Catastrophic Bearing Failure

Lots of bearings. Are you talking front wheel bearing? Usually a catastrophic front wheel bearing failure also destroys the spindle.

If a wheel bearing, no, not normal.
but with our hearing going as we get older, it probably could make noise we don't notice.
Either that or a long downhill brake application melted the seals.

Or you're talking about a completely different bearing.

I make it a habit of feeling all my spindles for excess heat when feeling the tires for excess heat during a trip. As a rule wheel bearings don't just fail right now, they fail gradually accompanied by noise...and excess heat.

Of course making sure the preload is correct and timely service (repack and inspection) always is better than burning one up.

standard tapered roller bearing i have seen very seldom fail, but I have seen a few so i know it does happen, most time it has messed up the spindle, but have replaced 100's of hub asmb. over the years, and have seen quite a few of those fail completely as well on customers cars and trucks..

I think heat would be first sign.

path1 wrote:
I think heat would be first siugn.

I agree but, I don't check my bearings for heat very often. I had a wheel bearing go out on my car years ago. The first indicator that something was wrong was a rumbling sound.
The OP didn't specify the type of bearings?

Only once, on a bicycle, the symptom was head over handlebars as the bike flipped forward.. OUCH.. Thankfully I was much younger then.

NOW I Lubricate Lubricate, Lubricate to excess.

That is why I love the wet bearings I have on my coach. A quick glance and I can tell if the oil level is OK.

We get a few (dozen) in the store every year, all boat trailers and all used twice a year - "rode hard and put away wet". No greasing, no maintenance, salt water.

I purchased an infrared heat sensor gun from harbor freight and occasionally check my tire and wheel temps on stops while on the road. If any are not similar to the others you will know to investigate further.

I have found many uses for it, such as air temps from the AC, heat from the floor registers, and etc. for inside the trailer. I used to use it on my racecar checking exhaust from each header at the head to determine cylinder temps. A misfiring cylinder would always be cooler. A screaming hot pipe could indicate a lean condition.