Make the Most Out of Your Tires with a First - Rate Wheel Hub Assembly

Anthony Fontanelle
January 21, 2008

A wheel of a car is composed of two parts---the tire and the wheel. The tire is the rounded black rubber material that protects the wheel. It is inflatable and provides traction, braking, steering, and load support to a vehicle. The tire provides comfort for its passengers when it absorbs the shock that a car may undergo when passing through bumps and uneven parts of the road. The wheel, on the other hand, contains more intricate parts that are connected to a car’s braking system. It is also what “directs” a tire. The wheel guides the direction of the tire. The most visible external part of the wheel is what is called a wheel hub assembly. The wheel hub assembly contains the spindle, grease wheel, safety washer and wheel bearing. It also houses the brake pads and brake shoes.

It is the job of the wheel hub assembly to make sure that the tires of a vehicle are aligned properly. Proper wheel alignment is important for a car because of safety reasons. Having unaligned wheels may result in “steering wander” which means that there is an increased danger that a car will not go exactly into the direction it ought to. There are two types of wheel hub assemblies: the driving and the non-driving type. A non-driving wheel hub assembly contains a spindle, wheel bearings, a hub, a grease wheel, a safety washer, a spindle, an adjusting nut, a nut lock and a dust cap. It does not transfer driving power, which means that the spindle stays stationary even while the vehicle is moving. A driving wheel hub assembly, on the other hand, has an outer drive axle (spindle), wheel bearings, steering knuckle or bearing support, drive hub axle, washer hub or axle locknut and a grease seal. In the case of a driving wheel hub assembly, the drive axle or spindle rotates inside the wheel hub.

It is important to change the wheel hub assembly regularly. A telltale sign that the wheel hub assembly should be changed is when the wheel bearing starts to make rattling noises that get louder as the car’s speed increases. If this happens, chances are, securing replacements for both the wheel bearing and the wheel hub assembly is also necessary. Purchasing that wheel hub assembly and wheel bearing need not be difficult for someone who’s serious about car maintenance. Auto parts and accessories sites provide a comprehensive list of wheel hub assemblies to choose from. Also, these online parts vendors provide quality assurance that each wheel assembly product boasts of high – quality and durability.

Source:  Amazines.com