possible wheel bearing gone?

[moorhoub]

i seem to have a noise coming from what i think is the front driver side wheel. It does it at all speeds and changes frequencies when turning. doing highway speeds, it sounds like i am driving a truck. i've check the tire/cv boot and it seems good. i'm thinking it might be a bearing. How much work is it to change it? or could it be something else?

thx

[moorhoub]

it it matters, its a 2001 protege ES

[Flash75]

Before deciding the wheel bearing is bad make sure you don't have cupped out areas on your tires. Run you hand around the tread to check, it should be smooth without dips or cuppping. If it is cupped try a good tire to see if the noise is still there.
Another way to check is to jack the front wheel you think is noisy, start the engine, handbrake on firmly, put the car in drive and speed up the engine to around 2000 rpm. Don't go any faster because the wheel speed increases due to the differential. Don't try this test on a car with locking differential. If you have a locking differential jack both wheels to check. If you still have the noise you know it isn't the tires.

Changing the hub bearings on a front wheeel drive car requires some pullers and a press that aren't in the average owners tool box. You may be able to rent a puller and take the hub assembly to an automotive shop for bearing replacement. This can be a very stubborn job to do. Some hubs are almost impossible to remove from the axle spline.

Clifton