The wheel bearing is considered as the unsung hero of car parts, they might seem very small in size but the impact of the bearing is simply astonishing and can bring the change you want in the car. The world is filled with millions of cars and almost every one of them contains this small man and the modern automobile would surely require them and hence found in every vehicle, the importance of this small thing cant be measured.
They do not come under the regular maintenance cycle of the vehicle, but when you get bad wheel bearing symptoms it’s high time you give a look into it and stop from further problems. Sometimes you can also hear a certain noise that gives out a warning too, and this tells you to look into the repair option.
Sometimes even the mechanic would say you to replace your bearings, or your bearing replacement has to be done, you might get confused and sometimes a blank face comes out. These small components might sound to be mysterious but this same thing is the most fundamental part for the smooth ride you have while in the car. Read below to get a better idea of this and we have answered questions for you in the FAQ section.
How do Wheel Bearing work and where are they located?
These small ones are packed in a circular shape of ball bearings and it is called a “race”, this amazing design easily helps the wheel of your car turn with ease using the minimum of friction at the same time, name a vehicle and you will find it in them. When we come to cars, the bearings rotate around the end of the axles and fit easily into the wheel hub, every wheel on the car will have its own set of wheel bearings, and when all of these work perfectly the car runs smoothly without any problems.
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Working of Wheel Bearing and Roller Bearings
Currently, these two are the most found in the section of wheel bearings, they are baller and roller style of bearings. The style that deals with wheel bearings have been using rollers, they are small cylinders that are placed within circular protection, at the same time they are not sealed but the concept of non-sealing is bad for susceptibility to contamination but in turn a good advantage when it comes for servicing.
In the case of ball bearings, the usage of miniature balls which has very small contact points for allowing them to roll with ease, they too are sealed which comes in hand while keeping out the contamination and one of the disadvantages is that their servicing cannot be done often. Both of these have their plus and minus points, but great advantages too.
If you are thinking about the ideal lifespan of these machines, it would certainly depend on the manufacturer of your product, the way you treat your car, the operating conditions of the vehicle, and most importantly the driving load taken by it. These factors surely have some influence on the lifespan, but the average lifespan is considered to be around 75000-10000 miles. In time, one will know wheel bearing symptoms and would go for wheel bearing replacement which is much required.
Bad Wheel Bearing Symptoms
These systems of wheel bearings work very well that you would easily get to know when it goes bad, the symptoms provided by this machine will make your work much easier. The signs that have been given below will help you in identifying and replacing it no time
- Irregular Noises – This case is the most common among all other weird noises that come out when something is off, the noise might range from whirring, grinding, rumbling to humming too and these all depend on how the wheel bearing is failing and hence different noises. So once you identify the sound the best thing is to replace it.
- Vibrations – In some cases the seal of the wheel bearing gets broken this is a serious issue but and due to this the inside part gets contaminated with the hard particles of the outside of it might have got worn down over in time and these all lead to rougher rides and leads to vibrations. These vibrations are bound to give a tough ride in the road ahead, the best thing to do is get to a nearby mechanic shop and replace it as soon as possible, we know that precaution is better than cure.
- ABS Malfunctioning – The ABS or Antilock Braking system is found in most modern cars and it has become a necessity over time as it gives the car much-needed double protection during emergency times. These vehicles would also have sensors that inform the assistance systems of the vehicle, if the wheel bearing does not function like its normal functionality, this calls for trouble and it causes the systems to malfunction too and the damage might be costly.
- Steering Wheel Turns Out Loose- Once you feel that you’re steering has become loose this is due to the bad bearing and creates a problem within the assembly of the wheel and the vagueness you feel in your steering might go from bad to worse. Without any delay repairing it would be the perfect solution.
FAQs
Q.1 What does a bad wheel bearing sound like?
Ans: You can expect sounds like grinding, humming, whirring, and rumbling too so better watch out for them
Q.2 How much does it take to replace wheel bearings?
Ans: The replacing of this vital part averages from 60$ to 150$, ultimately depending on the quality and manufacturer
Q.3 How to tell if the wheel bearing is bad?
Ans: The signs of a bad wheel bearing are that the steering wheel might turn out loose, wheel lock, uneven tire wear, and even the malfunctioning of the ABS.
Q.4 How to replace the wheel bearing?
Ans: The best way to do this is by visiting your nearest mechanic as he is a master of this art.