Category: Car Components

A front-wheel-drive system with the inner and outer wheel bearings inside a hollow hub carrier. They are separated by a short tubular spacer. The drive shaft runs through them into a splined drive flange, to which the wheels are bolted. Cars with front-wheel drive have front-wheel bearings that resemble closely those in the rear wheels of rear-wheel-drive cars which have independent suspension (See How car suspension works). The type of bearing used also has much in common with non-driven wheel bearings (See Checking the half shafts). However the bearings of…

The bearings are located in the wheel hub on disc-brake wheels, and inside the brake drum, which forms part of the hub, on drum-brake wheels. Non-driven wheel bearings – the front-wheel bearings of rear-wheel-drive cars and rear-wheel bearings of front-wheel-drive cars – are similar in design, differing only in detail. They may be either tapered roller bearings or ball bearings. Both types need regular adjustment (See Adjusting wheel bearings) and lubrication with grease. Routine lubrication intervals are normally given in the car service schedule. They are usually very long typically…

The same basic bearing layout is used on front and rear hubs, except for those of live axles; however inner details of driven hubs are different. Wheel bearings need periodic checking – and adjusting if necessary – usually at 12,000 mile service intervals. At longer intervals – usually of 36,000 miles – they need repacking with grease (See Removing wheel bearings). Bearings on the front wheels of rear-wheel-drive cars and the rear wheels of front-wheel-drive cars are of broadly similar design. However, driven front wheels and driven rear wheels on…

Loosen the wheel nuts before jacking up the wheel. Use a large spanner and bar to get extra leverage on a crank-handled wheelbrace if necessary. When you take the wheels off to inspect the tyre walls, clean the wheels thoroughly and look closely for cracks starting around the stud holes, and at the joints between the rim and centre. Cracks may indicate structural weakness due to corrosion, or that the wheel nuts are either too loose or are over-tightened. Such damage means that the wheel should be replaced. Damage to…

Caused by over-inflation. The tyre has been run at too low a pressure. Wheel misalignment such as excessive toe-in or toe-out. Constant hard cornering at high speeds. Different wear patterns are an indication of the cause of abnormal tyre wear. But the cause is not always obvious, and a tyre may have excessive wear from more than one fault. If a car is driven continually with the tyre pressures too high, most of its load is carried on the centre of the tread, which wears out faster than the shoulders.…