It is no secret that cars cannot operate without wheels. Wheel itself is made of many parts  including the tyre, rotor, stator, bearing and capacitor, among others. Wheel bearings are a set of steel tapers or balls often known as wheel bearings, tapered bearings or ball bearings.

Wheel bearings are present in the centre of the wheel inside a hollow piece called the hub. They are held by a metal ring known as the race. For the hub, tyre and assemblies to work properly, wheel bearings are critical. This is why it is necessary to know all about the symptoms and causes of bad wheel bearing. 

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A WHEEL BEARING

Before we get into the details of bad wheel bearing symptoms we must know what is the actual purpose of a wheel bearing. As mentioned above, wheel bearings fit in the hub. They ride on a metal axle shaft and their purpose is to help reduce friction when the wheel spins.

Wheel bearings are different from engine bearings. Case in point: there is no constant source of lubrication for the wheel bearings. This is why they have to be tight enough to keep water and road dust away from them. 

Wheel bearings are also responsible for supporting the entire weight of the vehicle when driving. This is the reason why wheel bearings face a lot of misuse at the hands of potholes, rough roads and lateral forces when the vehicle turns.

SYMPTOMS OF A BAD WHEEL BEARING EXPLAINED

The most common type of ball bearings are wheel bearings and roller bearings. The latter isn’t as versatile as the wheel bearing. Other types of wheel bearings include precision ball bearings for intense radial loads and tapered roller bearings used for trucks. 

Regardless of the type of bearing your vehicle has, the warning signs for all types of wheel bearings are the same. Symptoms of bad wheel bearings include:

• The most common sign of bad wheel bearing is an audible one. If your wheel or tyre is making a grinding or grating noise, it is likely because of a bad wheel bearing. Moreover, if the wheel bearing noise gets louder as you accelerate the vehicle, it is a definite sign of a bad wheel bearing. 
• Another sign of bad wheel bearing is that the vehicle feels loose as you drive it. Now, it is difficult to identify looseness, but basically, when you drive the car and find it less responsive than usual, it is a sign or symptom of bad wheel bearing. Sometimes a vehicle drives with less precision because of worn down wheel bearings. This causes the wheel bearings to loosen within your wheel assembly.
• Another symptom of bad wheel bearing is pulling when braking. If your car doesn’t veer in the direction you intended, or veers towards one side when applying brakes. there may be a problem with the wheel bearing. 

You must also pay close attention to the car tyres. Keep rotating them regularly to prevent them from frequent wear. That said, if you notice your vehicle has extremely uneven wear despite rotating tires, you may want to get the wheel bearings checked.

HOW TO DETERMINE BAD WHEEL BEARING NOISE

The following are the most common bad wheel bearing sounds:

SQUEALING & GROWLING

Usually, if you hear a chirping, growling or squealing noise it is because of a bad wheel bearing. The sound gets worse with every turn or disappears momentarily if the wheel bearings go bad.

HUMMING NOISES

Vehicles make many sounds and while there are many reasons your car makes a humming noise; one reason is a bad wheel bearing or CV joint. 

REAR DIFFERENTIAL NOISE VS WHEEL BEARING NOISE

If there is a howling noise taking place during deceleration, it is pretty much because of a loose pinion-bearing preload. However, if the howling noise happens during acceleration at different speeds, it is probably because of worn out gears. Moreover, bearings that are overly worn out also tend to make a howling noise and make a rumbling sound when turning. 

Those were the most common symptoms of bad wheel bearings. The problem of bad wheel bearings is not to be taken lightly as it comprises the ride quality of your vehicle. It also has a negative impact on the competitiveness of tyres. But most importantly, driving with bad wheel bearing is a big safety threat. 

To save yourself from unforeseen situations on the road always have the wheel bearings inspected and replace them if necessary.

That said, if your car suffers from other major automotive expenses on a frequent basis it only makes sense to change it. Go through this list of used cars for sale in the UAE and pick the one that best fits your driving needs and style. 

Stay tuned to UAE’s top auto blog for more on car mechanics.