Although they are not visible, car wheel bearings are essential to your car functioning properly and are vital to ensuring you have a pleasant, safe driving experience.
Keep reading to find out the details you should be aware of, ensuring that your car bearings are kept in the best condition.
What are car wheel bearings?
Car wheel bearings are a set of balls trapped between two rings – one larger, the other smaller – that support the vehicle’s weight, maximising passenger comfort.
Car bearings are generally positioned on a metal shaft and fit tightly inside the wheel hub. The wheel hub, in turn, keeps the wheel studs in place.
Unlike a car’s mechanical parts, such as the clutch system and spark plugs, there is no such thing as an average service life for car bearings. This component’s useful life will depend on factors such as driving style or the type of roads driven on.
What types of car bearings are there?
A car’s wheels functioning well is essential to your car moving effectively. It is therefore vital to know the optimal types of bearings for each car, depending on its characteristics.
It is important to remember that car bearings determine how a car runs; that is, they are able to increase or decrease wheel quality.
As such, the main types of car wheel bearings are:
Plain bearing
Plain bore bearings are the simplest of all types of wheel bearing. This type is typically impact-resistant, therefore able to effectively withstand bumps and sudden movements.
In addition, they are not easily corroded as long as they are made of the right type of material.
Needle roller bearing
Like plain bearings, needle roller bearings are impact-resistant and must be installed at a low or medium height.
Although they lack resistance on longer journeys, this type of wheel bearing has a huge load capacity. As such, it is very commonly used on the wheels of goods vehicles.
Double-cone roller bearing
Double-cone roller bearings are some of the bearings most popularly used on cars. The balls in the component smooth wheel movements, easing vehicle movement.
Deep groove ball bearing
Unlike needle roller bearings, deep groove ball bearings do not withstand heavy loads. They do, however, provide for better displacement thanks to the balls within them.
According to the DIN (The German Institute for Standardisation), this is the best bearing type.
When should you replace your car wheel bearings?
The service life of a bearing depends on driving style and the types of roads driven on. The service life of a bearing of a vehicle driven primarily on motorways is much longer than for a vehicle used on roads with uneven surfaces or driven off-road.
However, certain adverse conditions can cause car bearings to become overloaded, damaging them and needing replacing earlier.
Initially, when car bearings are damaged, they’ll only produce a soft sound. The noise made will, however, become louder over time.
The sound produced is generally metallic and similar to that caused by your car tires scraping on metal. However, worn-out bearings produce a more rhythmic noise.
How do you know it’s time to replace your car bearings?
To find out whether your car bearing needs replacing, carry out a simple exercise:
- Accelerate until your car reaches a speed of about 60 km/h;
- Allow it to drift slowly and smoothly to the right. If the noise made by your car bearing increases, this is a sign that the car bearings on this side need replacing;
- Repeat the same exercise to the left to find out if you need to replace the bearings on that side too.
What should you do to maintain your car bearings?
Once your car bearings are sealed, you won’t be able to carry out any maintenance on them. As such, the best thing you can do is act preventively, avoiding the need to replace them ahead of time.
1. Drive carefully to avoid car bearing wear
Avoid going over speed bumps at high speeds and driving over potholes or manhole covers.
2. Drive on regular roads
Whenever possible, drive on tarmacked roads and avoid uneven road surfaces such as dirt roads and uneven cobbles. Doing so avoids exposing your car to excessive shaking, which may damage car bearings.
3. Avoid off-road championships
Although they look fun, don’t take your city or family car on the uneven roads you’ll find on off-road adventures.
Such activities can come with a high price tag that includes replacing not only your bearings but also your car’s suspension and tyres.
4. Check your vehicle’s lubrication system
Ensuring that your car is well-lubricated prevents circumstances requiring often unavoidable repairs.
5. Avoid moisture
Although manufacturers produce car bearings with a moisture seal, it may not be enough to resist liquids. As such, we advise that you avoid driving through puddles when it rains.
What should you do if your bearings need replacing?
Replacing your bearings before your tyres get stuck and no longer turn is best.
How much do car wheel bearings cost?
Depending on their quality, the prices of car wheel bearings range from tens to a few hundred euros. However, it’s far better to invest in your safety than risk your life.
Which KROFtools tools can you use to remove car wheel bearings?
If you suspect that you need to remove your car bearings, use the following tools:
Bearing Bush Removal / Insertion Kit 26 PCS
This 26-piece set of universal bearing and bushing pullers can be used on most brands, making removing and fitting bearings, silent blocks, hydraulic silent blocks, and shaft and sleeve bushings all the easier.
Click on the image to find out more about our Bearing Bush Removal / Insertion Kit 26PCS (Ref. 6315).
Remover Bearing Set 62/66/72mm 19PCS
The 62/66/72 mm 19-piece bearing puller set is a tool used to mount 62 mm bearings and is compatible with some popular car models such as the Seat Ibiza, VW Polo, and Audi A2, among others.
Click on the image to find out more about our Remover Bearing Set 62/66/72mm 19PCS (Ref. 6313).
Remover Bearings Set 62/66/72/85 mm
The 62/66/72/85 mm 39-piece bearing puller set has been specially designed to prevent damage to new bearings, allowing them to be placed and removed safely and levelly.
Click on the image to find out more about our Remover Bearings Set 62/66/72/85 mm (Ref. 6316).
Interested in finding out more about the world of all things cars? Then follow us on Facebook and keep up with our daily content.
