Diagnosing wheel bearing

So I've picked up a bearing drone.  Problem is I can't quite tell where.  It is speed dependent, not RPM.  If I turn to the right the drone gets quieter; left or straight about the same. Tires seem fine, no odd wear on them (1yr old PS4S). The sound is definitely from the front. 

Any tips to figure out which bearing?

Thanks!

Is it on your Audi? You are not going to like this, but I would do both. 

This guy had a hard time diagnosing that as well:

They typically get louder with load so if I were going to do just one I'd do the right side.  However, unless I'm tight on cash I'd replace both of them figuring that they're both the same age and have the same life expectancy.

I did one front on my 2010 A4, and then a few thousand miles later, the other needed it.  If you don't do the other one now, at least buy the part for it.  At least on my car, all 4 wheel bearings are the same part.

Yeah probably right side, but the other side is likely about to start making noise soon. If you jack the car up and turn the wheels by hand and try jiggling them you might notice one wheel that seems noisy/draggy/loose.

In reply to PMRacing :

Do you have one of these?

A bad bearing should create heat and that heat may travel from the bearing to the lug nut.  Drive a little and then very quickly (before cool down) temp test one lug nut on each the left and right.  See if this shows you any noticeable difference on one wheel.  Try to be very specific to test at the exact same spot like the top of a lug nut.   

I just do both on an axle.  If one is going bad, chances are the other one isn't far behind.  Saves you the time of prepping tools and cleaning greasy hands twice.

You might also be able to hear a bit of noise by jacking it up and spinning.  You can use a drill and a socket on the CV axle nut.  Just be careful, especially if you're using a cordless drill.  If you let off the trigger, be sure to yank the drill off so you don't break a wrist

As said, sounds like the right. You can check it for play. Jack the front up and see if either have play by grabbing the top and bottom of the wheel and rocking it. If it has play replace it. Not all noisy bearing have play and not all bearings with play make noise, but if it has play replace it.

Sometimes you can tell by grabbing the strut/spring or upper control arm and turning the wheel by hand. If one side feels rough or gravely, change it.

Also a stethoscope on the back of the bearing while turning the wheel and comparing side to side can get you an answer.

As said doing both is best. I've gotten it wrong once before by just diagnosing based on a test drive, so I just took the one I removed and put it on the other side and noise was gone. I have no idea if it's a bad idea to reverse the rotation of an old bearing or not, but I did.

Don't rule out the rear without checking though, I've seen many a car that sounded like a front bearing and it was something else in the rear.

It is USUALLY the one that gets louder under load, but maybe five out of a hundred times, the bearing gets louder when unloaded.  Must be the particulars of whatever race is damaged.

I always spin them up on a lift to be sure.

Teh Volvo had a howling bearing for a while.  Got louder when loading the right.   Right front wheel bearing had so much play I am surprised that the car doesn't have a low brake pedal.  But, nope, it was the left bearing that was noisy.

So I only changed the left one   I'll do the right when it starts making noise.  I think I have replaced all four bearings at least once, the fronts at least three times.  Too cheap to buy Volvo bearings...

We were once certain that the 911 had a bad front wheel bearing, so we changed them. 

The noise didn't go away.

So we swapped tires with another car. 

And then all was quiet. 

Well, at least the car got new wheel bearings. 

As a tangent, do we at GRM have a preferred supplier of bearings/hubs?

In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :

I normally go with Timken, although the lower end ones have been giving me problems recently.

When I was in college and broke I'd go to AZ ask to see their duralast bearing, pull it out of the box and look for a timken/skf/fag stamp on it and if it had one id buy it. Worked great for 4th gen foodies. Hadn't tried it on other applications

Except in case of emergency, I've been using only Timken bearings.  My last go-around with a regular FLAPS-brand bearing had me return two of them before I got one that didn't wobble.

Which one?... 

For me it's Prius right fronts. I have bought Timkin with good results.  They are $99 from RockAuto.  They come with a 1 year warranty but they outlast the warranty.  

However,  I have noticed that Rock Auto carries a cheaper, $45 Movetech that claims a 5 year warranty. But how does one go about claiming the warranty? 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/toyota,2008,prius,1.5l+l4+electric/gas,1441533,brake+&+wheel+hub,wheel+bearing+&+hub,1636

Timkens have worked well for me in offroad racing.

Timken, SKF, or NSK.

Wheel bearings replaced. The car is quiet again, just tire hum now.  No play with the wheel installed and in the air.  But after I had the bearing off the car there was significant difference in feeling between new and old. 

Thanks for the advice!