Driving on bad wheel bearing?

So I took my 08' LGT in for a humming sound in the front. Took one of the service guys out, and he said it sounded like the front passenger wheel bearing, but was hard to hear because of all the snow we got today.

 

I got quoted for $450 for replaceing that bearing. Since it was probably caused by a massive pothole i slammed into 2 weeks ago, it wont be covered under warrenty.

 

How bad is it to drive on a bad bearing? I really dont want to shell out $450 for getting it done, especially since its still winter and the IL roads are still crap. Im worried that I can damage the new bearing again if I hit another big hole before winter ends and will be out like 900 bucks then

Typically wheel bearings are covered within the 60k powertrain warranty. You may want to speak with the service advisor or check with another dealer.

even if its possbily caused by pothole? Cuz the one I hit curbed up my rims, and screwed up my front alignment that I took it in to get alignment done the day after hitting the hole.

 

Course this is the only car that has this issue, all the other cars ive driven and hit bigger holes are still fine with no wheel bearing issue. Maybe its just a weaksauce subaru design?

That work should be free IMO. It is a known issue that Subie wheel bearings go bad early on our cars. If anything, argue that it was an existing issue that was worsened by hitting the pothole.

Not a hard job.

 

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86994&highlight=front+wheel+bearing

That work should be free IMO. It is a known issue that Subie wheel bearings go bad early on our cars. If anything, argue that it was an existing issue that was worsened by hitting the pothole.

 

I agree with warranty work. I don't see how you could screw up a sound bearing by hitting a pothole.

Not a hard job.

 

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86994&highlight=front+wheel+bearing

 

 

doesnt seem hard, but it will be if I got almost no tools, and a freezing garage till spring/summer.

 

I was thinking of ordering the bearing online, and doing it in the spring when its warmer. But I dont know what kind of other damage I could be doing if I wait that long. And I cant really have much down time since the LGT is my daily driver.

You aren't going to help the current bearing It will make more and more noise and will eventually seize up, which will not be good.

go to another dealer, skip the story about the pothole

dont drive on it for too long cause it can wear the inside of the hub and render it useless

It gets louder and louder, finally it will be so bad that driving 10mph sounds like you are driving a gigantic tractor.

dont drive on it for too long cause it can wear the inside of the hub and render it useless

 

isnt it the whole hub assembly that gets replaced?

Isn't pot hole damaged covered by the city where you live?

Not a hard job.

 

http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86994&highlight=front+wheel+bearing

 

If I can do it, anyone can

Isn't pot hole damaged covered by the city where you live?

 

 

I doubt they will cover it, Last time in that city I hit a giant pot hole. It blew out 3 struts, dented my headers, scraped up my underbody frame, and snapped my dual exhaust at the Y pipe. And they still didnt pay that was over 1k damages there. Instead they said i was the 1st and ONLY person to ever complain about it. and its not a big deal, no claim.

 

Next day I go back to take pics, and a whole construction crew there is paving the entire road, not patching it, but paving the whole thing.

I doubt they will cover it, Last time in that city I hit a giant pot hole. It blew out 3 struts, dented my headers, scraped up my underbody frame, and snapped my dual exhaust at the Y pipe.

 

 

Moral of the story, dont go to that city....

isnt it the whole hub assembly that gets replaced?

 

you dont have to do it that way afaik...you could press out the old bearing and press a new one in

Passenger Front Wheel Bearing replaced, all sound is gone WOOOOT!!!

 

Called multiple dealers this morning, no one had any time, finally got one dealer that was kinda out of the way, said they had 1 opening, so I brought car in, they listened to the car, and went ahead and replaced the wheel bearing under warranty. Took about 1.5hrs total. The invoice showed bearing was around $125 vs the $148 i got quoted @ original dealer. And labor was only $78 vs ~ $300 @ original dealer. Pretty much if it wasnt covered under warranty, it would of cost me half of what the original dealer quoted me for.

 

Looks like I wont be going to that dealer anymore.

Good to hear it turned out well.

my dealer keeps telling me my wheel bearing noise is actually the turbo bearings oh noes

I actually need to go to the dealer for the same thing. Glad to hear your story ended well as I am about to embark on the same adventure hopefully with a similar end result.