The short version
- A Buick wheel bearing is a General Motors part, and its Chevrolet twin usually has more information published about it.
- Enclave and Traverse, Encore and Trax, LaCrosse and Impala are pairs. The hubs carry across.
- Buick sells quiet, so owners tend to notice a hum earlier than they would in a noisier car.
- Everything here is a bolt on hub unit, so the job is bolts and corrosion rather than press work.
Buick spends real money on sound deadening, and that has an odd side effect. A bearing that would be masked by road noise elsewhere is clearly audible here.
Owners often catch these early, which is worth something.
Hearing it sooner is an advantage
The failure has stages. Catching it at the hum, rather than at the grinding, keeps the damage inside the bearing.
Left long enough it takes the knuckle bore, the axle stub and the ABS encoder with it.
The stages are on the failure page and what waiting costs is on the damage page.
The Chevrolet twin
Enclave and Traverse, Encore and Trax, LaCrosse and Impala, Envision and Equinox are built on shared platforms.
If the Buick listing is thin, the Chevrolet one usually is not, and the hub is frequently the same part number.
The Chevrolet detail is on the Chevrolet page and matching numbers is on the cross reference page.
Buick wheel bearing arrangements by model
| Model | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Enclave | Bolt on hub unit | Bolt on hub unit |
| LaCrosse, Regal | Bolt on hub unit | Bolt on hub unit |
| Encore, Envision | Bolt on hub unit | Bolt on hub unit |
| Lucerne, Rendezvous | Bolt on hub unit | Bolt on hub unit |
Bolt on at both ends keeps the labor down. The obstacle is corrosion holding the hub in its bore rather than any press work.
That situation is on the stuck removal page and the hub puller page.
The mistake to avoid on reassembly
Corrosion in the knuckle bore is the reason the old one fought you. The instinct is to coat the new one so it comes out easily.
Friction there is part of what stops the unit creeping. Clean it back to bare metal and leave it dry.
The reasoning is on the anti-seize page and the spun bearing page.
Diagnosing a Buick wheel bearing
- Act on the hum rather than waiting for a grind.
- Rock the wheel at twelve and six with it raised.
- Weave at road speed to see whether the noise follows load to one side.
- Rule out the tires by rotating them before buying a hub.
- Compare hub temperatures after a drive across each axle.
Those are on the checking page and the tire noise page.
Common questions
Is a Buick wheel bearing the same as a Chevrolet one?
On the paired models it very often is. Confirm by part number rather than assuming from the badge.
Do I need a press?
Generally no. Buick hubs are bolt on units at both ends.
Why does the hub not come out?
Corrosion in the knuckle bore. Use a puller and penetrating oil rather than force on the flange.
Should I grease the bore on reassembly?
No. Clean it to bare metal and leave it dry, because friction there resists creep.
Which Buicks ask about this most?
Enclave and LaCrosse, then Encore and Regal.
Does the ABS light come on?
Frequently, since the wheel speed sensor is part of the hub unit on most of these.
Why do I hear it so clearly?
These cars are well insulated, so a hum that other cars would mask stands out. That is useful rather than alarming.
By model
- Buick Century Wheel Bearings: Fitment With and Without ABS wheel bearings
- Buick Enclave Wheel Bearings: One Number, Both Ends wheel bearings
- Buick Encore Wheel Bearings: Premium Badge, Family Parts wheel bearings
- Buick LaCrosse Wheel Bearings: Also Sold as the Allure wheel bearings
- Buick LeSabre Wheel Bearings: the 2001 Split and All Numbers wheel bearings
- Buick Lucerne Wheel Bearings: a Supersession Story wheel bearings
- Buick Terraza wheel bearings
- Buick Verano Wheel Bearings and the Quiet 2014 Change wheel bearings