Any mechanical object with wheels moving on the ground will have wheel bearings attached. It doesn’t matter if you have a bicycle or automobile because they all contain wheel bearings. These bearings could be any shape or size too. It all depends on the make and model of your car or bicycle.
Of course, when we’re talking about cars, the wheel bearings have a much more challenging job. They must eliminate the friction of the moving wheels so they can continue running smoothly. After a while, the wheel bearings will start to wear out from doing this job so much. They may also get slowly damaged from all the driving conditions you’ve subjected them to.
Whatever the case, bad wheel bearings will slow your car down. If the problem gets worse, your vehicle may not move at all. You’ll know when this will happen because your vehicle will have a lot of shakiness and noise. The only way to remedy this problem is to replace the bad wheel bearings.
There are two sets of wheel bearings; front wheel bearings and rear wheel bearings. You’ll know when you have bad wheel bearings which need to be replaced. The symptoms will be more than obvious. The big question is, how much does replace a front wheel bearing or a rear wheel bearing cost? We will go over that now.
Front Wheel Bearing Replacement Cost
The price of the front wheel bearing part is anywhere from $80 to $150 on each side. But the more considerable expense will be the labor costs for hiring a mechanic to replace your current front wheel bearing for you. This will be anywhere from $100 to $150. So, you’re looking at a total of $180 to $300 to replace one side front wheel bearing. Don’t forget that you have at least two wheel bearings in the front of your vehicle. If both have suffered damage or worn out together, these replacement costs will likely double. Remember, this cost depends on the type, model, and brand of a car.
Rear Wheel Bearing Replacement Cost
The price of the rear wheel bearing part is anywhere from $50 to $80 on each side. The labor costs are between $80 and $120, which means you’ll be paying more for the labor. In total, your cost to replace the rear wheel bearing will be about $130 to $200. As you can see, replacing the rear wheel bearings is a bit cheaper than the front wheel bearings. But again, both sets of bearings may have suffered the same damage or wear and tear. So, be prepared to pay a lot more to replace multiple wheel bearings.
Rear Hub Bearing Replacement Cost
Some types of a car, they are using hub bearings on the rear side. The price of hub bearings is a bit more pricey than standard wheel bearings. Why is this type of this bearing more pricey? Because this bearing comes with an assembly with an ABS sensor and hub. The average price for the part is around $200 to $300 on each side. And the cost of labor is a bit cheap because installing this part is more accessible than standard wheel bearings. The average labor cost is around $50 to $80 on each side.
Read also:
- 5 Causes of Wheel Bearing Noise and Tips to Diagnose
- 7 Symptoms of a Bad Front and Rear Wheel Bearings in Your Car
- The Causes of a Car Pull to the Left or Right when Braking
- 5 Symptoms of a Bad Piston Rings in Your Car
Tips on Choosing Wheel Bearings
If cost is indeed a concern of yours, please remember that there is more than one type of wheel bearing on the market. There are at least 4 types of wheel bearings that you can choose for your vehicle. Some bearings are more expensive, but you get what you pay for. If quality matters to you the most, you will be willing to pay more for results.
Your choices are precision ball bearings and tapered roller bearings. The best choice from this list is the precision ball bearings. They’re designed to sustain high-pressure driving conditions while providing high-performance use. Friction, noise, and heat are reduced while the rotation speed increases. However, most people use roller bearings or ball bearings for their wheels. Ball bearings can be used on almost any wheel, whether on roller skates or cars. They’re also very affordable too.