Although your car may not typically run inaudibly, you should be aware of what sounds normal and what would be abnormal. If you have had an accident and find there is a significant increase in unusual noises coupled with other types of car trouble, one of the underlying issues would be damaged wheel bearings. So what are some of the warnings that you should look out for that would be indicative of malfunctioning wheel bearings?

Drastic premature wearing of your tyres

In addition to abnormal sound emanating from your vehicle, a surefire sign that your wheel bearings have acquired some damage is the premature wearing of tyres. Your tyres are supposed to remain in good condition for a significant amount of time because replacing them is quite pricey. Moreover, when your tyres begin to wear down, the process is supposed to be gradual and in correlation to the amount of usage that your vehicle is put through. If you find that your tyres are becoming excessively worn even though you recently replaced them, the problem is most likely with your wheel bearings. It would be essential to have a mechanic check them and fix the problem before your only option is the replacement of all the tyres.

You are experiencing problems with braking

A problem with your brakes should never be put on the back burner, as they will directly affect your competency on the roads. Another symptom of worn-down wheel bearings is being unable to brake flawlessly. This can manifest in the form of your vehicle pulling to one side of the road when you make an attempt to either slow down or comes to a complete stop. Driving your car in this condition would be a road hazard waiting to happen.

You are encountering problems with your steering wheel

Some motorist may assume that their steering wheel has no correlation with their wheel bearings, as these parts are located far from each other. The truth is if your wheel bearings are not in optimum condition, then your steering wheel loses its capacity to control the wheels. As such, you will find that when you are trying to change the position of the wheels using the steering wheel, your wheels begin to wander and this affects your entire vehicle. Granted, this problem may also occur if your steering wheel has become compromised. Nevertheless, it would be advisable to have a mechanic at a car service have a look at your vehicle so the underlying problem can be diagnosed.