Wheel Bearings

A wheel bearing is a component designed to fit inside the center of a wheel at its point of rotation. It allows the wheel to spin as smoothly and with as little friction as possible. Wheel bearings have a particular importance in cars as they must be strong enough to support a great deal of weight.

One easy way to imagine the concept behind wheel bearings is to picture someone slipping on a floor full of marbles. Because marbles roll, if you step on them, there's a significant loss of friction between your feet and the floor. A ball bearing assembly is basically a ring of metal marbles (ball bearings) in line with each other. The axle will rest between the ball bearings and the wheel, allowing the wheel to rotate with minimal friction.

There are many different kinds of bearings, but they all use the same basic idea. Roller bearings, for instance, are a popular and effective type of bearing used in cars. Instead of using spherical ball bearings, roller bearings use tube-shaped “rollers”. Sometimes each roller with have a tapered shape, which just means that one end has a larger diameter than the other. Tapered bearings are used when the force applied to the bearings is on an angle.

Serious problems can result from having a worn wheel bearing on your car. Since wheel bearings ensure that wheels roll smoothly, a faulty bearing will cause the wheel to have trouble spinning. If you don't replace a worn wheel bearing, there's a possibility that your wheel will seize up while you're driving.

If you notice a grinding noise coming from your wheel while you're driving, then you might need to have your wheel bearing replaced. Luckily, the repair is not very invasive and your car's technician shouldn't take too long to complete it.

Wheel Bearings Ottawa