***wheel bearing***

Hmm... I posted several weeks ago regarding my '99 2.4L pulling to the left. After reading and re-reading this forum, I'm starting to consider the possibility that the drivers' side wheel bearing is causing the problem. The steering wheel wobbles back and forth (the faster I drive, the faster it wobbles; when I drive slowly the wheel will slowly jerk itself to the left), and it almost feels as if the front end of the car is doing the same, but very slightly. I'm going to see if the wheel itself is jiggly in the morning, but should I always expect to see the Trac Off/ABS light on when I have this problem? I haven't had anything light up yet, but it seems like this is common.

If the bearing itself is bad, you won't get the lights. You should just hear the infamous rumble between like 20 and 40 MPH. The lights come on when a speed sensor fails, which is another reason to replace the hub assembly.

I don't think a bad bearing will cause the car to pull or the wheel to wobble. I'm not sure what you've had done recently, but I would first try getting the wheels balanced. If that doesn't solve the problem, next would be an alignment. If still no luck, have a tech look at the tie rods. Possible you have a bent tie rod. On my old 1997 Malibu, I had really bad shaking on the highway and it turned out to be caused by a bent trailing arm in the rear suspension.

Good luck and let us know what you find out.

- Jeremy

Well, I just rotated my tires, so I know it's not anything with the wheels as it's still pulling in the same direction. That's the first idea I had as well. I was thinking maybe a bent or weak tie rod. How much should I expect to pay for a fix like that? Note--I live in Cali where the labor rate for auto shops are about $90/hr... -feels sick-:crying:

Rotating is not the same as balancing and a lot of place don't do a balance when you rotate unless you specify you want your wheels balanced.

As for tie rod replacement, I'm not sure how much to expect. I've never had it done before.

- Jeremy

I've had a Tie Rod Replacement quote for $180, one side only. (michigan). Alignment would be extra.

Wheel barings caust me total with install about 400 bucks or so, here in ohio