When turning right thumping or rubbing sound

[Torch]

As far as the bearings go... If you get them too tight the roller bearings will bind up in place then overheat and destroy themselves while they turn into metal shavings, too loose the concussive force of parts hitting other parts will destroy them as well. So I find a happy medium usually just short of being too tight.

A bearing failure shouldn't let your wheel come off, the internal friction of parts pulverizing themselves should cause the car to pull to one side and eventually stop the car dead in it's tracks. The disk brake caliper bolts should (for the most part) keep the wheel from coming off as well.

Checking the wheel bearings is fairly easy, do what ever you need to do to remove the bearings, spray all the grease out of them with brake cleaner. Individually check every roller, they should look smooth and shinny, bearings that are going bad will have pits and fissures, as well as hairline cracks, the chrome finish flaking off of them, or discoloration of the metal.

The cages that all the bearings ride in can also fail, either cracking or splitting, or the little frames that the bearings ride in can break apart.

Here is a website with a few pictures of some minor wheel bearing failures: http://www.theautoist.com/wheel_bearing_maintenance.htm

Here is an example of major bearing failure and/or metal fatigue, http://www.rogerhalstead.com/Gears.htm scroll down to pictures 2 and 4.

[searcherrr]

Thanks very much Torch. I will look at those photo links after this.

Question: If it is a bad bearing and car pulls left which bearing does that probably mean is bad (and noise sounds like its coming from the front)?

[Torch]

Most likely the outer bearing.

[searcherrr]

Originally Posted by Torch

Most likely the outer bearing.

I know this may seem a silly question to ask, but I meant which side? If it pulls LEFT would it be the LEFT bearing? or the right?

[Torch]

With bearings the side that is pulling is the side that is bad.

With brakes the problem is on the opposite side of the car from the direction that it is pulling.