F-150 wheel-bearing noise: find the cause

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Article contents

• Faulty wheel bearing symptoms

• Identifying a wheel bearing noise

• Pinpoint noisy wheel bearing location

• Checking wheel bearing for play

• Free spin wheel bearing to confirm noise

• Replace F150 front wheel bearing

Faulty wheel bearing symptoms

• Noise: Clicking, rumbling, groaning, grinding noise

• Vibration, wobble, or shimmy

• Abnormal tire wear

• ABS light

Identifying a wheel bearing noise

• Drive the vehicle to confirm a wheel bearing noise is heard, make sure to test drive at both slow speeds and highway speeds

• Check for a constant growling or groaning type sound that usually gets louder the faster the vehicles speed

Pinpoint noisy wheel bearing location

Difficulty: 1/5
Time required: 5 minutes
Tools Required: None

1. Locate a smooth road with minimal traffic and remove or turn off noises such as the blower motor or radio

2. Bring the vehicle up to the speed the noise is most noticeable

3. Slightly turn the wheel back and forth, enough to shift the weight of the vehicle from side to side

4. Listen for the noise to change and note which direction the noise sounds the loudest

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Checking wheel bearing for play or looseness

Difficulty: 1/5
Time required: 15 minutes
Tools Required: Floor jack, Jack Stands

1. Safely lift vehicle of the ground, if using a floor jack make sure to secure with jack stands!

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2. With the truck safely supported, rock the tire at 12 and 6 o’clock while observing where movement occurs. Confirm whether it is at the hub bearing or a suspension joint. Movement at a ball joint or control-arm bushing calls for that diagnosis, not an automatic hub purchase.

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Free spin wheel bearing to confirm noise

This video check uses engine vacuum to release the IWE on the setup shown. Match the truck’s lifting and test setup first; use secure stands, ventilate exhaust, keep hands and the stethoscope clear of moving parts, and never power the raised wheels in gear.

Difficulty: 1/5
Time required: 15 minutes
Tools Required: Floor jack, Jack Stands, Stethoscope

1. With vehicle in park/neutral, start the engine to allow engine vacuum to release the IWE actuator (DO NOT PUT THE VEHICLE IN GEAR)

2. With the help of an assistant spin the tire by hand while listening to the wheel bearing. Due to the noise of engine running, a stethoscope may be needed to hear if the bearing is noisy.

3. If the noise is isolated to the bearing, use that finding with the tire and looseness checks to decide on hub replacement. No play, or no noise during a hand-spin check, does not by itself rule out a bearing that is noisy under load.

4. Use your findings to choose the next step →

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