Hi Guys,

I am getting the telltale sound of the rumbling wheel bearing going bad. I have read the posts and watched the videos. But still, have a few questions (as always


1. At highway speeds a turn to the right makes the noise go away. Is my assumption that the problem is the right side bearing?

2. Are the low cost ($20 USD) Ebay bearing any good?

3. It just started to make the noise. How long will it last as I have a long list of projects this time of year?

4. Any tips or tricks? (I have a 50-ton press in my shop.)

Thanks for the help!!

 

I havn't done the wheel bearings on the X-Type but I have done it on the XK and XJ. If you don't already have it got to the how to section and near the bottom you will find the tech manual in PDF.
To determine which bearing is bad you lift the wheel one at a time clear of the ground and grasp at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock and rock the wheel. You should have no play with a good bearing. If you grasp at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock you will get some play but that is usually suspension wear and should also be minimal.
For bearings I have used both aftermarket and OEM. But I would be leery of $20 bearings. Most likely Chinese and not up to the quality. Just my opinion. I have bought them from SNG Barratt and Jagbits. Just depended on who had the best price at the time.

 

larry, as a general rule, the direction that you turn and the noise goes away is the side that is bad. In short, as you turn, the car is trying to lean some and that unloads the tire slightly, reducing how much pressure the bearing is seeing, possibly causing the noise to go away. As for how long it will last, hard to say. You can probably squeeze another few thousand miles out of it. But, the longer you go, the more likely you are to have a sudden failure that will leave you stranded. Had this happen on my truck. Not a fun time. Fortunately, I was able to still drive the truck the last half mile to home. Granted, the noise the truck made, oh, not pretty. Nothing like hearing the rim grinding against the calipers.

 

These guys were around $80 last time I looked.

https://www.detroitaxle.com

 

Bearing alone @$20 =

https://www.autoshack.com/Auto/Wheel...xoCw7AQAvD_BwE