What is a Wheel Bearing?

Most wheel bearings consist of a set of steel ball bearings, which move around inside a metal frame called a race. It consists of two parallel rings, which should be perfectly circular. The outer rims should be able to hold the bearings tightly while still allowing the inner bearings to move around freely within this frame.

What does a Wheel Bearing do?

Wheel bearings are essential to the proper functioning and performance of your car. They support all the weight of the vehicle and distribute it evenly among all four wheels. Essentially they provide a smooth, even surface on which the wheels can turn and therefore play a major part in the smoothness of your car’s ride.

As well as supporting the weight of your car, wheel bearings also have to absorb the heat and friction that are generated during typical driving conditions.

What are the symptoms of a bad Wheel Bearing?

• Whirring or Droning Sound - The most common and often most-identifiable symptom associated with a bad wheel bearing is noise coming from the wheel or tyre area when your car is moving. It is best described as a type of whirring or droning. When you’re driving at low speeds, it can sound as though it is coming from a distance. As a vehicle speeds up the noise will get louder. Since wheel bearings are not known for wearing out that frequently, the noise is typically suspected to be something else and often the problem can be overlooked.
• Loose Feeling When Driving - Your car can often feel loose when it comes to a damaged or broken Wheel Bearing. Wheel looseness, also called wheel play, is another common symptom. As the bearings begin to wear down, they become loose inside the wheel hub and spindle, which makes your car feel loose while steering.
• Pulling When Steering - Are you doing the steering, or is the car pulling where it wants to? When a wheel bearing corrodes or becomes pitted, the smooth exterior lining is gone and the vibration is transmitted to the tyres which may feel like it is “pulling” to one side or the other.
• Tyres Wear - A broken wheel bearing can lead to uneven tyre wear. The looseness of the wheel and the vibration that reverberates through it can cause your tyres to wear unevenly.

Finding the source of a problem with wheel bearings may involve putting the car up on a jack or lift, and manually rotating the wheels. Your mechanic may then hear a different sound which will lead them to the source of the problem, or they might notice some play (side-to-side movement) in the wheel as they turn it.

Who can replace my Wheel Bearing?

If you have been reading this and believe you have an issue with your Wheel Bearings, fear not as MyCarNeedsA.com are here to help. All you need to do is enter your reg number and we can gather quotes for local mechanics in your area. Pick which one is best for you and get your car back to full health in no time!

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