I just went to get my 1996 Ford Explorer XLT inspected, and the mechanic told me that my wheel bearings, and I quote, “have some play.” I assuming that he meant they were a little old or worn, but I’m not sure. I suppose my question is this: should I be concerned? The Kelly Blue Book value of it is only about $1000 (and that’s being generous). As my Dad says, I don’t want to be “throwing good money after bad” in order to fix the wheel bearings, especially if the repair is worth more than the price of the car. But it might be necessary if the car is now unsafe to drive, especially since I need to make a 500 mile trip here in a month. Should I get these fixed? Should my car still be OK to drive, if so, for how long? Should I get a second opinion? Can anyone help? Thanks!
Front wheel bearings are not that expensive to replace. If that is all that’s wrong with the truck, and they need REPLACING, by all means, replace them.
Thanks, I’ll be sure to get them replaced (if they need replacing).