Practically, whatever is not in its good state is able to get worse if not checked. Such can pose a threat, causing damage in other areas and to other materials in contact with it.
Unfortunately, this damage could be of ripple effect in any circumstance. Ripple effect in that one affects the other; the other affects another and onwards till total damage is almost breathe-seizing.
A bad wheel bearing can cause transmission problems because a bad wheel bearing can put a lot of stress on the hub, the CV joint, and can as well affect the transmission itself causing it to either slip or stuck.
What is a Wheel Bearing?
Wheel Bearing is a crucial part of the wheel which connects the wheel to the axle.
Wheels are circular objects which enable a vehicle to move swiftly on the ground. An Axle is a spindle or rod which passes through the center of a wheel or a group of wheels.
Like the whole wheel, Wheel bearings are essential to a vehicle’s brake and steering systems.
Wheel bearings are of vital necessity in machines and automobiles. It is a set of balls- steel, held together by a metal ring. Wheel bearing enables the whole wheel of a car to rotate with minimal friction on a smooth basis.
Again, a wheel bearing is a set of steel balls held together in a metal ring, called a race. At the center of the wheels lie a hollow piece of metal, called a hub.
The wheel bearings clamp tightly inside this hub. While riding on a metal axle shaft, the bearings help reduce friction when the wheel spins.
Can a Bad Wheel Bearing Cause Transmission Problems?
Yes. A bad wheel bearing can cause transmission problems.
Frankly, it is risky to drive if one of the bearings is bad. It probably may cause the wheel to stop while driving. Research has it that a damaged wheel bearing affects the transmission, the constant velocity joint, and the hub.
What Causes Wheel Bearing to Go Bad?
Wheel bearings get worn whenever you drive your vehicle. This happens gradually, almost unnoticed, like every other part of a vehicle that moves.
As the wheels rotate, bearing heavyweight, much stress is exerted on the wheel bearings. Eventually, your wheel bearings may become too worn out.
In addition to the passing, several causes can initiate a bad wheel bearing. Some of these causes are:
1. General Driving Condition
Wheel bearings can fail when you practice driving through deep water or mud. Contaminants such as dust, mud, road salt, or water could travel past the seals, enter the bearing, pollute the grease and cause the bearings to wear away.
2. Driving Condition- Flooded street
Wheel bearings do not have a good time dealing with water at all. The seals won’t be able to prevent water from entering into your bearings if you are driving on a street that is flooded. This does damage to the bearings because of the lubricant.
Wheel bearings have been lubricated by the manufacturer already. This lubricant is a petroleum-based lubricant that does not interact well with water.
Thus, exposing your wheel bearings to water will warrant that the bearings be replaced. A repair attempt will not suffix at all.
3. Road Inbalance
As you drive, It is no little pressure that is placed on your wheel bearings. The often you ply uneven roads and routes, the more worn and damaged your wheel bearings become.
Consequently, the steel balls of the bearings will suffer small damaged areas alongside imbalances which will restrain their ability to minimize friction for the wheels. Replacing your wheel bearings should be necessarily immediate.
4. Imbalanced Tires
A good car maintenance routine practice is to have your tires balanced. Contrary to this, there is most likely an uneven distribution of pressure on the wheels.
Some wheel bearings will have more pressure and stress to endure than other wheel bearings of the same car. This will cause them to lose fitness faster, produce noise and damage. Your wheels must be kept balanced to avoid this experience.
5. Accident
For damaged or slightly dented wheels caused by accident, the wheel bearings may not have been spared.
Easily, an accident could damage the bearings to the point of malfunctioning and creating embarrassing noises that you are not prepared to hear.
Interestingly, when damaged wheels result from an accident, a good repair shop will suspect damaged wheel bearings without gambling. Learn the type of lug nuts needed for your aftermarket wheels.
6. Poor installation
Upon installing new wheel bearings, rude noises and other problems must mean that the installation of the wheel bearings was not properly done.
While it may be traceable to the mechanic’s negligence, the wheel bearings may not have been installed based on the manufacturer’s specifications.
Whichever way, return to the shop and demand the correct installation you paid for. Do not delay in returning there; else, you become a victim of an argument that the fault is from your negligence.
Signs of a Bad Wheel Bearing
The major sign which announces the bad state of a wheel bearing is:
Humming Noise- The most easily discoverable, common symptom of bad wheel bearings is audible squealing, growling, or clicking sound.
Others include;
Wheel Wobble, ABS Failure, Uneven Tire Wear, Vehicle Pulls to One Side, Steering Wheel Vibration.
What to Do When Wheel Bearing Goes Bad?
Please, fix it. It is best advised that you do not try to manage or package the wheel bearing. Once it is certified to be bad, do well to take the pain to replace it.
Importance of Wheel Bearing
The importance of wheel bearing is a big deal to the entire vehicle. In short words, the vehicle is no vehicle without the wheel bearing. Yes, no movement at all without the bearing. The wheel bearing is this important!
Conclusion
If engines were humans, humanity would commend them for the culture of dependence on other parts to form a whole.
Technically, other parts would practically not function because one of them is ‘aggrieved.’ So much to learn from inanimate automobiles!
Ideally, your wheel bearing should not go bad. In any case, it does, do not patch, do not manage, do not package it. Please, replace it!