Torque and Chrome

Please Help! How do you install a wheel bearing for a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix correctly?

I went to a friend of mine who happens to be a mechanic, and he replaced a wheel bearing for me at his shop. Soon afterwards, I noticed the same "whirring" sound... "Could it be something else?" I wondered... So I went back to the friend and he said it could just be a bad part, so he ordered another one and we "replaced" the newer wheel bearing again. I drive away and test it, same problem! "Maybe it's not the wheel bearing" I thought... So we switched the 2 front wheel bearings to see if the problem switched sides, and wouldn't you know it, my right tire has a "whirring" sound now. So, obviously the problem IS the wheel bearing. I used an aftermarket part, so we thought maybe at this point we should get an AC Delco one so we KNOW the part is good. We just replaced it again, and it's STILL making this stupid noise! As you can tell, this is driving me crazy. I've noticed on several sites that people sometimes use a torque wrench when dealing with wheel bearings. . .

Public Comments

1. This is a part that HAS to be torqued to specs to the vehicle. If you overtighten it you ruin it if it is not tight enough it will be damaged. Also did he inspect the hub for grooves wear? That could also be an issue
2. did you lightly grease where two parts meet?
3. Your getting smarter because you've choosen not to buy aftermarket brands,but Timken Bearings are good no matter how hard it is to find...so do some phone calls to the auto stores and order a Timken bearing.It took me all the time to find that out like you..lol.I saw a GM bearing(ACdelco) they paint them blue so we cant see the burnt part of it.Check it for yourself,just scratch the paint off in front of the supplier.its a dark burnt blue look metal gets when overheated.
4. to get an instruction/ diagram of the repair process u may try the autozone website- my hubby and i just used it to replace our wheel bearing for our grand prix...look on the right side of the page and click the free repair guide area- enter your make and model, then itll give you the selection of what "area" on your car, choose steering and suspension....itll give you the break down step by step as to what needs to be done to your specific model to repair it all- my car required us to access a press for the specifications and we didnt have one, so we contacted a local machine shop- far cheaper than the mechanic and had them do the press work, we just brougth them the piece....and as for buying a new part you should try timken-this was our purchase and the part was only $30 we purchased it at autopartswarehouse.com if you simply search car parts this site shows up alot and is reputable -good customer service and resonable return policy...good luck and best wishes