Understand Car Front Wheel Bearings Better

A front wheel bearing is a set of steel balls held together in a metal ring, called a race. At the center of the wheels, there is a hollow piece of metal, called a hub. The wheel bearings fit tightly inside this hub, and ride on a metal axle shaft, helping reduce friction when the wheel spins.

Have a look at the types of car front wheel bearings: 

1. Ball Bearings - It is the most common type of wheel bearing, the ball bearing is also the most versatile. Ball bearings can absorb both radial and thrust loads. Radial load is the amount of weight put on a wheel. The thrust load is cornering pressure. Ball bearings can be found in wheels as small as those on roller skates to tires as large as those on automobiles.

2. Roller Bearings - Roller bearings are also commonly used wheel bearings; however, they do not have the versatility of ball bearings. They handle the radial load well but do not hold up under thrust. This makes them virtually unusable in wheels that have to corner with even moderate amounts of speed.

3. Tapered Roller Bearings - Tapered roller bearings are most often used in standard cars and trucks and wheels. The cone shape allows for the reduction of friction during cornering when thrust load is at its greatest. When a car turns, the wheels angle to varying degrees. Tapered roller bearings allow for this to keep shifting parts from grinding.

Willing to know some features of car front wheel bearings? Have a look at them below:

• Front-wheel bearings help to reduce friction
• They support the weight of the vehicle
• They also withstand the lateral forces at corners
• Bearings are sealed tightly to prevent dust and water contamination
• Wheel bearings are durable
• Wheel bearings are made using high-quality steel

Willing to know the working of a car front wheel bearing? In that case, you have arrived at the right location. 

A steering knuckle is a stub axle that is used as a connection point between the tie rod and wheel. Steering knuckles also connect the lower and suspension upper ball joints. Disk-brake systems use steering knuckles as a brake-caliper mount. The front wheel bearing is fitted in the knuckle assembly of the car which is on the front side of a car. A drive flange is then pressed from outside of the bearing. A drive shaft is then inserted through the drive flange, after assembling the brake disk and the caliper the main bolt of the drive shaft is tightened and the wheel is then fitted. When the drive shaft moves the drive flange moves due to the bearing in it, allowing the wheel to move.

The Ultimate Wheel Bearings Buying Guide for you.

Have a look at the common car front wheel bearings problems:

• If the front wheel bearing is bad, it will make noise
• If seals get damaged, they can lose their grease
• Damage to the bearing can be caused due to dust and water contamination
• Over tight bearings can make noise, snapping, clicking, or popping noise, grinding noise when the vehicle is in motion and knocking or clunking noise, wheel vibration and wobbling of the wheel, shudder, shimmy, or vibration at a constant speed.
• Abnormal side pull when brakes are applied are some of the problems

The symptoms of bad wheel bearings include:

1.  Noise

• A humming, rumbling, or growling noise that gets louder as the vehicle accelerates or turns.
• When the car is moving, there is a loud continuous whining or grinding noise.
• Clunking noises when driving on an uneven road.

2. The steering wheel is loose and has a lot of motion (vague steering).

3. Vibrations in the steering wheel that alter with vehicle speed or as the vehicle turns.

4. ABS not working properly signifies a bad front wheel bearing. Failure of the integrated ABS sensor in the wheel end bearing can cause ABS problems.

Do you enjoy repairing your car on your own? Thinking of opening up your car body shop? It is a great business opportunity if you love cars and possess a good work ethic. Now if you want your shop to be successful, then you will require a combination of effort and car mechanic training. And of course, the correct equipment would upgrade your speed and make your repair work easy. If you have the right tools, then you can easily meet the demands of today's car body structures. Here are some of the most essential tools which you might need to repair your Front Wheel Bearings.

• Hydraulic Jack
• Plier
• Screwdriver
• Wrench Set
• Jack Stand

You won’t have to think a lot while purchasing if you are already using a particular car part brand and are fully satisfied with it. Some people trust a specific brand and would go with it once again with a minimum of thought. Here we have the best Front Wheel Bearings brands to help you out in choosing your favourite one in case you don’t have any. So what are you waiting for? Have a look below and choose the best brand for your Front Wheel Bearings. 

• SKF Front Wheel Bearings
• Mevotech Front Wheel Bearings
• World parts Front Wheel Bearings
• Transit Warehouse Front Wheel Bearings
• BCA Bearing Front Wheel Bearings
• Dorman (Oe Solutions) Front Wheel Bearings
• Moog Front Wheel Bearings
• Raybestos Front Wheel Bearings
• Quick Steer Front Wheel Bearings

Do you want to know what are the related parts of the car front wheel bearings? Say no more! We are here to help you out. Have a look at Front Wheel Bearings related parts below:-

• Wheel
• Brake Assembly
• Drive Flange
• Hub Nut
• Drive Axle
• Suspension
• Knuckle Assembly

Failure in the Front Wheel Bearings comes in a lot of forms. But take note it is not an inexpensive repair. Sometimes in the end you might find out that there is a need for complete Front Wheel Bearings replacement. There is no fast and hard number how much a Front Wheel Bearings replacement would cost as it depends upon a lot of factors like the brand, make, model and the mechanic who is going to repair/replace it. For replacing front wheel bearings, labor would cost about $80 to $150, depending on the type of vehicle. Front-wheel bearings can cost anything from $3 to $300. It is mostly determined by compatibility and quantity. You may always purchase aftermarket parts alone or in sets. When dealing with a failing wheel bearing, keep in mind that you'll need to repair both sides. To remove the front wheel bearings, other related parts have to be removed first which may take about 1 to 2 hours depending on the type of vehicle.

Keen to know about the procedure of changing the Front Wheel Bearings? Well, we have simplified the entire procedure for you:

Step 1

The first step is to park the vehicle on a flat surface. Use wheel chocks to secure wheels whose bearings you aren't replacing. 

Step 2

Loosen the bolts securing the wheel and lift the car with a jack. Once the car is raised, position a jack stand under the car for stability. 

Step 3

The bolts should then be removed which secure the wheel and remove the wheel. Remove the front right brake caliper assembly; Remove the dust cover, cotter pin, and castle nut of the drive shaft. 

Step 4

Remove the drive flange, remove the knuckle assembly. Inside the knuckle assembly, you would find wheel bearing, remove the wheel bearing. 

Step 5

Take new wheel bearing and fit it in knuckle assembly and reverse the process as removed.