Wheel bearings are an integral part of any vehicle. They make it possible for the wheel hub assembly (and therefore, the wheels) to rotate with minimal friction.
While their heavy-duty design and tough materials reduce the need for upkeep, wheel bearings will eventually wear out. The average bearing lasts for anywhere between 85,000 and 100,000 miles. But a wheel bearing may last longer or fail earlier, depending on certain factors, such as the quality of the bearing and the way the vehicle is driven.
A bad wheel bearing can make a vehicle difficult or dangerous to drive. It’s important to get a high-quality replacement with the right fit to ensure lasting performance.
Wheel bearings enable the wheel hub assembly (and therefore, the wheels) to rotate with minimal friction.
Need high-quality replacement wheel bearings for your vehicle? Check out TrueDrive® wheel bearings. Designed with longevity and consumer safety in mind, TrueDrive® parts promise an uncompromised fit, finish, and level of quality. TrueDrive® is the true choice for aftermarket suspension and ride control, keeping your vehicle strong and steady on the road so you can drive with confidence, no matter where the road takes you.
6 Best Wheel Bearing Brands
Looking for the best wheel bearing replacement for your vehicle can prove intimidating, especially since not all drivers are knowledgeable about auto repair. To help you find the best wheel bearings for your vehicle, we’ve identified the five best brands on the market today:
TrueDrive wheel bearings provide the ideal blend of value and durability. To ensure excellence, all of the brand’s products come from the same top-tier factories as major manufacturers. At the same time, brick-and-mortar supply chain markups are cut out to deliver a lower cost.
What’s more, TrueDrive wheel bearings offer a guaranteed fitment right out of the box. Every component is manufactured to strict ISO 9001 / TS 16949 / OEM / OES production standards to ensure a long, reliable service life. A precision-machined bearing delivers maximum load support, and a smooth, quiet ride—no matter where the road takes you.
TrueDrive wheel bearings offer the ideal blend of value and durability.
Key Features:
Install-ready
1-year, unlimited mileage warranty
Quality tested to ensure a smooth and quiet drive
Precision-machined bearing
Manufactured to strict ISO 9001 / TS 16949 / OEM / OES production standards
Timken wheel bearings feature lightweight heavy-duty parts made from top quality materials.
Timken offers high-quality replacement parts for wheel bearing assemblies. Timken wheel bearings are made from lightweight, heavy-duty metal, which offers vehicles a good balance between durability and functionality.
Key Features:
Products meet ISO 9001 or ISO/TS 16949 standards
Lightweight heavy-duty parts made from top quality materials
Centric Parts manufactures brake products that deliver excellent performance and assured quality. Its expertise extends to other automotive parts like wheel bearings, hubs, and seals under its Premium and C-Tek products lines.
Centric’s C-Tek series offers a wide range of wheel bearings for all vehicle types. Their toughness, performance, and reliability live up to Centric’s standard of quality.
Centric’s C-Tek series offers a wide range of wheel bearings for all vehicle types.
Key Features:
Full range of wheel bearings for cars and light truck models built from 1940 to 2010
High-quality components with exact fit and function
Ford aficionados who need new wheel bearings can turn to Motorcraft for replacement parts that are guaranteed to fit their vehicles. As the Ford Motor Company’s official automotive parts brand, Motorcraft manufactures wheel bearings to the same standards as the stock bearings.
Not only are Motorcraft wheel bearings fully compatible with Ford vehicles, they also use high-quality materials and cutting-edge manufacturing processes for superior performance and strength.
As the Ford Motor Company’s official automotive parts brand, Motorcraft manufactures wheel bearings to the same standards as stock bearings.
Key Features:
Guaranteed fit in Ford vehicles
Special seals protect the wheel bearings from dust and other contaminants
Two-year warranty with unlimited mileage and free labor
Established in 1963, Crown Automotive went from a Boston-based store to the leading brand for Jeep replacement parts. It has been producing wheel bearings and other parts for every Jeep model since the first Willys MB Jeep came out in 1942. Crown offers replacement wheel bearings for all Jeep, Wrangler, Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, and Commander models.
Crown offers replacement wheel bearings for all Jeep, Wrangler, Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, and Commander models.
Key Features:
Wide range of wheel bearing products includes discontinued products
ACDelco is the official automotive parts brand of General Motors (GM). It offers replacement components for GM, Chevrolet, Buick, and Cadillac vehicles. ACDelco also supports discontinued models and vehicles produced by auto manufacturers other than GM.
Whether it’s GM Genuine Parts Original Equipment or its own ACDelco Gold (Professional) line, ACDelco has custom-fit wheel bearings for every GM vehicle.
ACDelco is the official automotive parts brand of General Motors.
Key Features:
Recommended by GM as replacements for original stock parts
Engineered to strict specifications for the best fit, form, and function
Extended service lives thanks to high-quality materials
Our Score: 9/10
Our Recommendation
We recommend TrueDrive® wheel bearings because they match other brands in terms of quality and they are priced competitively. Guaranteed fitment right out of the box means installation won’t be a problem. They also come with a 1-year unlimited mileage warranty, so you’ll have that peace of mind and confidence on the road.
When Should You Replace a Wheel Bearing?
Driving with a faulty wheel bearing is dangerous. In some extreme cases, a bad wheel bearing may even cause the wheel and tire assembly to come off of the vehicle. So, yes, you should replace a bad wheel bearing right away.
Fortunately, there are signs that warn drivers of the dilapidated state of their vehicle’s wheel bearings.
Common symptoms of a bad or failing wheel bearing:
Loud growling, humming, or rumbling sounds that coincide with vehicle speed (the noise may change while turning)
Loose sensation or excessive play in the steering wheel
Vibrations in the steering wheel that come and go as the vehicle accelerates or makes a turn
Anti-lock braking system (ABS) issue for wheel bearings that have the ABS sensor mounted on their end
When looking for a replacement wheel bearing, always consider the application and cost.
What to Consider When Looking for Replacement Wheel Bearings
Aside from the brand, there are two essential things to consider when selecting a wheel bearing replacement.
Application
It’s important to select a wheel bearing that’s designed to fit your vehicle. Before shopping for a wheel bearing, make sure you know the year, make, and model of your vehicle. You may also need to know additional details, such as whether your car is four-wheel drive or two-wheel drive. Having all of that information handy will help you select the right part for your application.
Cost
A wheel bearing replacement can cost anywhere between $15 and $410. They are sold individually or in sets of varying quantities. These parts may also come in kits that include other components like circlips and seals.
Lisa Conant grew up in Canada around a solid contingency of gear heads and DIY motor enthusiasts. She is an eclectic writer with a varied repertoire in the automotive industry, including research pieces with a focus on daily drivers and recreational vehicles. Lisa has written for Car Bibles and The Drive.
The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com's thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.
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