Prevention is better than the cure. That logic works for your car as well. You can stop quite a number of car issues from escalating into even bigger problems simply by regularly inspecting your car.
Your Bearings
Your car is made up of a lot of parts designed to withstand constant stress and use. However, cars parts such as wheel bearings can only last for so long. Wheel bearings are tough and sturdy. They have to be, if they’re expected to bear the weight of your car.
Standard bearings for cars are well able to last for over 100,000 miles. Past that mark, however, you can expect the parts to start showing signs of considerable wear and tear.
DIY Inspection
You can easily find out if your wheel bearings are the cause of the trouble. Here’s how:
- Find jacks. Use these to raise your car.
- Check the wheels. Hold one around the top and bottom of the wheel and rock it. Your wheels shouldn’t be able to move vertically, If they can, that’s a bad bearing wheel in action.
- For added measure, shift into neutral mode, Dummies suggests. Then rotate the wheel. If you feel any resistance while the wheel is rotating, then, that just adds another sign to all others you’ve already had, pointing to one thing: that your wheel bearings need to be replaced as soon as possible.
Replacement
Finding the right bearings for your wheels is crucial. If the fit isn’t right, that could lead to more problems for your wheel and wheel alignment in the future. Your wheel to fall off, you could end up using up a ton of fuel and spending a lot on fuel costs. Wheel wobble or vibrations along your wheels is another result of alignment issues, along with abnormal or uneven tire wear. Abnormal wear and tear usually happens because the front wheel bearing parts bear the greatest pressure whenever the car takes a turn. That means bearings for your rear wheels ordinarily last longer than the ones for your front wheels. Remember that the next time you shop for wheel bearings replacement options.
Wear and Tear
Signs of wear and tear on your bearings include:
- Heat has already lead to some discoloration
- Dents in the racers or rollers of your bearings
- Flaking of the metal in the rollers or racers of your bearings
- Bearings dry with rust
If you notice any of these warning signs, don’t hesitate to toss aside your bearings for new ones.
BCA offers wheel bearing and hub info straight from the source – the pros. For more tips, browse our website!
