What Does It Sound Like When A Wheel Bearing Is Going Out?

Posted by theautopartsshop on February 14th, 2022

Wheel bearings existed when the Egyptians were building pyramids. These parts follow a simple principle as they roll better than they slide. These bearings handle the entire weight of the vehicle that passes through potholes and different forms of roads. These are self-reliant and are sealed so tightly that no water or dust gets inside them.

Like other car parts, ball bearings start giving issues. Only a trusted mechanic can resolve these issues by charging a certain price from you. You can save money on costly repairs by purchasing wheel bearing from the nearest store and follow step by step replacement process.

Types of Wheel Bearings

Wheel Bearings have been classified into various types. Let us know about each one of them as the application of the wheel depends on its purpose:

Radial Ball Bearings

Radial ball bearings handle the radial axle loads of the car.

Thrust Ball Bearings

Thrust loads are handled by the thrust bearings. Its rolling elements are ball, needle, and roller. These are not placed within the housing or a shaft but are kept directly on the seating surface.

Common Reasons Due to Which Wheel Bearing Goes Out

Wheel bearings are meant to last for a lifetime. These car parts undergo wear and tear also dirt and debris start seeping within them. Other reasons are overheating, poor lubrication, and road bumps that degrade the bearings. Out-of-shape and unbalanced tires are the prominent causes behind the worn-out bearing. Continuous amount of force exerted by the faulty tires damages the suspension, tie rods, ball joints, and struts. Determine the bad wheel bearing cost from the mechanic to help it deliver optimum performance.

Many of you don’t realize that driving with a bad  bearing puts your life in danger. It creates hazardous conditions for the drivers listed as follows:

Lose Control On The Vehicle

The wheel bearings make the wheel and the hub assembly spin on the axis. Driving with a problematic wheel bearing can be quite dangerous at high speeds. The wheel starts wobbling and might come out at any moment. The sounds produced by the bearings start getting loud over time.

The Brakes Start Malfunctioning

If your wheel bearing is causing problems then the brake rotator can become wobbly. This can impel the caliper piston to its bore. Thus when you try to stop the car by applying brakes it can result in unexpected pedal travel. Hence becomes difficult to put the car to a halt and you may need to stop the car on the side of the road. This thing can be dangerous especially when you are in the middle of a highway.

May Cause The Wheels To Come Off The Car

The wheel bearing is not only responsible for rotating the tire but also carries the weight of the car. It performs such a role by keeping the spinning wheel’s axis in a straight line. If the wheel bearing does not function properly it will not directly cause the car tire to fall off unless it becomes very hot. This can result in sparking or even a fire to break out in the wheel area and its dismantling. However, this can only happen in very serious cases where there is no grease in the bearing to prevent the heating up.

You might have heard of accidents where the bearings were not taken care of timely and had resulted in the burning of the car. It is better to be safe than sorry and replace your bearings on time.

How Long Can One Drive With A Wheel Bearing That Is Acting Up?

Most people assume that it is okay to drive a vehicle with a problematic whee; bearing. In reality, you cannot say how long your vehicle can run in such a poor state. All this depends on how much worse is the condition of the bearing and other factors such as the conditions of the road. However, experts advise that one must not take any risks and replace the wheel bearing to avoid any unfortunate accidents.

If you are stuck in a situation where the bearing suddenly comes off while you are driving keep on moving slowly and move to a safer place. Additionally, if the weather conditions are worse move your vehicle away from the traffic to prevent accidents.

A failed wheel bearing can be dangerous for your life and your loved ones. It is better to tow your vehicle to buy the bearing from a trusted store like ‘The Auto Parts Shop’ bringing authentic and reasonable products to you. Watch the DIY videos and follow the steps while replacing the wheel bearing assembly.

The Bottom Line

Driving with a problematic wheel bearing can pose a threat to your life. Neglecting the issues would get you into costly repairs later on. Replace the most significant car component and get an exhilarating driving experience from it.