Would a bad rear wheel bearing make my car pull left and right?
 

Hi guys,

I'll be changing the rear driver side wheel bearing this weekend on my car. I find that my car started pulling to the left and sometimes to the right at highway speeds. Its not always just one side, but it seems to change from side to side as I'm driving along.

Could this be due to a bad bearing?
The car started doing this about the same time as the bearing started making noise.

Has any one ever experienced this?

My rear was dead and gone by the time I got it off the car, and I never noticed that problem.

You might want to check out rear toe rod ends while youre in there.

If you feel it pulling I'd be investigating your front end more. When my rear bearings go the back end feels more like it is wiggling side to side as if on ice when you change from coast to acceleration.

Make sure you are holding the steering wheel straight.... :jester:

I had a somewhat similar problem, turned out the left rear toe in adjustment was out by quite a bit

You might want to try a good 4 wheel alignment

:seeya

Seems to me someone had posted a simular experience. The wheel bearing has to be real gone for direction control issues.

:cheers: -JRC-

Here's the deal,

I had the tie rod ends changed maybe 2 or 3 years ago and the car hasn't seen enough milage since then... maybe 15 000km.
I remember the car pulling a lot to the left before I had the tie rods changed (both front tie rod ends were changed) but now its different, the car will pull to the left for a few seconds and if I let it go without touching the steering wheel, it will then start pulling to the right.

The wheels were balanced and the car was aligned last summer? unless the alignment went off?? maybe being parked all winter didn't' help the alignment.

And yes the rear of the car does tend to go off to one side when flooring the gas pedal but I though this was normal.

The bearing is making a lot of noise and sometimes makes a ticking sound when driving very slowing or aplying the brakes for a stop.

I'll change the bearing this weekend and give you guys an update, but more input is welcome,

Thank! :cheers:

Yes, sorry for the hard time. But I would definitly expect an alignment or front suspension issue before I suspected the rear wheel bearings.

Ask your local auto clubs who they get aligned by, I just picked a random place and somehow they put in 3* + camber when I asked for 1-.....and it didn't track straight up front either so I just got all 4 wheels realigned, check out here for alignments:

http://www.vbandp.com/instructions/h...ruct/align.htm

How about the REAR tie rod ends??? That's a joke, RIGHT? How could the alignment change while the car is sitting???

RACE ON!!!

If you did not check the tire pressures after it sat all winter,go check them cold and see if any need air.Many times,these large tires can be 10-20 lbs off on air and still look inflated.I also wonder if the tires flat spotted a bit as well from sitting too long.
Anyways,low air pressure on one side can also cause that feel of Pulling to the side.Also be sure a caliper or hose isnt hanging up or sticking.

I know that all the tie rods were checked, and I know for fact the two front ones were replace.

I looked at the front tires last night and the front passenger side tires seems crooked, the front is sticking out by about 1/2 an inch and the driver side tire looked really straight.
I'll check the tire pressure tonight and change the wheel bearing this weekend and if the car still pulls I'll have it aligned next week.

By the way what is the recommended tire pressure for our cars?

Thanks for the help guys

I checked the tire pressure this morning... turns out it was the problem.

It was down to 20 Psi on 3 tires and 25 Psi on 1 :eek:

The cars runs great now... man I feel stupid, I honestly though I filled up the tires after winter storage.

Thanks guys

Glad you got it figured out.
As manner of habit, I usually check mine once a month (right before I auto-x and that night following). Remember that temperature variance can also have a good affect on tire pressure. What is inflated in summer, is sometimes underinflated in winter.
And inflation in winter, can be overinflation in summer.
:seeya

Edit: Ohh yeah, I like my rides stiff, so I run ~30-35 lbs depending on mood :D

A bad tire will cause that also. You might try rotating your tires and see if there is a change. Most roads have a slope as for water drainage. Try switching lanes on a two lane and try the other side of the slope and see if you have pull. If the bearing was so bad to make it pull I don't think you would be driving it.
Like posted below check your toe and alignment.

I filled up all 4 tires to about 33-34 psi and it pulls straight now, and I changed the rear right wheel bearing this weekend. I had to pull out the right axle shaft to be able to reach the torx bolt to remove the bearing so it also gave me a chance to look a the U joints. They also turned out being in good shape, (they were only change 2 years ago) After replacing the bearing I took it out for a test drive, I don't ear that annoying ticking sound when going really slowly or applying the brakes for a stop.

But now I still have an annoying humming sound when going over 55 Mph, but its not a continuous humming sound, its in waves, like. "hum, hum, hum" and I can barely make it out when going slowly but when I go over 55 Mph its becomes louder.

It seems like its coming from the rear right, but it could just be me earring things since I'm sitting on the drivers side. I'll have my g/f drive the car tonight and I'll sit on the passenger side to see if theirs any difference.

I have all 4 tires balanced last year but I was told one of them was crooked and the guy balanced it the best he could. I know this could potentially be the problem, OR the two U joints on the main drive shaft that I didn't replace 2 years ago.

I'm just wondering what type of symptoms bad U joints would have, is it more of a cracking sound or would it be a humming sound at higher speeds... and is there an easy way of know if it might be my tires also? maybe switching it from one side to the other to see if the noise changes sides with it?

Thanks for the help guys,