…is one of the characteristic noises a wheel bearing makes when it is going bad. It’s a symptom that slowly builds over time so you don’t necessarily notice how bad it is until you find yourself turning up the radio to drown it out. I noticed it on the Flex some time ago but put it off through the winter and spring until the time finally came to fix it. It’s not a terribly difficult job and can save a bundle at the shop, so I’m breaking out my tools again to take this on.
The brakes were about due too so I went ahead and changed them out as well since I would have to remove them for the job anyways. I vastly underestimated just how difficult it would be to pull them off since the others I’ve done were merely a matter of a few bolts and some leverage to pry off. However in the case of the Flex, I found myself pounding on it with a BFH for over an hour to release it from the car’s grip. Finally it came off and it was back together a short time later.
In keeping with Murphy’s Law and to my extreme dismay, I discovered on my test ride after all that work in the heat and humidity, that I had chosen the wrong side to replace. Ugh. I guess next week I’m replacing the other side. I’ll set my BFH aside now.
