Wheel bearings perform two very important jobs in a vehicle’s suspension. The wheel bearing allows the wheels to rotate with minimal function, and they also support the vehicle’s weight.To be able to do both of these jobs, the bearings must be in near perfect condition. The seals must also be leak free to keep the lubricant inside the bearings and contaminants out.In an average car that weighs around 3,400 –lb, each pair of front wheel bearings, as well as the rear wheel or axle bearings, each support 850 pounds. This all depends on the front to rear weight distribution of the vehicle. It’s a lot of weight that needs to be supported over tens of thousands of miles.
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Bearings
Wheel bearings perform two very important jobs in a vehicle’s suspension. The wheel bearing allows the wheels to rotate with minimal function, and they also support the vehicle’s weight.To be able to do both of these jobs, the bearings must be in near perfect condition. The seals must also be leak free to keep the lubricant inside the bearings and contaminants out.In an average car that weighs around 3,400 –lb, each pair of front wheel bearings, as well as the rear wheel or axle bearings, each support 850 pounds. This all depends on the front to rear weight distribution of the vehicle. It’s a lot of weight that needs to be supported over tens of thousands of miles.
Water is the worst thing for bearings as it causes it to rust and it contaminates the grease. The majority of vehicles’ wheel bearings seals are not designed to keep out water that is exerting pressure against the seal.
Therefore any vehicle that has been driven through hub-deep water should have its wheel bearing cleaned and repacked with fresh grease. Obviously with sealed wheel bearing assemblies, this won’t be possible, so the only thing to do is check for noise and play.
The first symptom of wheel bearing trouble is noise. There is usually a rumbling, growling, chirping or cyclic noise of some kind that will come from the vicinity of the wheels.
This is a good indication that trouble is now brewing and therefore immediate attention is needed. If you ignore a noisy wheel bearing it could suddenly fail. This could be fatal as the vehicle could lose a wheel while driving.
Wheel bearing noise doesn’t change with when accelerating or decelerating but it may change when turning, or it could even become louder or even disappear at certain speeds. But don’t get confused with the noise a bad outer CV joint makes, as it only makes a noise when turning.
Bearing play can often allow the steering to wander. This is often mistaken for worn steering components or even the wheel alignment being out.
Wheel bearings that are not factory sealed do require periodic maintenance. They should be cleaned, inspected and greased at about every 30,000 miles or according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
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Brakes
You need to trust your brakes will always work for you. That’s why we only use the best in the business.
Suspension
Understanding how your cars’ suspension works and how to identify if you have a problem.
Bearings
A common cause of noise when driving is worn bearings and needs checking out sooner rather than later.
Exhausts
If your exhaust is noisy, you might need to get it checked out to prevent it getting worse.