ANSWERS: 1
  • Every wheel on every vehicle uses a wheel bearing to border the wheel and the spindle. There are two different kinds of wheel bearings -- wheel hub-bearing assemblies and adjustable pressed bearings. While hub-bearing assemblies cannot be fixed, the adjustable pressed bearings can often be re-tightened. However, wear and tear on these bearings will eventually require replacement.

    Sealed Hub-Bearing Assemblies

    Apply the parking brake and place the vehicle in neutral on a hard flat surface. You'll need to lift the entire front axle in order to check the front sealed hub-bearing assemblies. Most all front-wheel-drive vehicles use hub-bearing assemblies and now many trucks and SUVs do too. This type of bearing requires no maintenance and integrates the bearing, the hub flange and the lug studs. It bolts to the steering knuckle from behind with three to four bolts. Lift the front axle of the vehicle and support it safely onto jack stands. With the vehicle in neutral and the front axle suspended, you can now check for bearing play. Sealed hub bearings should have no play in them whatsoever. Place one hand at the top of the tire and the other hand at the bottom. Attempt to wiggle the tire by pushing in on the top of the tire while pulling out on the bottom and then swap motions. Any play felt requires further inspection of the lower ball joint to see whether that's where the play is coming from. Because you cannot wiggle the tire and check the ball joint at the same time, recruit someone to help. Extreme play in the bearing requires immediate replacement. Even when there's no play in a hub-bearing assembly, it doesn't necessarily mean the bearing hasn't failed or is failing. Typically, a growling noise when driving the vehicle is due to lack of lubrication in the bearing. Because you cannot service this, it will have to be replaced. Spinning the tire by hand can detect the gritty sound of the dried bearing.

    Adjustable Pressed Bearings

    Check the adjustable bearings in the same manner you would sealed hub-bearing assemblies. The difference with these types of bearings is that you can remove and service them by packing them with bearing grease if they haven't gotten too bad. Any time brake jobs are performed on vehicles that use adjustable pressed bearings, the bearings should be serviced as part of the job. The front bearings come out after removal of the spindle cap. The inner bearing is pressed into the back side of the rotor and requires the grease seal to be removed. Remove the inner bearing with a bearing-removal tool. While these types of bearings appear on most older rear-wheel-drive vehicles and two-wheel drive trucks, they generally allow some slight play in the wheel. Feeling a little wiggle in the bearing is normal. Excessive wiggle requires attention. Tighten the bearing by removing the cotter pin and castle cap, and tighten the spindle nut. Spin the rotor and then back off the nut a quarter turn, then spin the rotor again. Recheck the play in the bearing and retighten as necessary. Always back off the nut a quarter turn after tightening it. This is where the bearing play is permissible.

    Source:

    AutoMedia.com: Inspect, Replace and Repack Wheel Bearings

    Dummies.com: How to Check a Vehicle's Wheel Bearings

    More Information:

    MIBearings: All About Wheel Bearings, Wheel Hub Bearings, Wheel Bearing, and Hub Assemblies

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