How can i tell if my rear axel bearings are bad, my car at 50mph shakes real bad. is that a bearing or the rear end? is there any tricks on knowing if the bearing is bad?

 

wheel bearing starting to go will whine. a vibration will come from a couple areas, drive train, wheels and motor. drive train would be in the driveline, either out of balance or one of the ujoints (flex points in driveline) is going. if u have a two piece driveline (6 cylinder) it can also be the carrier bearing. in the wheels i could be a bent wheel, tire or tires out of balance or have flat spots. in the motor it could its missing or cutting out or an internal part is bent broken or failing. one added area is the front steering like tierod ends or worn bushings. so where is the vibration coming from. can u feel it in the steering wheel, the shifter or the seat of your pants?

 

the vibration is causing the shifter to shake a lot. the whole center console shakes.

 

sounds like a universal joint. or joints. get under there and wiggle the driveshaft back and forth and see if theres slop in the ujoints at each end. check to see if u have a two piece driveline. if so it could be the carrier bearing.