Wheel Bearings Archives - Page 8 of 12 - Brake & Front End
Five Wheel Bearing R&Rs That Have a Bad Reputation

Some wheel bearing jobs can take as many as three hours and require removal of the knuckle from the vehicle. Collected in this article are some of the most difficult vehicles as reported by technicians, labor guides and bearing manufacturers.

2009-’10 Honda Pilot Clicking Noise Coming From the Front Suspension During Acceleration or Braking

If a 2009-’10 Honda Pilot owner complains that the vehicle is making one or more clicking noises from the front suspension while accelerating or braking, it could be due to a faulty front suspension rear lower arm bushing bracket. If this is the case, replace both front suspension rear lower arm bushing brackets, and check the wheel alignment.

Bearing Diagnostics: Brinelling and Non-Noise Failures

In the good old days, most serviceable wheel bearings were maintained at least every 25,000 to 30,000 miles during a brake job. During this process, races, stub-axles and cages could be inspected for damage and replaced if necessary. Today, the average life of a sealed wheel bearing or hub assembly is about 85,000 to 100,000 miles. But they can fail sooner than expected without a whisper.

Mazda3i Vehicle Maintenance Checks

For this article, we’ll be looking at a 2006 Mazda3i. We won’t spend much time on performing routine maintenance services, as we should all be familiar with the nuts and bolts of the job. The most important thing to ask yourself is, why are you doing this service? Sure it’s important to get fresh fluids and

Live-Axle Wheel Bearings

In 1963, almost every car manufactured in the U.S. had a solid rear axle. There were exceptions like the Corvette and Corvair. Today, many light- to medium-duty trucks still use live rear axles.  While the design differentials have changed, the ends of the axles have not. The improvements in have been made in the materials

Tech Tip: Preventing ABS Sensor Failure in Pigtail-Style Hub Assemblies

In this technical bulletin, SKF provides updated technical information for preventing ABS sensor failure in pigtail-style hub assemblies. ABS system failures that happen shortly after hub unit installation can cause concern and customer dissatisfaction. Several items should be checked during the replacement process to prevent additional unnecessary repairs.

Symptoms of a Worn Wheel Hub Bearing – Timken Offers Warning Signs

Signs of a worn wheel hub bearing vary in severity. Some may be difficult to detect, leading to damage before corrective action can be taken. The timeframe in which damage occurs is linked to driving conditions and/or the mechanical practices that were ­followed at installation. Noise is a classic sign of a bad wheel bearing

Wheel Bearings

Wheel bearings can be of either ball or tapered roller type. The ball bearings used for front wheel bearing applications are an angular type. An angular-type ball bearing will accept greater thrust loads than a Conrad-type bearing, which will accept a 100 percent load in the radial or thrust position and any combination of a 100 percent load. A tapered roller bearing will accept both a radial and a thrust load. All wheel bearings come in sets.

Tech Tip: Properly Setting Tapered Bearings Critical to Preventing Damage

The amount of end play, or preload, existing in a mounted pair of bearings is vital to a vehicle’s performance. Too tight or too loose of a preload can result in a damaged bearing or alignment problems. Seals, brake components and tire operation may also be affected, according to the experts at The Timken Company.

Tech Tip: Vibrations on Volvos While Driving

Wheel vibrations may occur if the wheel is not installed in the exact center position on the wheel hub. To avoid radial misalignment between the wheel and the hub, they must have the same diameters. It has been discovered on some cars that the wheel hubs (spare parts as well as production parts) may have a center cone with a “too small” outer diameter. If a wheel is installed on such a hub, it is possible that the wheel is installed with an offset of 1.5 mm (0.059″), which can cause wheel vibrations while driving.

WHEEL BEARING Q&A: What, When & Why

How much load can a wheel bearing carry? On a typical passenger vehicle weighing around 3,400 pounds, each pair of front-wheel bearings, as well as the rear-wheel or axle bearings, support around 850 pounds, depending on the weight balance and driveline configuration. If it’s a 6,000-pound SUV, each bearing might carry about 1,500 pounds. This

Diagnostic Solutions: Building Off-Road Suspension Systems

Judging from weekend traffic, desert off-road and mountain trail driving is becoming a major past-time for many import vehicle enthusiasts. Most of the off-road import vehicles I see in Colorado are the late ’80s and early ’90s Toyota and Nissan pickups and SUVs that feature mechanical simplicity along with the structural ruggedness needed to navigate miles from any service facility.