Bearing noise but is it the bearing??
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Joined: Nov 2020
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Bearing noise but is it the bearing??
Hi everyone. First I'd like to say that I'm glad I found this forum. Now to get right to it. I own a 2013 Silverado 1500. For quite some time now I've noticed a noise coming from the front. At first I thought tires due to I was practically riding on bologna skins. After putting a set of better tires on the noise was still there. Now with the tires I currently have on the truck they are wearing on the inside. ( Driver side is worse) I just put my truck up to do an oil change and checked to see how much play there was. Everything is tight. Is that possible to have what sounds like a bearing noise but still be tight. Thankyou all in advance for any input.
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 56
Hi. Interesting that you mentioned “bearing”. I didn’t see you mention it but I’ll answer your question as if you have a 4X4.
Of course I don’t know what the problem actually is but it sounds like a bad hub to me.
Sometimes you can jack that wheel up and grad the tire at 9 & 3 and shake and feel / hear a bad hub. Other times you won’t feel or hear anything but the hub is till bad. Be reasonably sure you know which side is the culprit or you could end up doing both sides.
So; I think a bearing issue is exactly the problem you have. I own a 2012 GMC Sierra and have replaced the hub unit on the right side - TWICE. The indication the 1st time it went bad I was on a road trip and it got so bad that I didn’t think I would make it home.
The 2nd I had a good idea what was going on because of my previous experience.
I replaced both myself. I live in a state that uses a lot of a salty type brine in the roads in the winter. The biggest problem you will have is removing the sealed bearing unit with ABS from the knuckle assembly. It is a very tight fit to begin with and any additional rust / corrosion makes it even harder to get that hub out.
I don’t think I paid more than $120 (give it take) for the hub. Many hubs come with a integrated ABS and speed sensor.
You may or may not have a small torx head or Phillips head screw that holds the rotor to the hub. If you do you may need to heat it with MAPP gas or a propane torch to loosen it up.
You will need metric sockets, wrenches, extensions, and a swivel. If you have a large brass punch pull that out of your tool box too. I have automotive pry bars and a couple of big flat top screw drivers I specifically use for prying. If you have those toss them in your tool pile for this job. If you have a small MAPP gas or propane torch have them at the ready.
After you remove the brake caliper and caliper mounting brackets you can remove the rotor. Hopefully the rotor is not rusted fast to the hub. If the rotor is being stubborn you may need to use heat & a heavy hammer if it’s really stuck in there. I shoot WD40 around the center bore of the rotor and around each lug stud so it can ooze down in behind the rotor to help loosen any rust build up. You may need to use the MAPP gas around the center of the rotor. No need for anything to get red hot. Just enough heat to slightly expand the metal to break it away from the front hub assembly surface. If that’s what it takes to get it off then REPLACE the rotor & pads (both sides).
If your brakes are on the border of being replaced you might as well pull the trigger and buy 2 new rotors and brake pads - I’m sure you’re aware but always replace both sides when dealing with brakes.
I use wire, string or a couple of zip ties to hold the brake caliper brackets out of my way - otherwise the dang things are flopping down and getting in the way.
There are 3 bolts that hold the hub to the strut/knuckle assembly (on my truck anyway). They are accessible from behind the hub. It’s a tight fit for your sockets and hands. To fully access at least one of those hub bolts you will need to turn the steering left or right to get away from interfering components.
If you are not careful you will damage the dust / backing plate or the strut / knuckle assembly mating surface where the hub face meets. That backing plate is pretty thin in my opinion and it’s easy to damage. No worries about damaging a bad hub but you must not bugger up the strut / knuckle mating surface! If while driving the hub out from behind with the 3 bolts you also pry from the front at the same time it’s easy to gouge up the strut/knuckle mating surface. You may need to use your MAPP gas again - but ONLY from the front and aim the flame mostly on the hub and not the strut/knuckle. You will not need to get anything too hot - certainly not red hot!
Go slow and be patient. These hubs don’t like to cooperate. Look for a YouTube video - they can be helpful. But I will tell you I had to do a couple things that made myself cringe; I had to use heat (MAPP gas or propane), a BIG hammer, and even a cold chisel (and liberal amounts of WD40). I used the cold chisel only to help get the hub separation under way. I pointed the chisel at the seam where the hub meets the strut. I whacked the chisel and moved the chisel 30 to 45 degrees to another spot and repeated. Don’t over do this - that chisel is going to leave a gouge on the strut and you will need to file / sand it down later.
If you can scrounge up an extra 3 hub mounting bolts from the junk yard do it. Or take one of yours out and go buy 3 that are about 10 - 15mm’s longer than the ones you took out. Use them to temporarily replace the OEM bolts so you can beat on the heads with a hammer to help drive out the hub from behind. You cannot get a really good stroke with a hammer because of the tight quarters back there. No need to wind up on that hammer like you’re going after a a triple to 3rd base. Being heavy on that hammer will damage your hub driving bolts or result in damages to something else. The best approach is to drive from behind, persuade a bit from the front, apply a little heat, and alternate between all of these measures as you proceed.
Alternate driving in those bolts in a CW or CCW rotation. That hub is pretty deep and you cannot simply drive on one or two of those bolts to get it out. Resist trying to primarily pry it out from the front because you’ll only get in trouble. Whether from the back or front you must “walk” around to get it out millimeter by millimeter. And alternate from front & back methods. And I mean millimeter by millimeter!
I did not remove the axle shaft. I left it in place.
Just remove the nut and washer - I reused mine. Do not try to force the shaft back out of the hub. As you begin the press the hub out the shaft should not come with it. Don’t hammer the shaft back because you could damage it or the IFS if you get too rough with it. I don’t think I used more than a dead blow hammer on the threaded end of the axle to “jar” it loose - all I had to do was keep pace with ensuring it stayed in place as I drew the bad hub out of the strut/knuckle bore.
Check the smooth bearing surface on the axle to make sure it’s not damaged or worn. Inspect the seal surface of the axle to make sure there are no grooves, puts, or other damage. If so, you need to replace that axle. Use a wire brush and Brak-Kleen to clean up the splines at the end of the axle.
The axle shaft will be in the hub bore in the strut. When reinstalling the new hub just be sure to line up the splines and as you “draw” the new hub in with the 3 securing / mounting bolts do it little by little by rotating CW or CCW to each hub mounting bolt. As you do so make sure the axles shaft remains straight and goes in smoothly - it’s one of those jobs where you wished you had 3 or 4 arms and hands that would not get in the way of each other. On
assembly I smear a film of anti-seize on the splines - just enough to create a corrosion barrier and be a ‘lube’ so it slides in a bit easier.
Once separated, clean up the hub bore & front flat mating on the strut / knuckle real good so the new unit can slid in. Work around the axle that’s still in place to clean up the hub bore. I believe the front of the strut hub bore has a small bevel to help with hub alignment. Make sure it’s not damaged. If you did any other damage clean that up with a flat file and or some sandpaper.
It’s easy to bugger up that thin brake dust cover / backing plate. If it got bent or twisted you need to straighten it out or the hub won’t reinstall all the way and will be cocked. Going Slow & steady and stopping to check everything as you proceed will help you avoid causing damage to it.
The clearance is so tight that you would think these hubs are dang near a “press fit”. I never expected to replace the hub in the same side TWICE! I’m a big fan of anti-seize & always put a little “finger wipe” on bolt threads like the hub mounting bolts and especially on brake bracket hardware. I made sure to smear some anti-seize (thin film) on the hub perimeter or the strut/knuckle bore when doing the 2nd hub. If I have to replace it again I’m hoping I won’t have to use as many cuss words as I did with the first 2 times! I also always put a dab of anti-seize on each lug nut wheel stud. Just a touch.
I don’t buy cheap parts - I learned the hard way years ago that using cheaper material costs triple in the long run. Timken or SKF make good bearings. I am NOT associated with any parts retailers or manufacturers! I have bought parts from Advance Auto because I get a military discount. I’ve also used RockAuto. RockAuto delivers pretty dang quick. Just take your time identifying exactly what hub you need before buying from anyone.
One of my BEST ‘friends’ is Brak-Kleen. It helps clean up the hub bore. You may need to
use your hand to run some sand paper around inside the hub bore on the strut - don’t need to go crazy; clean it up enough to get rid of rust or corrosive scale.
I use Brak-Kleen to clean off any grease or WD40 or smudgy finger prints that get on my brake rotor. Clean shop rags - or a couple of your wife’s dish towels - are great for wiping parts down.
I always use jack stands and am in the habit of sliding the tire under the vehicle not only to get it out of the way but it’s a fail-safe in case a jack stand fails or the vehicles moves for some stupid reason. Obviously park on level ground, use wheel chocks, and set the E brake.
If you go slow & carefully and have all the parts and materials ready the job should take you a couple of hours. If it takes longer don’t sweat it. It’s not a goal to get this job done in record time.
I hope this helps.
Of course I don’t know what the problem actually is but it sounds like a bad hub to me.
Sometimes you can jack that wheel up and grad the tire at 9 & 3 and shake and feel / hear a bad hub. Other times you won’t feel or hear anything but the hub is till bad. Be reasonably sure you know which side is the culprit or you could end up doing both sides.
So; I think a bearing issue is exactly the problem you have. I own a 2012 GMC Sierra and have replaced the hub unit on the right side - TWICE. The indication the 1st time it went bad I was on a road trip and it got so bad that I didn’t think I would make it home.
The 2nd I had a good idea what was going on because of my previous experience.
I replaced both myself. I live in a state that uses a lot of a salty type brine in the roads in the winter. The biggest problem you will have is removing the sealed bearing unit with ABS from the knuckle assembly. It is a very tight fit to begin with and any additional rust / corrosion makes it even harder to get that hub out.
I don’t think I paid more than $120 (give it take) for the hub. Many hubs come with a integrated ABS and speed sensor.
You may or may not have a small torx head or Phillips head screw that holds the rotor to the hub. If you do you may need to heat it with MAPP gas or a propane torch to loosen it up.
You will need metric sockets, wrenches, extensions, and a swivel. If you have a large brass punch pull that out of your tool box too. I have automotive pry bars and a couple of big flat top screw drivers I specifically use for prying. If you have those toss them in your tool pile for this job. If you have a small MAPP gas or propane torch have them at the ready.
After you remove the brake caliper and caliper mounting brackets you can remove the rotor. Hopefully the rotor is not rusted fast to the hub. If the rotor is being stubborn you may need to use heat & a heavy hammer if it’s really stuck in there. I shoot WD40 around the center bore of the rotor and around each lug stud so it can ooze down in behind the rotor to help loosen any rust build up. You may need to use the MAPP gas around the center of the rotor. No need for anything to get red hot. Just enough heat to slightly expand the metal to break it away from the front hub assembly surface. If that’s what it takes to get it off then REPLACE the rotor & pads (both sides).
If your brakes are on the border of being replaced you might as well pull the trigger and buy 2 new rotors and brake pads - I’m sure you’re aware but always replace both sides when dealing with brakes.
I use wire, string or a couple of zip ties to hold the brake caliper brackets out of my way - otherwise the dang things are flopping down and getting in the way.
There are 3 bolts that hold the hub to the strut/knuckle assembly (on my truck anyway). They are accessible from behind the hub. It’s a tight fit for your sockets and hands. To fully access at least one of those hub bolts you will need to turn the steering left or right to get away from interfering components.
If you are not careful you will damage the dust / backing plate or the strut / knuckle assembly mating surface where the hub face meets. That backing plate is pretty thin in my opinion and it’s easy to damage. No worries about damaging a bad hub but you must not bugger up the strut / knuckle mating surface! If while driving the hub out from behind with the 3 bolts you also pry from the front at the same time it’s easy to gouge up the strut/knuckle mating surface. You may need to use your MAPP gas again - but ONLY from the front and aim the flame mostly on the hub and not the strut/knuckle. You will not need to get anything too hot - certainly not red hot!
Go slow and be patient. These hubs don’t like to cooperate. Look for a YouTube video - they can be helpful. But I will tell you I had to do a couple things that made myself cringe; I had to use heat (MAPP gas or propane), a BIG hammer, and even a cold chisel (and liberal amounts of WD40). I used the cold chisel only to help get the hub separation under way. I pointed the chisel at the seam where the hub meets the strut. I whacked the chisel and moved the chisel 30 to 45 degrees to another spot and repeated. Don’t over do this - that chisel is going to leave a gouge on the strut and you will need to file / sand it down later.
If you can scrounge up an extra 3 hub mounting bolts from the junk yard do it. Or take one of yours out and go buy 3 that are about 10 - 15mm’s longer than the ones you took out. Use them to temporarily replace the OEM bolts so you can beat on the heads with a hammer to help drive out the hub from behind. You cannot get a really good stroke with a hammer because of the tight quarters back there. No need to wind up on that hammer like you’re going after a a triple to 3rd base. Being heavy on that hammer will damage your hub driving bolts or result in damages to something else. The best approach is to drive from behind, persuade a bit from the front, apply a little heat, and alternate between all of these measures as you proceed.
Alternate driving in those bolts in a CW or CCW rotation. That hub is pretty deep and you cannot simply drive on one or two of those bolts to get it out. Resist trying to primarily pry it out from the front because you’ll only get in trouble. Whether from the back or front you must “walk” around to get it out millimeter by millimeter. And alternate from front & back methods. And I mean millimeter by millimeter!
I did not remove the axle shaft. I left it in place.
Just remove the nut and washer - I reused mine. Do not try to force the shaft back out of the hub. As you begin the press the hub out the shaft should not come with it. Don’t hammer the shaft back because you could damage it or the IFS if you get too rough with it. I don’t think I used more than a dead blow hammer on the threaded end of the axle to “jar” it loose - all I had to do was keep pace with ensuring it stayed in place as I drew the bad hub out of the strut/knuckle bore.
Check the smooth bearing surface on the axle to make sure it’s not damaged or worn. Inspect the seal surface of the axle to make sure there are no grooves, puts, or other damage. If so, you need to replace that axle. Use a wire brush and Brak-Kleen to clean up the splines at the end of the axle.
The axle shaft will be in the hub bore in the strut. When reinstalling the new hub just be sure to line up the splines and as you “draw” the new hub in with the 3 securing / mounting bolts do it little by little by rotating CW or CCW to each hub mounting bolt. As you do so make sure the axles shaft remains straight and goes in smoothly - it’s one of those jobs where you wished you had 3 or 4 arms and hands that would not get in the way of each other. On
assembly I smear a film of anti-seize on the splines - just enough to create a corrosion barrier and be a ‘lube’ so it slides in a bit easier.
Once separated, clean up the hub bore & front flat mating on the strut / knuckle real good so the new unit can slid in. Work around the axle that’s still in place to clean up the hub bore. I believe the front of the strut hub bore has a small bevel to help with hub alignment. Make sure it’s not damaged. If you did any other damage clean that up with a flat file and or some sandpaper.
It’s easy to bugger up that thin brake dust cover / backing plate. If it got bent or twisted you need to straighten it out or the hub won’t reinstall all the way and will be cocked. Going Slow & steady and stopping to check everything as you proceed will help you avoid causing damage to it.
The clearance is so tight that you would think these hubs are dang near a “press fit”. I never expected to replace the hub in the same side TWICE! I’m a big fan of anti-seize & always put a little “finger wipe” on bolt threads like the hub mounting bolts and especially on brake bracket hardware. I made sure to smear some anti-seize (thin film) on the hub perimeter or the strut/knuckle bore when doing the 2nd hub. If I have to replace it again I’m hoping I won’t have to use as many cuss words as I did with the first 2 times! I also always put a dab of anti-seize on each lug nut wheel stud. Just a touch.
I don’t buy cheap parts - I learned the hard way years ago that using cheaper material costs triple in the long run. Timken or SKF make good bearings. I am NOT associated with any parts retailers or manufacturers! I have bought parts from Advance Auto because I get a military discount. I’ve also used RockAuto. RockAuto delivers pretty dang quick. Just take your time identifying exactly what hub you need before buying from anyone.
One of my BEST ‘friends’ is Brak-Kleen. It helps clean up the hub bore. You may need to
use your hand to run some sand paper around inside the hub bore on the strut - don’t need to go crazy; clean it up enough to get rid of rust or corrosive scale.
I use Brak-Kleen to clean off any grease or WD40 or smudgy finger prints that get on my brake rotor. Clean shop rags - or a couple of your wife’s dish towels - are great for wiping parts down.
I always use jack stands and am in the habit of sliding the tire under the vehicle not only to get it out of the way but it’s a fail-safe in case a jack stand fails or the vehicles moves for some stupid reason. Obviously park on level ground, use wheel chocks, and set the E brake.
If you go slow & carefully and have all the parts and materials ready the job should take you a couple of hours. If it takes longer don’t sweat it. It’s not a goal to get this job done in record time.
I hope this helps.
Thread Starter
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Beginner
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 3
Thank you very much. You gave quite a bit of very helpful information. I have been watching some youtube vids and it does appear based on descriptions that it very well could be the bearing hub assembly. I am actually doing the front brakes too and wanted to be sure about the bearing so that I could tackle that at the same time. I have a very tight work schedule so I will be working on it over the next week as time allows. I will definitely follow up with the post upon completion. Again Thank You very much for all of your help.
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Beginner
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 3
Just a follow up of my bearing issue. Again Thank you ChiefH for all of the helpful and detailed info. I have just today replaced the bearing both actually. So far so good. The job to do it all was very easy and didn't take very long at all.
Beginner
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 2
I had a similar noise and solution. For several years (I'm embarrassed to admit), I thought it was tire noise. It was only at low speeds. My experience with wheel bearings in earlier generations of autos was that it would get louder and very loud at high speeds. I didn't even hear this one, over about 30 mph. I was having the front shocks replaced. The mechanic notice that wheel felt loose. He replaced the hub assembly. Low speed noise fixed.
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