How Do You Know If Your Rear Wheel Bearings Are Bad?

I have a 2006 Tacoma that seems to make a muffled grinding noise that is rather loud when I both accelerate and decelerate, but it is even more noticeable when I decelerate with my foot off of the gas. I got used to the noise to the point that I do not know if it is normal, or what it may be if something is bad.

When I had my frame swapped out for the frame recall BS a few months ago, the dealer asked me if I had been hearing any noises while driving (I didn't mention anything before hand to him), and he suggested my rear bearings might be bad. He did not tell me they were outright bad though, and since he gave me a quote of around $1200 or so to replace them, I figured he was just trying to see if I was going to take the bait.

Can anyone tell me what I might expect to hear or feel when I am driving to know if my rear wheel bearings are bad? Is there a way for me to test the bearing myself by jacking up one of the rear wheels at a time and spinning them (if they will spin) to see if the bearing makes noise?
If they are bad, what might I expect to pay a shop to change one or both bearings?

Thanks!

 

My rear passenger rear bearing went out at 20k miles. There was a low constant hum whenever I reached 60 mph, as if someone was humming in your ear. Other than that, I wouldn’t even know.

 

park on a flat surface, put something like a 2x4 or 4x4 in front of the front tires to keep from rolling, slap the tranny in neutral and jack the rear end up. first try to wiggle the tire back and forth and see if you feel a slight movement. second spin the tire and listen closely and see if you can hear like a grinding sound coming. a good bearing wont make a sound, the tire will spin quietly, a bad bearing will have like a grinding type of sound.

 

Jack it up, grab the tire at 12 and 6 o'clock and try to tilt it both ways. If there is play you need new bearings.

 

When bearings are first starting to fail, you may not be able to get enough play to move a wheel but you still may hear them.

So don't be surprised if you don't detect play.

Once they've gotten much worse, then you'll definitely be able to detect play.

Also, are you certain it's not your rear differential since you're hearing the sound when you let off the gas?

JL

 

A bad bearing will grind and wobble as someone has stated above.
Maybe your grinding noise is the rear brake shoes. Maybe those have worn down or there may be broken hardware caught inside the drum causing the scraping sound.

 

Did you figure this out?

 

Yes I'm wondering about this too. I have a humming vibration that starts about 30 - 40mph that you can hear and feel through the pedal. Replaced the front bearings and tires and no change in the noise.

 

Do you have a lift? Could be a bad needle bearing

 

No lift - original non-TSB leafs, Bilstein 5100's x4. Front shocks at .85 but I installed those at the same time as the tires and no change in the noise. Ruled out the needle bearing because the noise doesn't change in 4hi.

 

I have the exact same issues in my 2011 peerunner. wheel bearings show no movement or play at all but I get that humming noise all the time as described.

 

Huh huh, huh huh, he said peerunner

 

FYI- Wheel bearings [really any bearing] can make noise for a while before there is discernible wheel play/movement, the metal is very high quality and very hard. They degrade very slowly, taking thousands of miles to truly fail and even small pitting/wear will create a harmonic/humming.

JL

 

OP seems to have disappeared from this thread. When one of my rear bearings went bad I noticed it when turning the opposite way....Left bearing was bad, heard noise and grinding when turning to the right. Truck had 160,000 on original bearings at the time.

 

This^^ You can also do this and run the truck up with traction control off. Have one person drive while you use a stethoscope to listen for a roaring noise from either end of the axle.

 

.

 

I have the exact same problem on my 07, 4x4 Access Cab. Any ideas on how to isolate problem other than what has been described so far?

 

I am inclined to believe the mechanic's stethoscope method is best [as described by a prior poster], if the bearing is not worn enough to ascertain wheel play.

 

I'm so sorry I haven't replied back. I got busy and forgot all about this post. I haven't tried any of the suggested tests yet, but they are on my Tacoma to do list. I did have to bring my truck into a mechanic for something else and I mentioned this issue there. They believe that it could be a pinion bearing that could be causing the noise, but they would have to drain the transfer case and inspect it to know for sure. Is this a possibility, or are they just trying to get me to shotgun a part that will probably take a lot of labor to remove and replace?