Getting loose isn't the only way for wheel bearings to fail. Sometimes they get tight, & make grinding noises. Mine wasn't so noisy but it felt like knobby mud tires. I had just gotten new snow tires at the time so I want all winter bitching about those Blizzaks. Then when I put the summer tires back on, it was still there...

When I took the knuckle off, the hub was real hard to spin, but NOT loose at all.