Wheel Bearings: Can They Be Fixed?
What are wheel bearings?
In their most basic form, wheel bearings are an essential bit of kit on your vehicle. They are the element that keeps the wheels on, steering in place, and keeps everything moving as smoothly as possible. Wheel bearings are mounted upon a wheel hub which makes it very difficult if there is any wear and tear for it to do the job it’s supposed to do.
Can wheel bearings be fixed?
Not usually. When wheel bearings are worn or it starts to make noise, because of the initial set up of sealing them with high-temperature grease. Driving with bad wheel bearings for an extended period of time can be dangerous as the wear will increasingly get worse. It’s extremely rare for any kind of complete breakdown to occur straight away.
What causes wheel bearings to falter?
There are multiple ways for your bearings to wear out. It’s not specific to one reason. Depending on the specific driving conditions, wheel bearings can fail, this is especially true if the car is driven through adverse conditions such as driving through deep water and mud, causing the bearings to completely falter. If the bearing is worn out evenly across both tyres, this is just a wear and tear problem from use. But, if they are unevenly worn out, it could be because of a bad wheel bearing.
Faulty installation can cause damage to the wheel bearing before it’s even had a chance to perform fully. Using the incorrect tools to install a bearing can cause unnecessary wear and runs the risk of an accident occurring.
How long do wheel bearings last?
As a general rule, wheel bearings have a life-span of anything from 80,0000 to 100,000 miles. However, this is just a guide, the actual time can vary between manufacturers and the conditions of operation.
Do your wheel bearings need replacing altogether?
If one of your wheel bearings has gone completely, it doesn’t mean that you need to replace front and back bearings altogether. It could just mean that you need to replace the one which is damaged.
Common types of wheel bearings:
Spherical bearings
Spherical roller bearings are designed to work in applications where severe misalignment exists, heavy loads and moderate speeds.
As the name implies, a spherical bearing is a bearing that is composed of where the rotational motion is allowed to change the alignment of its rotation axis.
Deep groove ball bearings
Deep groove ball bearings are the most widely used roller bearings due to the versatility and overall performance. They are used in a wide variety of applications with two
Rod end bearings
Rod-end bearings are used on the ends of cylinders, steering links, rods and shafts to take up angular misalignment between each connected part. They are sometimes referred to as being a rose joint made up of a precision articulating joint with a ball swivel attached.
Needle roller bearings
Needle roller bearings are generally smaller in diameter relative to their length. The roller profile prevents stress peaks to extend bearing.
Replacing your wheel bearings
When replacing your wheel bearings it’s essential to look for the best, high-quality parts for top performance. Search ABC Bearings today to find the best quality, easy to install, long-lasting wheel bearings for the best motoring performance. If you’re struggling to find the exact specifications, give our friendly sales team a call who will be more than happy to assist on 01932 225 777.
What are the best bearing applications?
There is no one size fits all, it depends on your specifications, project, and what the purpose of the installation is. To find out more information about the type of bearings to fit the project, or how to work with your current bearings, get in touch with our specialist sales team.