How to identify a problem with a wheel bearing?
▶ A mechanical jack proves to be of great help in lifting the car; wheels (i.e. bearings) can be easily diagnosed for wheel bearing noise. While spinning the wheel with one hand, one should place the other hand on the strut assembly. If there is any problem in the smooth functioning of wheel bearing, a noise can be heard.
Can a wheel bearing be removed from a front wheel drive car?
There are a lot of parts to remove and get out of the way before you can get to the wheel bearing, especially on a four-wheel-drive or front-wheel-drive vehicle. It’s a difficult job to do yourself without a press, because it’s a tight fit getting the bearing in and out of the hub.
Do you have to clean and repack wheel bearings?
To clean and repack the hub with fresh grease or to renew the bearings, you will have to remove the hub. This is a fairly simple job on non-driven hubs. Driven hubs are dealt with in a later article. Where the car is fitted with drum brakes, remove the drum.
Can a hub be removed from a wheel?
Removing the hub may leave the inner race and the seal on the axle. It is often extremely difficult to remove this part of the bearing without damaging both the bearing and the seal. Normal practice for removing the bearing is to tap a thin chisel carefully between the face of the upright and the axle, and the edge of the bearing track.
▶ A mechanical jack proves to be of great help in lifting the car; wheels (i.e. bearings) can be easily diagnosed for wheel bearing noise. While spinning the wheel with one hand, one should place the other hand on the strut assembly. If there is any problem in the smooth functioning of wheel bearing, a noise can be heard.
Can a wheel bearing be replaced on both sides?
You shouldn’t necessarily have the bearings on both sides replaced. Just because one fails is no reason to think the others are about to; bearings should last a long time. Replacing one is a bit expensive because of the labor involved.
When to go to the doctor for wheel bearing noise?
A rumbling or cyclic noise can be heard in wheel bearings with problems in their smooth functioning. If the driver senses even a slight problem in the smooth running of wheels, he should go for wheel bearing noise diagnosis.
Removing the hub may leave the inner race and the seal on the axle. It is often extremely difficult to remove this part of the bearing without damaging both the bearing and the seal. Normal practice for removing the bearing is to tap a thin chisel carefully between the face of the upright and the axle, and the edge of the bearing track.