Safe to drive on front wheel bearing making noise?

I have a front wheel bearing that is making a little noise and was wondering if it was safe to drive on it for a trip in a few days.

 

Wheel bearings are tough to call. Sometimes they start making noise and eat themselves in 1000 miles, sometimes they make noise forever before they develop any slop. Sometimes they don't make any noise at all until they're already shot. I'd recommend having a mechanic look at it, shake the front end down, and see what they say about how bad it is.

 

It is not something you want to risk. I would replace ASAP.

 

Get it checked by a mechanic first. I would err on the safe side and say no. Too many "what if's"

 

Well I ordered the bearings and hubs but I will not be able to put them on till I get them which is after the trip.

 

That's like saying, "I have a gash in my hand. Should I get it stitched or just duct tape it together?" One persons gash is a paper cut. Another persons gash cut all the way to the bone.

No one here can judge how loud the bearing noise is and how much slop is in the bearing. You also failed to mention how far the trip is. 10 miles or 1,000 miles. If part of the trip takes you to barren wasteland with no cell service, you may have a long walk if it fails catastrophically. So, to be on the safe side, the logical answer is fix it before you go or take another vehicle.

 

Phsssh. I'm NYC 99%of vehicles driving need a wheel bearing. If it's making a little noise I'm sure you'd be fine.

 

I've had a bearing go out on me. While on the highway. At speed.


I'd get it replaced ASAP.

(It was a Chevy, btw)

 

This is the right answer to always give to on a public forum.

But agree, not knowing the relative severity based on imprecise description of a "little" noise no way to know for sure until it starts making "a lot" of noise and eventually seizes (even just "a little" of that ain't good) on the highway.

 

I have no wobble and the sound is a clicking noise when the wheel is off the ground and spun by hand

 

Clicking?

That almost sounds like a CV, not a wheel bearing. They tend to make a rumbly noise when they're bad.

 

It sounds like it is coming from the hub. Could that still be a CV

 

Not sure driving in NYC is equal to a road trip in terms of the risk he's interested in knowing about.

 

it is a 600 mile round trip

 

Potentially, if it makes more noise when you turn the wheel, regardless of which direction you turn it in. A wheel bearing will make more noise when you turn a tight corner and put more weight on that side (for instance, more noise during a tight right turn means a bad driver's side bearing, less means a bad passenger side bearing), and less noise when you turn to put less weight on it. A bad CV will make more noise when turning a tight corner, but independent of the direction you turn in.

 

The noise lessens when going around a curve on the highway at 60 - 65

 

How about if you pull a tight corner in a parking lot?

 

You can’t hear anything making noise

 

Ok, then we're back to wheel bearing. If it's making a clicking noise, definitely have a mechanic take a look at it before you drive 600 miles. It might start singing to you and suddenly you'll be driving a poorly-balanced tricycle at highway speeds.

 

Well looks like I am driving something else. Thanks to all who replied