I remember my dad having the shop “pack the bearings” on the family car. Is this something you need to have done?
At one time, all wheel bearings were “serviceable” and needed to be taken care of from time to time. It’s a little trickier these days.
First off, the wheel bearings in your vehicle make sure your wheels rotate smoothly. As you can imagine, with all those revolutions per minute your wheels can generate a lot of heat. The bearings keep that heat down as much as possible. They’re packed in grease for lubrication. The term “packing the bearings” refers to putting fresh grease around the bearings.
On many modern vehicles, the wheel bearing assembly is sealed. These wheel bearings are not serviceable so there is no maintenance that can be performed on them. When the bearings wear, the entire assembly is replaced. Douglas Automotive Repair Inc can perform a check of your bearings to make sure they are still functioning safely and we can also tell you if they need service. If you hear strange noises from your wheels–which may come and go at different speeds–it’s critical to have them checked.
Now wheel bearings on trailers are most always serviceable. This means anything from a monster sized fifth-wheel camper to a little utility trailer. Boat trailers are especially susceptible because the hot wheel bearings are plunged into cold water when launching a boat into the lake. This temperature difference can draw water into the bearings. Have the bearings re-packed at the end of the season to prevent corrosion.
It’s a good idea for trailer owners to have an inspection on their trailer wheels every year or so–it’s kind of hard to hear when they are groaning.
Now, when wheel bearings fail, the wheel can seize up and even break off. No one wants that to happen, so follow a regular inspection schedule. Douglas Automotive Repair Inc can help keep your vehicle rolling on down the road.
Give us a call today.
This entry was posted in Preventive Maintenance, Safety, Wheel Bearings and tagged Preventive Maintenance, Safety, Wheel Bearings on .
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