You must have ever heard the grinding and humming noise in your car, which is annoying like a mosquito whenever turn or speed up, isn't it?
Though many people always ignore “such small” problems in their cars, it is too dangerous to drive your car continuously without checking the wheel bearings. Accompanying with the accumulated driving miles, the wheel bearings of your car correspondingly achieve their aging, which always results in grinding and humming noise by the worn surfaces. Meanwhile, since wheel bearings structurally bear the whole weight and sustain the stability of the car, it makes security risk become an elephant in your car.
The signals of the broken wheel bearings in your car
The abnormal noise at turning — the grinding and humming noise as you turning your car is a sign that you should change your wheel bearings.
The excessive abrasion of the tires — when your wheel bearings are worn, the tires always endure the excessive friction, which results in the presentation of excessive abrasion.
The vibration of Steering wheel — when you holding the steering wheel, you will feel the vibration if the wheel bearings are damaged.
What do you need for finding the correct Wheel Bearings?
Compatibility
You need to first confirm that what is the model of your car wheel bearings. One way is that you can always find this specific model in your Car Manuals. Also, you can track down the Compatibility List of the wheel bearing to find if this product fits your vehicle. Be sure to confirm which model is compatible with your vehicle before buying it.
If you are still uncertain about what wheel bearings you need, you can contact the manufacturer and send them the specific information about your vehicle (type, year, make, model); usually, they will response you as soon as possible.
Type
There are many types of wheel bearings on the market — so we list the main ones and introduce their features here:
- Ball bearings — Small cars usually use the ball bearings and they are also the common options that you can purchase. They’ are made to ensure your smooth driving while reducing the heat friction of the drivetrain
- Ball thrust bearings — Ball thrust bearings are very similar to ball bearings but they aremore designed for axial works and they cannot handle fast speeds very well.
- Roller bearings — Roller bearings use the cylindrical roller toreplace the balls in the ball bearings. Since rollers have more contacting surface than balls so roller bearings can handle much heavier loads. Company with their sturdy materials, they are made for completing the massive mission.
- Tapered bearings — Tapered bearings tilt the rollers inside the roller bearings, extending the length of the rollers to further increase the contacting size, which allow them to handle even heavier loads incredibly.
Important Tips: Never replace roller bearings or tapered bearings with the ball bearings, otherwise it will result in the increasing wear in fast failure!
Material
Material is always the base of everything. Though the better material always increases the price, it is more important to consider about the security and the requirements of the vehicles’’ missions. Strong and corrosion-resistant steel alloy is a good choice because it has a long lifespan and offers great performance.
Manufacturer
There are hundreds of brands on the market, and even though it’s great to try out new things, now’s not necessarily the time to do that.
Look for top-tier manufacturers like Mayasaf, MOOG, NTN Wheel Bearing, SKF, Timken Group, PFI, AC Delco, Detroit Axle, AA Ignition, and Timken.
Many of the above-mentioned brands have years of background experience and are known for manufacturing high-quality car parts.
FAQs about Wheel Bearings
Q: What may damage my wheel bearings?
Physical impact, weather, and incorrect installation are the common reason for the damaging upon wheel bearings. Though the driving miles and weather are unchangeable, the installation is an avoidable mistake. Following on the product manuals and asking for help from the professionals are the necessary steps when you are uncertain about setting up the wheel bearings.
Q: How frequently should I change my wheel bearing?
Though the frequency of changing wheel bearing mainly depends on the specific model of wheel bearing, usually, most of the wheel bearings on the market last for around 100,000 to 135,000 miles.
Q: Can I replace a wheel bearing all on my own?
Yes, you can if you have the experience and all of the necessary tools (jack, lug wrench, screwdriver, etc.). Theoretically, an experienced person can replace the wheel bearing in under 20 minutes, but if you don't have any kind of experience or tools, it is more recommended to the closest auto-store for installation.
Therefore, for your safety, it is necessary to replace the worn wheel bearing periodically. Never worry about wasting your time for studying the wheel bearings, we have had all the information that you need and with a recommended list here for all the best wheel bearings to save your busy time:
