I need wheel bearing replaced due to accident, the diagnosis was done by a mechanic

by chowdary
(hyderabad, AP, India)

I need a wheel bearing replaced due to accident, the diagnosis was done by a mechanic, but as per insurance adjuster, the bearing was not damaged physically and should not replaced, who is right?

I am fully confused, how can I tell if the mechanic or the insurance adjuster diagnosed the wheel bearing damage properly? How can I tell if the bearing is damaged or not?

Kindly give the tips for diagnosing the bearings.

Answer:

Hi Chowdary,
The first thing I would do is test drive the vehicle. A damaged wheel bearing will start to make noise at speeds around 25mph, it will sound like a growling noise or like a helicopter. The other way is to have the vehicle on a car lift, while using a stethoscope, run the damaged wheel bearing at about 25mph and listen to it with the stethoscope.

It's unlikely that the wheel bearing has any play at this time, so unless you can see some physical damage to the bearing or hub assembly, this is the only way to properly diagnose a damaged wheel bearing. Let me know if this helps Chowdary, thanks.

Eddie Carrara