my 93 has just begun to make noise from what appears to be a bad wheel bearing. is there any way to find witch one is going bad? From in the car going down the freeway it sounds like it could be from any of the four.

 

I had a similiar situation last summer. A mechanic friend of mine came over and discovered it was actually a bad rotor on the left front wheel. This was after I had been diagnosted with a bad wheel bearing. Don't know if your situation is the same...BTW does it occassionally stop when you tap the brakes?

Back to your original question. The best way I have found to check for a bad bearing, even when it first is noticeable, is to jack it up, remove the wheel and gently turn. You will be able to tell by feel and/or sound which wheel has the bearing problem. I am NOT a mechanic. Just have a big history with wierd problems!

 

You can sometimes tell by driving the car and swerving side to side. Swerve left, noise quits, probably left wheel bearing and vice versa. If the noise doesn't quit either way, probably rear bearing. Some times, if your car has a sealed hub bearing, it works jus backwards on the front. The best way is to jack up front, remove tires, brake calipers, and the rotate each rotor or hub. If it feels rough, it's bad.