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How To Install And Maintain Hub Bearings?

by GSTP Support 10 Aug 2023
How To Install And Maintain Hub Bearings?

Worn or damaged hub bearings or hub units can cause undue and costly failures while the vehicle is in motion, or even endanger your safety. Please pay attention to the following items when using and installing wheel hub bearings:

1. For maximum safety and reliability, it is recommended that you always check your wheel bearings regardless of the age of your vehicle - watch out for early warning signs of bearing wear: including any rubbing noise when spinning or hanging the combined wheel Unusual deceleration while cornering.

For rear-wheel drive vehicles, it is recommended to lubricate the front hub bearings when the vehicle has driven to 38,000 kilometers. When replacing the brake system, the bearings should be checked and the oil seal should be replaced.

2. If you hear the noise from the hub bearing, first find out where the noise occurs. There are a lot of moving parts that can create noise, or some rotating parts in contact with non-rotating parts. If the noise is confirmed to be at the bearings, the bearings may be damaged and need to be replaced.

3. Since the working conditions of the front wheel hubs that cause bearing failure on both sides are similar, it is recommended to replace them in pairs even if only one bearing is damaged.

4. Hub bearings are sensitive, and correct methods and tools must be used in any case. Bearing parts must not be damaged during storage, transportation and installation. Some bearings require more pressure to press in and therefore require special tools. Be sure to refer to your vehicle manufacturer's manual.

5. When installing the bearing, it should be in a clean environment. Ingress of fine particles into bearings can also shorten bearing life. Maintaining a clean environment is very important when replacing bearings. It is not allowed to hit the bearing with a hammer and be careful not to drop the bearing on the ground (or similar misuse). The condition of the shaft and housing should also be checked before installation, as even slight wear can cause poor bearing fit and premature failure.

6. For the hub bearing unit, do not try to disassemble the hub bearing or adjust the sealing ring of the hub unit, otherwise it will damage the sealing ring and enter water or dust. Even the raceway of the sealing ring and the inner ring is damaged, causing the bearing to permanently fail.

7. There is a magnetic thrust ring inside the ABS device bearing sealing ring. The thrust ring must not be bumped, impacted or collided with other magnetic fields. Take it out of the packing box before installation, and keep it away from magnetic fields such as motors or power tools used. When installing these bearings, change the operation of the bearings by road testing the ABS warning pin on the instrument panel.

8. For hub bearings equipped with ABS magnetic thrust rings, in order to determine which side the thrust ring is installed on, a light and small object can be used close to the edge of the bearing, and the magnetic force generated by the bearing will attract it. When installing, please put the magnetic thrust ring side inward, facing the ABS sensitive parts. CAUTION: Improper installation may result in brake system failure.

9. Many bearings are sealed, and these bearings do not require lubrication throughout their service life. Other unsealed bearings such as double row tapered roller bearings must be lubricated with grease during installation. It is difficult to determine how much grease to add due to the varying size of the bearing cavity. The most important thing is to ensure there is grease in the bearing. If there is too much grease, the excess grease will leak out as the bearing spins. General rule of thumb: The total amount of grease should account for 50% of the bearing clearance when installed.

10. When installing the lock nut, the torque changes greatly due to the difference in the bearing type and the bearing housing. Please pay attention to the relevant instructions.

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