I have yet to see the wheel actually come off from a bearing. The brake caliper helps to keep things together as you fight your way to the side of the road. However, once that outer bearing fails to roll as it should the spindle is the first thing to get destroyed followed by the thrust washer and then the rotor. If you have thinking and grinding coming from a front bearing time for immediate attention. 

Dennis
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Anthony Egeln
Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2014 1:58 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Tell me about rear bearings

If the front wheel bearings are bad……thunk, thunk, thunk just at low speeds, is there a chance of catastrophic failure; i.e. the wheel coming off?  Or is it a matter of increasing the damage to the front end parts as they wear further?

I have the same thing as John on the front right  of my van.

Thanks, Anthony
'89 Syncro GL (Hidalgo)

________________________________
 From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM 
Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2014 12:55 PM
Subject: Re: Tell me about rear bearings
 

Rear wheel bearing life can be all over the place. Typically 150K+ if they
get a little care. Fronts (2dw), on the other hand, the outers especially
are higher maintenance. They are much smaller for the load, get a lot of
heat from the breaks, and tend to get contaminated.

Dennis