Axle bearings are one of the crucial parts of a wheel axle that provide a smooth ride and maintain wheel alignment. They are designed to sustain radial whale cornering. However, when they start malfunctioning, you can see some visible symptoms such as uneven tyre wear and car noises.
In this guide, we will discuss all about axle bearings, their importance and the sign of wear and tear.
Let’s take a quick look at what axle bearings are.
What is an Axle Bearing
Axle bearings are placed at each mounting end of a live axle. It allows the wheel to turn freely while maintaining a proper alignment when cornering. The wheel axle can be fixed in two ways: live axle and dead axle. Live axle rotates with the wheel; whereas, in the dead axle, the wheel rotates around the axle. However, we need axle bearings in both the cases for mounting positions and inside a central hole.
Purpose of Axle Bearings
The wheel axle bearings maintain the position of the wheel. It serves as a driving torque to the wheel and helps in supporting the vehicle’s weight. Also, axle bearings ensure that the rotation of the axle is frictionless. Hence, whenever axle bearings begin to wear off, you may start noticing significant changes while driving.
Read on to find more about the signs of wearing axle bearings.
Wearing of the Axle Bearings
You can find axle bearings on the front, rear or both sides of the wheel. However, the constant spinning causes them to wear with time. The factors that make axle bearings deteriorate faster are extra weight, contamination, less lubrication and improper wheel alignment.
Signs of Bad Wheel Axle Bearings
Here are the signs that you initially witness when axle bearings start wearing out.
Unusual Sounds
Unusual car sounds coming from your car is always a sign that something is wrong with your vehicle. As the axle bearings start damaging, they create friction between the components which may lead to an unusual grinding noise that increases as you increase the vehicle speed.
Uneven Tyre Wear
Besides unusual noises, you may also witness uneven tyre wear. For instance, if the axle bearings of a wheel start to fail, the condition of corresponding wheels starts getting worse unevenly from the rest. This may lead to blowing out your tyre if not taken care of on time.
Wobble in the Wheels
This can be tested by lifting a car with the help of a jack. You need to rotate tyres to check if there is any sound of resistance. You can also check the wheel’s movement by tricking them back and forth.
Steering Difficulty
Another sign of bad axle bearings is vibration on the steering wheel or shaking steering wheels when driving at a slower speed. The car’s steering loosens its grip with worn out bearings. This ultimately creates vibration while driving.
Vehicle Pulls to the Side
Pulling to one side is another common sign that usually appears when your car axle bearings are likely to be worn out. This happens when your tyre starts wearing out unevenly due to damaged axle bearings.
Besides, damaged axle bearings make a car less responsive and tyres wear out faster. Hence, you must follow the car maintenance checklist and get your vehicle checked by a trusted technician.
The average lifespan of wheel axle bearings is 136,000 to 160,000 km which depends on the quality and operating conditions. Also, when you perform car axle repair make sure you check all the signs properly.
Even though axle bearings won’t damage quickly if you are planning to buy a used car for sale in the UAE, make sure you take a test drive and check all the aforementioned bad axle bearing symptoms.
If you find this guide useful, stay tuned to the UAE’s leading car blog to know more about car parts and repair tips.
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