Wheel Bearings & Struts- How Long Should They Last?
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: 04-20-2010
Posts: 33
From: Detroit
Wheel Bearings & Struts- How Long Should They Last?
Hello!
My 2006 HHR makes a grinding noise when the vehicle is moving (engine on or coasting). The sound gets louder the faster the car goes. A mechanic diagnosed that the wheel bearings were bad. He also said that the front struts were rusty and should be replaced. The car has just under 40,000 miles.
The struts are original, but the wheel bearings have only 20,177 miles on them and are 12-1/2 years old. That time, and this time, the front brakes were replaced a few months before the bad bearings were diagnosed. (Different mechanics than the one who diagnosed the problems today.)
Could the bearings going bad have anything to do with brakes being replaced, or is it just coincidence? Or, perhaps do the bearings go bad because the car isn't used every day. Some weeks, it is only used for about 5 to 10 miles. Every year for the last dozen or so years the total miles driven is around 1,000 per year.
Or, could the bad struts damage the wheel bearings?
Is it unusual for the struts to rust in only 40,000 miles?
What I'm trying to learn is how to make bearings and struts last longer.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Paul
My 2006 HHR makes a grinding noise when the vehicle is moving (engine on or coasting). The sound gets louder the faster the car goes. A mechanic diagnosed that the wheel bearings were bad. He also said that the front struts were rusty and should be replaced. The car has just under 40,000 miles.
The struts are original, but the wheel bearings have only 20,177 miles on them and are 12-1/2 years old. That time, and this time, the front brakes were replaced a few months before the bad bearings were diagnosed. (Different mechanics than the one who diagnosed the problems today.)
Could the bearings going bad have anything to do with brakes being replaced, or is it just coincidence? Or, perhaps do the bearings go bad because the car isn't used every day. Some weeks, it is only used for about 5 to 10 miles. Every year for the last dozen or so years the total miles driven is around 1,000 per year.
Or, could the bad struts damage the wheel bearings?
Is it unusual for the struts to rust in only 40,000 miles?
What I'm trying to learn is how to make bearings and struts last longer.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Paul
Moderator
Joined: 01-23-2009
Posts: 26,543
From: Fredericksburg,VA
Struts and shocks should be good for about 70,000 miles; under body rust around Detroit is probably common and NOT a criteria for rplacing them.
Struts don't damage bearings.
Front brake wear is most commonly because nobody ever adjusts the rear drum brakes. Self adjusters DON'T work.
What did they say was wrong with the brakes? Front pads with correctly adjusted rear brakes should last 70,000 miles.
Bad bearing can cause brake wear because the rotor can wobble.
Many shops make their big money off brake jobs. A friend of mine got a "Lifetime" set of brakes at a Midas store, he took it back for a inspection without mentioning the guarantee; they gave him an estimate in the thousands, suddenly got to less than $100 worth of work when he asked if that was covered by his guarantee..
If the noise is there when you are noty moving you should look at the flex pipe on the exhaust.
Struts don't damage bearings.
Front brake wear is most commonly because nobody ever adjusts the rear drum brakes. Self adjusters DON'T work.
What did they say was wrong with the brakes? Front pads with correctly adjusted rear brakes should last 70,000 miles.
Bad bearing can cause brake wear because the rotor can wobble.
Many shops make their big money off brake jobs. A friend of mine got a "Lifetime" set of brakes at a Midas store, he took it back for a inspection without mentioning the guarantee; they gave him an estimate in the thousands, suddenly got to less than $100 worth of work when he asked if that was covered by his guarantee..
If the noise is there when you are noty moving you should look at the flex pipe on the exhaust.
Senior Member
Joined: 03-22-2010
Posts: 2,108
From: Russia Ekaterinburg
donbrew told the truth, x2
The usual noise in the suspension for our car comes from:
front brakes - replacing pads;
bushings and stabilizer links - replacements, but this is not your case with a high probability.
The front shock absorber struts may produce a shock sound due to broken springs, loss of support bearings, or wear of the shock absorber cartridge. But rusting of the struts as such is not involved in the noise.
As for wheel bearings: You can diagnose its wear yourself. A dying wheel bearing makes a constant whining sound when moving (not grinding or banging). This sound may begin immediately or as it reaches a certain speed. If you hear this sound, turn the steering wheel and change the trajectory; when you turn in one direction, the sound always disappears; when you turn in the opposite direction, the sound intensifies. If this is the case in practice, your wheel bearing should die, but not very soon, with a high probability it will last for many more months or even a couple of years. And so, you have identified wheel bearing disease by sound. Now you need to understand - right or left (failure of both at once is unlikely). To understand which bearing is at death, hang one of the wheels above the ground, squat down, grab the wheel on the right and left with both hands and swing it from side to side toward you and away from you. If the wheel sits firmly on the axle and does not wobble, this wheel bearing is young and vigorous; if the wheel gives the impression of not secured and staggers with a slight knock, the wheel bearing is sick. Check both front wheels one at a time, then the rear wheels if desired.
smart, save money
The usual noise in the suspension for our car comes from:
front brakes - replacing pads;
bushings and stabilizer links - replacements, but this is not your case with a high probability.
The front shock absorber struts may produce a shock sound due to broken springs, loss of support bearings, or wear of the shock absorber cartridge. But rusting of the struts as such is not involved in the noise.
As for wheel bearings: You can diagnose its wear yourself. A dying wheel bearing makes a constant whining sound when moving (not grinding or banging). This sound may begin immediately or as it reaches a certain speed. If you hear this sound, turn the steering wheel and change the trajectory; when you turn in one direction, the sound always disappears; when you turn in the opposite direction, the sound intensifies. If this is the case in practice, your wheel bearing should die, but not very soon, with a high probability it will last for many more months or even a couple of years. And so, you have identified wheel bearing disease by sound. Now you need to understand - right or left (failure of both at once is unlikely). To understand which bearing is at death, hang one of the wheels above the ground, squat down, grab the wheel on the right and left with both hands and swing it from side to side toward you and away from you. If the wheel sits firmly on the axle and does not wobble, this wheel bearing is young and vigorous; if the wheel gives the impression of not secured and staggers with a slight knock, the wheel bearing is sick. Check both front wheels one at a time, then the rear wheels if desired.
smart, save money
Administrator
Joined: 10-13-2011
Posts: 40,097
From: Welland,Ont Canada
The wheel bearing noise can be attributed to the bearings themselves, depending on the quality of the parts installed. The brakes the same, cheap jobber parts won’t last long.
X2 about the adjustment of those rear brakes.
as for the struts a little rust isn’t a problem, fluid leaking out of them is a problem.
X2 about the adjustment of those rear brakes.
as for the struts a little rust isn’t a problem, fluid leaking out of them is a problem.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: 04-20-2010
Posts: 33
From: Detroit
Thank You to each of you for the very helpful education! I very much appreciate the time you took to reply and explain.
Since it is in the 20's and 30's outside (too cold for me at my age) and because I wanted the car safe for us right away, I hesitantly decided to take the car in for service.
The shop owner found that the upper bracket on one of the struts was rusted so the strut was moving about. It's the one that looks like a wide clamp & I think it connects to the sway bar. The lower mounting, where the 2 bolts are, also had deep rust. He replaced both struts. One wheel bearing was very lose and I could see it was worn almost through. They also did an alignment at the end of the project. At my request, they flushed the coolant system. I goofed on that and let the coolant become almost 10 years old.
He checked the rear brakes and found them in proper adjustment. The front pads were still OK & not yet damaged by the bearings.
I guess it worked out OK taking it in. (Warmer, anyway.) Labor for the 2 hubs/bearings was 120.00. Labor for the 2 struts was 240.00.
The Moog hubs/bearings are lifetime parts warranty. The Monroe struts are 3 year part warranty. Labor is 2 year warranty on each. The parts (same part brand & model) were about what the cheapest on-line place that I could get them and much cheaper than if locally purchased.
Truthfully, had this been summer, I would have liked to try these jobs. They look like an interesting & kind of fun challenge.
I asked the owner if he sees a lot of HHR & Cobalt struts and bearings. He said rust damages the OEM strut brackets, so he sees them frequently. (Mine are original.) He said he's seen many wheel bearings damaged from hitting pot holes, but mine simply wore out to the point where one suddenly started grinding. Such is life, I suppose.
Again, I'd like to thank you again for taking time to help out with this! I learned a lot.
Paul
Since it is in the 20's and 30's outside (too cold for me at my age) and because I wanted the car safe for us right away, I hesitantly decided to take the car in for service.
The shop owner found that the upper bracket on one of the struts was rusted so the strut was moving about. It's the one that looks like a wide clamp & I think it connects to the sway bar. The lower mounting, where the 2 bolts are, also had deep rust. He replaced both struts. One wheel bearing was very lose and I could see it was worn almost through. They also did an alignment at the end of the project. At my request, they flushed the coolant system. I goofed on that and let the coolant become almost 10 years old.
He checked the rear brakes and found them in proper adjustment. The front pads were still OK & not yet damaged by the bearings.
I guess it worked out OK taking it in. (Warmer, anyway.) Labor for the 2 hubs/bearings was 120.00. Labor for the 2 struts was 240.00.
The Moog hubs/bearings are lifetime parts warranty. The Monroe struts are 3 year part warranty. Labor is 2 year warranty on each. The parts (same part brand & model) were about what the cheapest on-line place that I could get them and much cheaper than if locally purchased.
Truthfully, had this been summer, I would have liked to try these jobs. They look like an interesting & kind of fun challenge.
I asked the owner if he sees a lot of HHR & Cobalt struts and bearings. He said rust damages the OEM strut brackets, so he sees them frequently. (Mine are original.) He said he's seen many wheel bearings damaged from hitting pot holes, but mine simply wore out to the point where one suddenly started grinding. Such is life, I suppose.
Again, I'd like to thank you again for taking time to help out with this! I learned a lot.
Paul
