Stay in Line with a Wheel Bearing

Anthony Fontanelle
January 21, 2008

Cars can’t be called cars without their wheels. If they didn’t have their wheels they wouldn’t be able to serve their purpose of being convenient means of transportation. Wheels are perhaps what typically define a car the most, from its earliest forms to the latest models we see today. From the ancient horse-drawn carriage to that expensive luxury car, wheels are what drives, literally and figuratively, the evolution of land transport vehicles.

Wheels are an important aspect of a car and perhaps the most worn out part of a car, as well. Wheels come into contact with almost everything on the road from mud to grime to pebbles and rocks. Hence, the reason for why wheels need to be replaced regularly. Almost always, wheels are one of the more expensive peripheral parts to replace in a car. With tire and wheel prices ranging from 340 to 864 dollars a piece, a car owner would want his/her wheels last for as long as possible. There are definitely ways of making sure that the “survival” of the wheels is as optimum as possible. One way of doing that would be through a built-in mechanism within the wheel called the wheel bearing. There are four wheel bearings in a car. The two front wheels have what are called front wheel bearings while the two rear wheels have rear wheel bearings.

The wheel bearing is a tiny contraption either in the form of a roller or a ball which functions in two ways. Wheel bearings do exactly what their name entails. First, wheel bearings eliminate friction between the car tires and the road. This ensures that car owners don’t always need to change tires despite the constant contact and friction between the road and the car tires. Secondly, wheel bearings, despite their small size, support a vehicle’s weight. This means that the total weight of a car is distributed evenly between the front and rear wheel bearings. It is important that wheel bearings are in near perfect condition as faulty wheel bearings can be dangerous. They can cause the wheel to come off a car. Hearing a rumbling or growling sound in the vicinity of the wheel area or having the car’s ABS sensor light on are signs that the wheel bearing needs to be replaced. Wheel bearings must be replaced regularly and re-greased after running approximately 24,000 miles.

Source:  Amazines.com