Wheel Bearing & Hub Replacement in Hillsboro, KS
The short answer
A hum or growl that rises with road speed, and changes when you steer, is usually a worn wheel bearing, the sealed set of rollers that lets each wheel spin smoothly.
It starts so quietly that most people turn the radio up and forget about it, until one day on I-135 toward McPherson it sounds like a small airplane is following the truck. A bearing left long enough can fail at speed, so bring it in, or we will come and get it.
Call or text (620) 416-0008. Describe the noise. We'll do the rest.
We answer texts the same day we get them.
Wheel bearing noises, decoded
Tap the ones that sound like yours.
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Text us which onesWhat wheel bearing replacement at Moxie actually looks like
We find the right corner before we replace anything. From the driver's seat a hum is hard to place, and people guess the wrong side more often than the right one. A wheel bearing is not a part worth buying twice.
We check the tires first. Cupped tires make almost the same noise, and we would rather tell you that than sell you a hub.
We finish the job properly. Where the hub carries the ABS sensor, we make sure the warning light is out and the system is happy before the vehicle goes home.
Why Hillsboro trusts Moxie with its wheel bearings
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We confirm the corner
A hum is hard to place from the driver's seat. We road test and check by hand before replacing anything.
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Tires ruled out first
Cupped tires sound almost identical and cost a great deal less to put right.
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ABS checked afterwards
The sensor usually lives in the hub. We confirm the system is happy before you leave.
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Warranty good at over 17,000 shops
Repairs carry the NAPA nationwide warranty for 24 months or 24,000 miles.
Call or text (620) 416-0008. Describe the noise. We'll do the rest.
Wheel bearing myths we hear at the counter
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Sounds like yours? Tell us what it is doing and we will tell you straight.
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What wears out wheel bearings around here
- Age and miles, which account for most of them
- Water and road salt working past a seal after a wet Kansas winter
- Potholes and curb strikes, which load a bearing far beyond its design
- Years of gravel road washboard
- Towing or hauling loads the vehicle was not really built for
How we find a bad wheel bearing
- We drive it and listen, because the way the noise responds to steering is the single best clue. Swerving loads one side and unloads the other, and the noise usually follows.
- We lift the vehicle and spin each hub by hand, feeling for roughness and listening for a rumble you cannot hear on the road.
- We rock each wheel top to bottom to feel for play, which tells a bearing apart from a worn ball joint or tie rod.
- We check the tires too, because cupped or badly worn tires make a very similar noise and cost a lot less to fix.
What we check
- Each hub for roughness, play and noise
- Tire wear pattern, since tires imitate this noise closely
- ABS sensor and its wiring, which often shares the hub assembly
- Ball joints and tie rods, to rule out the play coming from elsewhere
- Brake components, since a dragging brake also makes heat and noise
What the repair usually is
- Hub assembly replacement, which is how most modern vehicles are built
- Pressed bearing replacement on vehicles that use them
- Occasionally tires, where the noise was never the bearing at all
Wheel bearing & hub replacement across five Kansas counties
We look after drivers across Marion County, Harvey County, McPherson County, Chase County and Lyon County, with free pickup and delivery within 40 road miles of 611 Orchard Dr, Hillsboro.
Wheel bearing questions we hear every week
How long can I drive on a noisy wheel bearing?
Most people drive on one longer than they should, and that is the problem. Bearings wear out gradually and then sometimes fail all at once, and one that seizes at highway speed is dangerous. If you can hear yours with the windows up, have it looked at in the next week or two. Text us what you are hearing and we will tell you how worried to be.
Why is it more expensive on some vehicles than others?
It comes down to how your vehicle is built. Many modern vehicles use a sealed hub assembly that comes off as one unit, which is fairly straightforward. Others have a bearing pressed into the steering knuckle, which takes quite a bit more labor. We will tell you which one yours has, and what that means for the price, before we start.
Do they have to be replaced in pairs?
They do not, which surprises people who are used to brakes. Wheel bearings wear out one at a time, and there is no safety reason to replace a good one. If the other side is noisy too, we will tell you and show you why. We just will not bundle it in because it happens to share an axle.