I am double posting this because i think you guys might have more experience with this than anyone else

car is integra
right rear wheel area is making a squeeking noise when traveling. I assume it to be the wheel bearing. What can i do to test if this is the case, and how long can i expect it to be safe to drive on?

thanks guys

 

Classic test for wheel bearing is to jack up that corner, grab the tire by top & bottom, and see if it wiggles.

If it was me, I'd suspect the brakes before the wheel bearings, though. Could be a pad worn down to the wear indicator, or a stone or other foreign object caught between pad & rotor.

 

jerry's right on, i think.

all of my wheel bearings that went bad made a kind of "Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa waaaaaaaaaaaaaa rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" kind of noises; not a squeak.

the brakes can definitely make a squeaking noise when driving and not being used....

brakes are a lot easier to replace than bearings (especially front wheel bearings; they are a bitch). the rear bearings aren't too tough, except you have to replace the whole unit (hubs are sold complete).

good luck.

 

i checked the brakes and they looked alright
guess ill take the caliper off and see if they are unevenly worn

thanks guys

 

The rear caliper carriers tend to sieze up the slider pins. That makes the rear brakes bind and squeek. Bad bearings tend to sound more like a truck on monster mudder tires whirring by. When my car had about 60K on it, both rears were siezed up and the pads were worn badly on the inside and the outsides were near new. The e-brake had also gotten much more travel than it used to have.

If you can get the pins out, clean them up and lube with a silicone grease. Check for bearing looseness with the brake removed to make sure drag from it does not effect your testing.

 

easy test, when you drive and the wheel bearing in the rear is shot, you'll hear this sorta grindy noise. it will get louder when you turn the opposite way of the bearing that's bad, and seem to go away when you turn towards

(IE>> If the right rear is bad, it will get louder when you make a turn left as the weight is transfered to the right corner, and get quieter when you turn right because the weight is taken off of that bearing)