QuestionI was wondering if you could give me the steps necessary to replace a wheel bearing in a 2001 Olds Alero. Is there also a way (besides connecting the car to a computer) to find out which side of the car has the bad wheel bearing.
AnswerHi Jeff,
If you can't tell by driving the car which side has a bad bearing, either the bearing isn't that bad yet or you need to hone your mechanic skills a little more.
There are several ways to tell which bearing is bad and I have never seen the computer method. The bearing is a mechanical part and unless you have ABS, there isn't even a sensor near it so none of the OBC's would ever know that the bearing was about to fail. It is easier to determine a front wheel bearing bad by driving the vehicle and paying attention. Take the car for a ride on a road that you can do around 50 or 60 on and NOT an interstate or other highway. Something with some sweeping turns.
If you're traveling at about fifty and sweep a turn to the left and you start to hear a whining sound, you can almost bet that the right bearing is the one that's bad and noise turning right would indicate a bad left bearing. The rears you'll have to determine by checking the run-out. You can check the fronts via run-out too, but it's usually easier to take it for a test drive. Axles make determining front run-out very difficult for someone without the 'feel', no offense intended.
Jack and support the vehicle with jack stands by the rear, outer edges of the engine cradle where the body-mount bolts are, allowing the wheels assemblies to hang. Insure ALL of the lug nuts are properly torqued and grab the top of the tire and the bottom of the tire and lightly pull and push the top and bottom in-and-out alternately. If you feel ANY play, the bearing is going bad. If you feel no movement, grab the tire at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock and wiggle it back and forth that way. If no run-out is felt, the bearing is good, move on to another wheel. Even if you find out which one it is first, test the remaining bearings anyway as a preventative practice.
As far as giving you the steps to replace the bad bearing, well, you need to determine which one it is first and I typically don't give step-by-step instructions because that is why books are published.
Looking for a reputable service technician? My advice on finding a good technician is: Steer clear of the dealership and 'chain' stores like Firestone, Sears, Pep Boys, Monro Muffler/Brake, Midas, etc. as they usually only employ ONE ASE Certified Tech just so they can say they do and chances are, that guy is the asst. manager or manager and is not in the store to diagnose/repair vehicles anyway. Find a service location in the link below or get some names out of the yellow-pages and do a drive-by. Garages that employ ASE Certified Technicians will be marked with the 'Blue-Seal' insignia. If unsure about whether a place employs Certified Techs, just ask to see their credentials. ALL ASE Certified Technicians will be PROUD to show and display their certificate(s).
Thanks for the question, I hope this information was helpful to you.
Fred
Knucklebusters Used Auto & Truck Parts, Inc.
www.knucklebusters.us
570-453-0910
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