Wheel bearings

cameo

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Nov 24, 2018, 6:34:12 PM11/24/18

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I never had to change the wheel bearings on my '94 Honda Accord,
approaching 350 K miles. I wonder how good are those bearings on
Subarus. On my previous cars (VW and GM) they always had to be replaced
periodically.

John McGaw

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Nov 25, 2018, 10:41:02 AM11/25/18

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Probably too many variables to say that "wheel bearings on X car will last
for Y miles". I had a rear wheel bearing go bad on a Fiat (yeah, I know) in
<10K miles but I've never had one fail in various cars I've driven in
100K+. The only actual "repair" I had to perform on my 2008 Outback in 110k
was to replace a torn CV joint boot and I didn't have to do even that much
on my MX5 Miata in 120K. So that answer is, flip a coin and hope that you
got a good one.

abj...@sbcglobal.net

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Nov 25, 2018, 5:16:34 PM11/25/18

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Also, has to do with the type of driving .
High speed with lots of cornering in the
mountains is sure to wear bearings. I've
replaced several rear wheel bearings in
130k miles (on a 2000 Impreza L) but my
mountainous driving style is terrible for
bearings (driving fast in corners, accelerating
uphill, etc).

In more normal driving they should last a
Subaru 100k easily, if not much more.

Basia

abj...@sbcglobal.net

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Nov 26, 2018, 4:30:31 AM11/26/18

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On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 2:16:34 PM UTC-8, ba...@sbcglobal.net wrote:
> but my mountainous driving style is terrible for
> bearings (driving fast in corners, accelerating
> uphill, etc).

Fast in turns, should have said.

Older Imprezas before 2002 I think, had the crappy
ball bearings, the newer models have different
roller type bearings. These are much better.
Older Outbacks and Legacies never had the
crappy ball bearings, ...only Imprezzas
got them.

cameo

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Nov 27, 2018, 7:51:57 PM11/27/18

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From what I heard from old Honda fans, those cars are made with special
wheel bearings that never need replacement or new grease. Basically they
last the life of the car. I don't understand how they can make it that
way but I am not complaining.

Ben Jammin

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Nov 30, 2018, 10:30:25 AM11/30/18

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I'm at 69K miles on Subaru #5. I've run two previous Subaru's over 200K
miles and have never replaced a wheel bearing. CVJ boots, yeah: Rubber
doesn't last forever especially in mile-high Colorado.

cameo

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Nov 30, 2018, 7:23:11 PM11/30/18

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On 11/30/2018 7:30 AM, Ben Jammin wrote:
> I'm at 69K miles on Subaru #5. I've run two previous Subaru's over 200K
> miles and have never replaced a wheel bearing. CVJ boots, yeah: Rubber
> doesn't last forever especially in mile-high Colorado.
>

Good to know. CV boot replacement is not as expensive as ball bearing.

Ben Jammin

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Dec 1, 2018, 6:24:32 PM12/1/18

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My local independent Subaru shop uses remanufactured CV joints with new
rubber boots. I've never had a problem with a replacement CV joint. My
two bad wheel bearing were both on well-maintained U.S.-made light
trucks, one GMC and one Dodge. You'd think a truck wheel bearing would
last longer than a Subaru bearing ...