All rotating and moving parts on the car must be lubricated, otherwise they will wear out quickly. Some are liquid lubricants that need to be replaced regularly, while others are lubricating grease that does not need to be replaced. For example, the ball cage of the half axle and the outer ball head of the steering gear tie rod are all filled with lubricating grease. As long as the rubber sleeve that wraps around these greases is not damaged and causes oil leakage, they do not need to be replaced for life. If the rubber sleeve is damaged, both the grease and the rubber sleeve need to be replaced, because if not replaced, the grease will be thrown out, and the lack of grease will eventually lead to poor lubrication. Today we are going to talk about the bearings of four wheels. They do not have rubber sleeves wrapped in grease. Do they need to be lubricated regularly?

  In the maintenance of large buses and trucks, there is a project to add lubricating grease to various moving parts, and there are dedicated adding ports that can be directly injected with a grease gun. And sedans do not need this maintenance, and the wheel bearings are also lubricated with lubricating grease, but it is a fully sealed overall structure. This bearing is enclosed, and the lubricating grease inside will not flow out, and the dirt outside will not enter inside. As long as the lubricating grease does not flow out, it will not be worn out, and its function is only a simple lubrication, and there is no problem of failure or ineffectiveness. Therefore, the four wheels do not need to be lubricated normally, as long as there are no abnormalities, they do not require maintenance for life.

 Although it does not require maintenance, there is also a possibility of damage. The manifestation of a broken wheel bearing is usually a buzzing noise during driving. It is because the balls inside are out of round or have abnormal wear, and when they rotate, they will rub against the surrounding area and make a noise. If there is any abnormal noise in the bearing, it cannot be repaired and can only be replaced. The bearings of different car models are also different. Some are integral and integrated with the axle head and ABS sensor. If they are damaged, they need to be replaced at the same time, which is very expensive. Some are just ordinary small bearings, which can be replaced by just this small component at a very cheap price, but it is more troublesome to replace, and the labor cost is higher than replacing the whole type.

The service life of general wheel bearings is very long, and they can be used for over 100000 kilometers normally. Some cars have been driven for hundreds of thousands of kilometers and have not been damaged for life. Most of the cars that encounter bearing replacement are old cars. Bearings do not require maintenance, so their lifespan is not only related to their own quality issues, but also to the vehicle's operating environment. Poor driving conditions, frequent bumpy roads, failure to slow down on bumpy roads when passing speed bumps, heavy vehicle loads, frequent loading or overloading, etc., can all affect the lifespan of bearings. These road conditions and usage methods not only affect the lifespan of bearings, but also have an impact on the lifespan of shock absorbers, tires, and other components of the chassis. Therefore, it is important to slow down and avoid overloading in areas where deceleration is necessary.

From: WONDEE Autoparts

2024-1-10