Is it bad to...
08-19-2007, 03:36 PM
#1
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Is it bad to...
drive with a bad wheel bearing? not a long distance just around town until i get it fixed. and man is that thing annoying. waaaaaawaaaaawaaawaaa. driving me nuts but is it a big deal to drive on it? TIA
08-19-2007, 03:55 PM
#3
I've driven a few thousand miles on a bad wheel bearing before
It was annoying but it lasted just fine. Another time I had a wheel bearing start to go (just started making noise) and the wheel was wobbly when I jacked up the car and pulled on the wheel. So it might be fine, and it might die pretty quick... it all depends on how it failed (or is failing). The problem you run into is that the bad wheel bearing will create a lot of heat, and all the grease can burn off off (if it hasn't leaked out already). This means the bearing can seize, which wouldn't be good. Also if the wheel gets wobbly you can destroy wheel speed sensors, brake pads, rotors or even calipers. Or it can catastrophically fail.
So while you may be fine driving on it for a while, just keep an eye on it (jack up the car and watch for play) and get it changed as soon as you can.
So while you may be fine driving on it for a while, just keep an eye on it (jack up the car and watch for play) and get it changed as soon as you can.
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08-20-2007, 05:32 AM
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How can you tell if the WB is going bad? What noise does it make?
I have a "squeaking" noise coming from my front driver side wheel. It picks up with speed, and seems to dissapear after everything gets warmed up... no clue what it is, I just hear it when I have the drive side window down.
08-20-2007, 09:12 AM
#10
Typical noise on these cars is an extremely loud tire-tread noise - like when summer high perf.tires
get worn down, but like 20 times louder - almost a booming, rhythmic rum. I have had wheel bearings fail on non-Audis that make a sqeaking/squealing noise (not a belt squeal, but definitely metal-on-metal). If it picks up with vehicle speed, it has to be something turning at vehicle speed, so WB has to be one of the suspects.
If the bearing goes it can kill the spindle and then you are talking some serious $ to replace that.
If the bearing goes it can kill the spindle and then you are talking some serious $ to replace that.