While driving, the car has a variable howling sound, on right side which may increase if turning a hard left. Could this be a bad wheel bearing?
Yes it could be.
1 Like
It’s possible, but a bad wheel bearing usually makes what is described as a “growling” noise, which gets louder the faster you go. Try typing “wheel bearing” into the forum search feature and see what other posters have said. Link upper right this page.
If the noise is coming from the right front:
Yes, turning left is loading the right front bearing more, making more noise, when turning right it should decrease a little…
Jack the vehicle up (jack stands or lift) and see if you can feel a roughness from the right front coil spring with your hand while rotating the right front wheel…
2 Likes
Thanks, I agree with your thinking.
Thanks, I can agree with you. It could also be called a growling.
Just a heads-up for when you take it to your shop. Folks here say it is pretty common for a faulty wheel bearing to not display any obvious symptoms other than the growling noise when driving.
Thanks for the advice. That is the way my car is.
Front bearings are inexpensive and easy to replace and if you have lots of miles on the car, do both at the same time.
Keep in mind it could also be a rear axle bearing. It could also be the limited slip differential depending on what options are on the car… GT, V6, Track Pack, ect.
Thak you. I have considered those other items.
Just curious, do modern Mustang’s use the same type of front-wheel bearing configuration my Ford truck uses? i.e, conical shaped bearings, inner and outer, one of which basically falls out and lands on the garage floor when you remove the rotor, the other held in by a simple bearing seal, & neither need a press to install them?
Nope, simpler:
IC, you just replace the entire hub on the Mustang, and let whoever manufacturers the hub worry about the bearing. Definitely looks to be a pretty easy diy’er job. How does the parts price of a new hub compare to a pair of conical bearings? I’ve never had to replace my truck’s front wheel bearings, but I think they cost about $15 each for new ones.
I don’t think it’s the same as your truck, It is called Wheel Bearing and Hub Assembly. I ordered one and have not seen it yet. As you said inexpensive: ONLY (sort of) $93.50 wholesale from a Ford dealer, about $ 50 more retail.
From the vdo it seemed like the only frustrating (meaning time-consuming) parts of the job from a diy’er perspective is to get the rotor loose if it is rust-bound, and to get that stubborn looking hemispherical hub cap off. The same job on my truck is a little more complicated b/c the 4WD free running hub mechanism has to be disassembled and moved out of the way first.
No George. Mustangs use a hub and bearing pack with angular contact ball bearings.
I presume you mean as compared to the truck’s conical roller bearings. Yes, it has to be fundamentally different b/c the Mustang (from the vdo) looks to use a cylinder-shaped spindle.
The truck’s spindle is conical shaped. hmmm … trying to imagine what the angular contact ball bearing config looks like …
Only if the manufacture avoided improvments for the last 50 years.
2 Likes
Have you ever repacked the rear wheel bearings on your 1992 Corolla? Vehicle manufactures began using sealed wheel bearings decades ago.
No, 92 Corolla uses sealed front & rear wheel bearings. All of my bicycles use the same type of sealed wheel bearings too. I think my trucks’ rear wheel bearings may be similar to sealed bearings, not sure as never replaced. Not sure what motivated manufacturers to switch from conical replaceable bearings to sealed. Maybe most owners never bothered to repack them?