SELLING SERVICES
Wheel Bearing Hub Units
The $120 Million Service Opportunity
By Larry Carley
What goes around comes around. The replacement market for wheel bearing and hub assemblies is estimated to be $120 million annually. Yet, many wheel bearings that may need to be replaced are not because they are overlooked when other service and repair is performed on a vehicle.
Missing a bad wheel bearing and hub assembly that should be replaced means you miss out on a profitable repair job. List prices for a typical sealed wheel bearing and hub with an internal ABS sensor or external ABS tone ring run $140 to $150. When you add in labor, the total job can easily add up to $500 to $650.
The average life of a sealed wheel bearing and hub assembly is about 85,000 to 100,000 miles. Consequently, you may only have one chance during a vehicle’s life to replace these parts. Miss that opportunity and it may be gone forever.
According to a recent Babcox Research survey, 51 percent of bad wheel bearings are identified and replaced as a result of a customer complaining about noise, 24 percent are found during a brake job, and 19 percent are discovered during an alignment.
A classic symptom of a bad wheel bearing is noise, so if a customer says his vehicle is making "funny" noises when driving (squeaks, chirps, squeals, moans, etc.), or he hears a grinding noise when turning, it may indicate a bad wheel bearing. Other symptoms include steering wander or possibly a pull to one side when braking.
To check a wheel bearing, grasp the tire at the 12 and 6 o’clock positions and attempt to rock the tire. If you feel any play, the bearings are loose and need to be replaced. Also, rotate the tire by hand. Any roughness or noise from the bearings would also tell you the bearings are worn or damaged and need to be replaced.
If one wheel bearing has failed, pay close attention to all of the other hubs on the vehicle, too, especially if the vehicle has a lot of miles on it. Chances are some of the other bearings may also be nearing the end of their journey.
On vehicles equipped with anti-lock brakes and hub assemblies with an integral ABS sensor or tone ring, the ABS warning light will come on if a wheel-speed sensor is reading erratically or the signal is lost. The ABS system will set a fault code that corresponds to the sensor location (left front, right front, right rear or left rear) and disable the ABS system until the fault is fixed. On these vehicles, the only way to get the ABS light to go out is to replace the hub assembly (assuming the problem isn’t a simple wiring fault or loose connector).
There is no way to disassemble and repair a sealed hub assembly. If the internal ABS sensor has failed or if the external ABS tone ring on the hub is damaged or badly corroded, the whole unit must be replaced.
When a customer hears how much it’s going to cost to replace the hub assembly, he may suffer an instant attack of sticker shock. But he doesn’t really have any other options. As we said earlier, the bearing assembly is a sealed unit and can’t be repaired or rebuilt. The part is expensive and requires a lot of labor to install. If he ignores the warning signs and does not have the hub replaced, it will only get worse.
A bearing failure can be dangerous because it may cause the wheel to separate from the vehicle and/or cause a loss of steering control! It’s not something to ignore or put off because there’s no way to know how many miles the bearings will go before the unit fails completely.
The other safety issue involved is the ABS system. As long as the ABS warning light remains on, the ABS system is disabled. This should not affect normal braking, but it will prevent the ABS system from helping out in an emergency or when braking on a slick surface.
Replacing a sealed wheel bearing and hub assembly involves removing the wheel, hub nut and brakes to replace the unit. Do not use an impact wrench for removal or installation. Use a torque wrench and tighten all bolts and nuts to specifications.
Many hub units for FWD applications come with a new hub nut. Use it. And, be sure to torque it to specifications with a torque wrench. Never use an impact wrench.