my alero''s wheel bearings are grinding and making a bad sound....I did read the thread about the wheel bearings but it wasn''t conclusive....so are AZ bearings ok? do I have to get the ones from the stealership? the want 300 bucks a side......

 

You can get them at checker or autozone for around $100-150 a piece.

 

so i jacked the car up today to cheack the bearings and the have no play in them what so ever.......it sure does sound like a bearing to me but i do need new tires so i guess i''ll get them 1st and see

 

Did you check the rear too or just the front? Have you checked the brakes, rotors, pads, and the caliper for sticking? If the caliper is sticking you''ll notice a lot of wear on the rotor and one pad.Edited by: rustyballs_69

 

i did check the rears ..... it''s funny you say the brakes casue while checking i did notice one pad is half worn while the others look new....the sliders weren''t sticking I did check .....the noise comes and goes when you turn one way and gets louder when you turn the other.....like a WB noise......I dunno but i know it''s getting worse....oh and I got new tires now....how can i test the caliper?

 

It sounds a lot like a wheel bearing because you said it gets louder when you turn and that usually a sign of the wheel bearing failing.


I have no clue how you would test the caliper. I know they sell kits that have two gauges to test the pressure but they are pretty spendy.

 

i did some further checking and the WB has NATIONAL inscribed on it...is that an ok brand?...I normally always use timken....it sounds and behaves exactly like a WB just doesn''t have any play in it.....I wonder if it just doesn''t have any play yet?...could I just be hearing the dry bearing right before it goes "bad"?....I have only owned this car a few months and that WB looks as tho it''s been changed recently but after reading that long thread about the ebay WB''s i realize that means nothing.....it''s just I got a little bit to spend on it and don''t want to buy the wrong parts.....

 

I would think the National bearing would be fine. I have heard a few people say that their aftermarket Timken bearings have failed in a few months so they may not be the best bet anyway.

 

ok i did some more looking and the right rear WB was making a clacking sound so i replaced that and the rear rotors and pads......still has a slight noise but i believe it to be in the front....but.....

 

ok so after much hair pulling out i got it fixed up the drivers side front WB was bad...it didn''t have any play in it but the noise is gone....only problem now is that i broke the ABS wires.....any way to repair them?