said caliper was sticking, which I kind of expected (either that or stuck slider pin). He pushed it back in and it's functioning fine now
 
Have someone check the torque spec on the axle end nut just to rule that out. Twice I have been told about the "looseness" of the hub bearing only to find that a tightening to the 150 ft. lbs. in my car took out the play. A ruined wheel bearing will make a lot of droning noise usually, you won't have to wonder where the noise is coming from. It's expensive when you have to replace the hub carrier and all. I learned that too.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
So they declared you need a hub bearing without doing basic diagnosis? What kind of place is that?


They spun the wheel and could feel slight vibration. I felt it too, but there was no play. I asked to feel the other one but the wheel was off. I asked to feel it later. Just got back and he spun both wheels without the wheels on (so just the hubs) and the "bad one" actually spun more freely. He said the other one (good hub) was harder to spin than the bad one, since the good one had more grease in it. Is any of this making since?
 
Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
They probably noticed the noise when doing a test drive after doing the brake work, is my guess.,,


The tech said he noticed it when pulling around to the bay.
 
At what mileage is your car? I'd assume the 47,000 miles in your signature is in need of updating.

Hey, my sister's "new" Mazda3 had a front bearing go at something like 42,000 miles. Under warrantee they replaced them both.

"They don't make 'em like they used to".
 
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
They probably noticed the noise when doing a test drive after doing the brake work, is my guess.,,


The tech said he noticed it when pulling around to the bay.


I've had them go from some humming, to horrific, hurt your ears noise in a single trip. It had to be quite bad if the Tech noticed it pulling into the shop. FWIW, I've not had one where you could feel play in the wheel with the wheel off the ground.
 
When the rear hub bearing went bad on my Accord, it was an all-or-nothing deal. Out of nowhere one day, it sounded like a turbo prop plane was taking off. When I spun the wheel, it made a rumbling noise. No play, though. Easy DIY on mine; I assume it's the same on your 8th gen.
 
On my old Explorer (2006) no play but loads of noise. Replaced both front and quiet when I sold it.
On my old Intrepid loads of play no noise. Replaced it. Y
 
When my hub bearings were worn out, they sounded like knobby tires going down the road. And when I would jerk the steering wheel left or right, the noise would stop for a split second. But the reason I replaced them is because the alignment shop said they needed to be replaced along with a host of other parts. And of course being as cheap as I am, I took the car home to replace the parts and then brought it back to the alignment shop the next day to have them align it. But the advantage I had was was that the car was being inspected by a frame and wheel specialist (AKA front end mechanic) - not a dealer tech.
 
I have noticed lately that a lot of the sealed wheel bearings in hubs don't get loose until they are really really bad.

Last 5 or so I have done on cars have been tight but loud.

If you can feel it or hear it, just replace it.
 
I assume you wouldn't ask if this was all being done under warranty, so I have to ask: how far over the barrel is the dealer bending you on this brake job (i.e., how much)?

While in for warranty work, the dealer brought my rear pads out to me to show they needed to be replaced. I couldn't help myself when the the service writer read the quote; I involuntarily laughed out loud. I don't remember the exact figure, but I recall he rear job was at least $400.

I did it with a buddy for much less than half, in his driveway, in a little over an hour, and nothing but simple hand tools.
 
I ended up declining the hub bearing replacement. I'll keep listening out to see if it gets any "worse".
 
Is this front or rear?

Greg, you need a basic set of tools! Get to working on cars yourself, just the basics like brakes. Brakes are one of the easiest things you can do on a car. I'm no mechanic but my brother and I taught ourselves how to do stuff with a set of tools, leaf springs and axle swaps, driveshafts, transfercases, starters, radiators, motor mounts, struts, wheel bearings etc.

When it's 115 out though I often have my mechanic do stuff for me but it depends on the job.
 
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