While driving, have you ever heard a rattling, humming, or creaking sound next to the engine sound? If so, it could be a sign that your car is having problems. And those problems are usually related to the wheel bearings.
You should fix the problems early to avoid unwanted car accidents. And in case you haven’t set it, see how long will a wheel bearing last after it starts making noise.
What Is A Wheel Bearing?
The wheel bearing is located in the center of the wheel and is the part that connects the wheel hub to the wheel.
This unit helps the wheel move smoothly and reduces a large amount of friction when the wheel rotates.
The structure of bearings consists of spherical metals located in the grooves of two metal rings (outer and inner race) and are called ball bearings. In comparison, roller bearings will consist of cylindrical blocks instead of spheres in a tapered ring.
Although different in construction, wheel bearings are all critical to the wheel. They help reduce friction between moving parts and allow the wheel to move smoothly. Furthermore, the wheel bearings also play an essential role in the turning and braking system.
Therefore, you need to make sure the approaches are always in good working condition. Strange sounds will be an indication that the wheel bearings are having problems.
How Long Will A Wheel Bearing Last After It Starts Making Noise?
Over time, external and internal factors will wear down the wheel bearings. Usually, an approach can still work well when the car has about 100,000 miles. Since they are very durable, they do not require much care.
However, you should pay attention to them after running about 100,000 miles. Timely detection of strange sounds and repair of wheel bearings will make your ride safer.
But if your car starts making strange noises that you can’t fix in time, don’t worry! Your car still has a good run time since the wheel bearings begin to make noise.
That time is about 1,000 – 1,500 miles based on the distance the car has traveled since the bearings made the abnormal sound.
However, this does not mean that you are allowed to be subjective when driving. Because a strange sound implies something is not working correctly. Please take your car to professional facilities for timely repair and safety.
How To Recognize The Sound Of A Bad Wheel Bearing?
As mentioned, the way to tell if wheel bearings are faulty is by sound. But how can you tell the difference between the engine’s sound, the noise, and the clutter? Try the following ways to see if you recognize these distinctive sounds!
Sound when you cornering
The first sign you can recognize is the snapping or clicking sound when the car is cornering. Let’s see if the vehicle makes a strange sound when decelerating to turn? If so, check the wheel bearing as soon as possible.
Sound when you brake
Similarly, when turning, the car makes a grinding or cracking sound when you brake, immediately pay attention to the wheel bearings.
Sound when running straight and accelerating.
A common occurrence is when the car goes straight, and you start hearing rumble and buzzing sounds. These noises increase as you accelerate and end when the vehicle stops. If so, find a car repair company right away!
What Dangers Can A Bad Bearing Bring?
When the vehicle begins to make unusual noises during movement, quickly check the wheel bearings and wheel area. If you keep driving with bad wheel bearings, it will create annoying noise and damage surrounding components and potentially cause an accident.
Wear the wheel
Your wheels will quickly become rough and worn when using old or broken bearings. The reason is that the wheel no longer works smoothly, loses balance, and suffers more friction.
Wear the brakes
The next part that can receive the consequences is the brake. Bad wheel bearings will wear out and damage the brakes. Therefore, the brake light on the dashboard screen will light up (you can refer to why my brake light stays on for more details). On the other hand, broken brakes are also a sign that the wheel bearings have problems.
Rotary shaft wear
Because it is directly connected to the wheel bearings, the rotating shaft will also degrade when this part has problems. Shafts will wear down over time due to incorrect operation and additional friction.
Potential accidents
Damaged wheel bearings may not directly cause an accident, but indirectly damage other essential vehicle components. How can the car be safe when both wheels, brakes, and wheel hubs have problems.
Moreover, repairing wheel bearings will be a lot cheaper than repairing a badly damaged vehicle.
Causes Of Wheel Bearing Wear
Wheel bearings are a very durable part of the vehicle, so you don’t need to maintain them. However, the durability will depend on the weather, the way the car runs, and the car’s road. Let’s take a look at the causes that can destroy wheel bearings!
Intrinsic cause
Friction and heat generated during the wheel bearings’ operation will gradually wear down the steel balls. In addition, the lubricant inside the direction will deplete over time. Therefore, each wheel bearing has an instrumental life.
Weather
Besides heat and friction, water is also a factor that destroys metal balls. Rain or snowmelt inside the wheel bearings will cause the metal to rust. Moreover, salts from the environment and soil, dust combined with water will accelerate the corrosion process.
Driving style and bad roads
Driving at high speed, especially on rough roads, will cause the car to hit hard and the axle to fluctuate significantly. And that is a significant cause of damage to wheel bearings in wheels.
Conclusion
We have just learned about wheel bearings, the causes of damage, and how to recognize strange sounds from the car when the bearings have problems.
Furthermore, you also know precisely how long wheel bearings last after it starts making noise. So don’t worry too much when something goes wrong and get it fixed quickly before a more significant problem occurs.
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