32K Milles

 

Interesting feedback. Its so odd that some of them fail without many miles, and others seem to last a long time. Hopefully mine will remain in the many miles camp for many more miles to come.

I thought about buying them and keeping them in the car, but it would be my luck that if I bought the front ones, then it would be the back ones that would go out, or my luck would be that the car would get totaled.

 

In the past most front wheel bearings were roller tapers and they lasted nearly for ever if properly packed with grease. Today they are sealed ball bearings and they have much less surface area. Because of this they also have less drag and create better MPG in todays cars. But with less surface area they are more prone to damage. Hit a curb or hole just right and it can set the destruction in motion of the bearing.

Because of this they can last 40K-200K just depending on what you have hit or driven over and how good the bearing was made. Note all of them are not the same.

This is an issue on nearly all the cars as they nearly all have gone to this kind of bearing.

 

just got them replaced at 52,000 with timken they ran me about $110 each thru rockauto.com

 

I miss the old tapered bearings. They could take a beating and last about forever with just an occasional repacking.

I could definitely see that roads up north being as they usually are would be cause for much more of a beating than the smooth roads down South. That and there is no salt to attack the bearing seals.

 

What really eats then here is where is someone just slides into a curb in the snow and nerfs the tire. It may not be a hard hit but it is enough to tweak a bearing.

 

Replaced drivers side had over 100000 on it. Am wondering are more problems with drivers side or is it the luck of the draw as to what one goes out first.

 

Odds are just as good on one as the other.

Just depends on luck and what it has hit over the years.

Ball Bearings has such a small surface area while they reduce rolling resistance they just have a much smaller area that can degrade for various reasons.

It is the price we pay to get more mpg.

 

At 150,000 miles mine started to have a little roar. The passenger side was worn a little more than the driver side on mine, you could feel a little resistance in the bearing when removed. I replaced them, very easy to do. Smooth and quite now.

 

General rule is "if you can feel it, it's bad" .002" is dam small.