Generally, when a wheel bearing starts failing, it’s mainly due to inadequate or low lubrication. Sometimes, it can also be due to improper adjustments or faulty installations. Therefore, it’s vital that you first know the reason for the failure of your previous wheel bearing – using which you can take precautions beforehand – so that the same situation doesn’t arise anymore.
It should be realized that a good Haberfield mechanic, will always ask his/her customer and thereby find out the type of roads the car is driven onto. Moreover, the mechanic should also know the kind of loads that are carried using the vehicle as well. Over-loading a vehicle can easily cause the wheel bearings to fail. This is the reason why when wheel bearings fail; they tend to fail on the passenger-side wheels because that’s where most of the weight will be concentrated upon.
Does Heat Affect The Functioning Of A Wheel Bearing?
You should learn those wheel bearings are always manufactured by heat-treating metal and thereby hardening the same. That means that the wheel bearing has the capability to control heat production. But, when a wheel bearing is used inside a vehicle, due to excessive friction, the heat threshold may cross the maximum amount that the wheel bearing could sustain. As a result, overheating may happen, and thereby damage will be inflicted upon the wheel bearing.
When the wheel bearing overheats, the lubricant that is present around the components will start to break down and thereby the amount of friction between the parts will increase as a result. Ultimately, the wheel bearing will fail, and accidents may happen on the road.
Since, wheel bearings are precision products that always require complex manufacturing procedures, if you proceed to use inferior wheel bearings in place of old ones – they will fail prematurely. This is because inferior wheel bearings cannot control the heat production inside of a vehicle as effectively as a higher quality one. This shows that the quality of the vehicles wheel bearings matters a lot when used.
Should You Over-Tighten Your Wheel Bearings?
If you’re an untrained or amateur car owner, then you should know that over-tightening of a wheel bearing should be avoided at all costs. Over-tightening of a wheel bearing will quickly lead to premature failure and can lead to accidents – both in the short term & long term.
So, in case you want to loosen or even tighten up the wheel bearings of your car, be sure to contact a professional mechanic for the same and then allow the professional to make the adjustments. Moreover, if your vehicle’s wheel bearing needs replacing/repairing, they can also do the same without you having to worry about it.
