In cylindrical roller bearings, the rolling elements and the raceways are in line contact, which optimizes stress distribution. Cylinder roller bearings have high radial load ratings due to this construction. In some cases, they can also transmit axial loads.

But what happens when a bearing begins to fail? Imagine driving down the highway when suddenly, your car feels unstable, or your wheel comes off. A bad wheel bearing can lead to catastrophic failure.

These use tapered rollers in the shape of tapered trapezoids as their rolling elements. Tapered roller bearings are the most widely used among all roller bearings, and can support a radial load and a one-directional axial load at the same time. When axial loads coming from both directions are to be supported, two or more tapered roller bearings are combined together.

Bearings that experience vibration while not in use may develop indentations in the raceways, causing noise when the machinery is reactivated.

Lubrication reduces friction between moving parts. When there is insufficient lubrication, bearings create heat and friction, producing grinding or squealing noises.

The force applied to a bearing is called the "load". The force applied perpendicularly to the shaft is called the "radial load", and that applied in the same direction as the shaft is called the "axial load".

Bad bearing soundswhile driving

Identifying a bad bearing early can save you from major repair bills and safety risks, but if you are wondering what are the signs of a bad wheel bearing? Then, let us tell you that a bad bearing will show both physical and audible signs. Here are some ways to determine if your bearing is failing:

These use barrel-shaped convex rollers as their rolling elements. As shown in Figure 7, they are inserted between a spherical outer ring raceway surface and an inner ring raceway surface. This is why the inner ring, rolling elements and cage in a spherical roller bearing are able to rotate while inclined toward the outer ring.

Badwheelbearinghumming noise

● Uneven Wear: Inspect your tires regularly. If the tread wear is uneven, the bearing may not be holding the wheel properly.

● Unusual Noise: Heard an unusual noise but don’t know what does a bad wheel bearing sound like? So, it’s a  grinding or grating noise from your wheel or tire. If you hear this, you might have a bad wheel bearing.

Of the four types of bearings listed in Table 1, radial ball bearings and radial roller bearings are used most often. We will explain a bit about those two types of bearings.

1. Regular Inspections: Routinely check your bearings for signs of wear, corrosion, or debris. Early detection of issues can prevent complete bearing failure.

Radial roller bearings are roller bearings that can support a force perpendicular to the shaft. They can support an even greater load than radial ball bearings, and there are bearing types that are made to suit the type of roller.

3. Avoid Overloading: Make sure you are not subjecting your bearings to more load than they are designed to handle. Overloading increases the risk of premature wear and failure.

Maintaining the health of your bearings can prolong their lifespan and prevent costly repairs. Here are some tips to keep your bearings in optimal condition:

So, how do you identify the early signs of a bad bearing before things escalate? And what does a bad bearing sound like? In this article, let us explore different types of bearings, and what bad bearing noises indicate it's time for a replacement.

Bearings are essential mechanical components used in various parts of a vehicle, especially in the wheel assembly. They support radial and axial loads while minimizing friction to allow for smooth rotation.

There are conical rollers between the inner and outer rings of a tapered roller bearing. The contact angle of tapered roller bearings allows them to absorb high radial and axial forces. However, it is common to use tapered roller bearings in pairs.

4. Ensure Proper Installation: Misaligned or improperly installed bearings can lead to uneven wear and reduce their operational lifespan. Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for installation.

Angular contact ball bearings have a contact angle. This means that forces are transferred from one raceway to the other at a specific angle. Thus, angular-contact ball bearings are suitable for axial and radial loads.

Self-aligning bearings work the same way as Spherical Roller Bearings, but with spherical rollers instead of balls, they can handle higher loads. The shaft and housing can be compensated for misalignment. Bearings with spherical rollers can withstand high radial and axial loads.

Wheelbearingnoise quick fix

● Vibration: If there is excessive vibration when driving, especially at high speeds, it could indicate that one or more bearings are failing.

The deep-groove ball bearing is the most commonly used type of bearing, and they can be used in a variety of applications. They are easy to maintain, not affected by operating conditions, and also, suitable for high speeds due to their low torque.

A bad bearing not only jeopardizes the performance of your vehicle or machinery but also puts safety at risk. Identifying bad bearing noise early can prevent costly repairs and dangerous situations. Regular maintenance, proper installation, and ensuring your bearings are well-lubricated can extend their lifespan and keep your vehicle running smoothly. So, why wait for a minor issue to become a major problem? Inspect regularly, and maintain your bearings to ensure long-term performance and safety. For top-quality bearings designed for durability and precision, contact BYWB today!

You already know your car cannot function safely without sturdy and properly fit wheels. A wheel is a complex system, with several integrated parts that ensure it runs smoothly, and bearing plays an important part being integrated for it to function safely so that the wheel rotates with minimal friction.

● Excessive Heat: Bad bearings often generate excess heat due to friction. It's a warning sign if the hub feels unusually hot.

Since Roller Bearings have line contact, they have a greater load capacity than ball bearings of the same size, but have a lower speed capability due to increased friction.

5. Keep Bearings Clean: If you’re working in an environment prone to contamination, consider using sealed or shielded bearings.

There are various types of bearings, and we must select the type of bearing most suited to a particular machine's structure and use.

The contact angle is the angle formed by the direction of the load applied to the bearing rings (races) and rolling elements, and a plain perpendicular to the shaft, when a "radial load" and "axial load" are both applied to a bearing.

Dust, dirt, or moisture entering the bearing causes corrosion and abrasion, leading to strange noises and premature failure.

Bearings support forces applied from various directions, and so they can be categorized based on the "direction of the force". Firstly, we will explain about the forces applied to bearings.

In this part, we will divide the types of bearings into broad categories, and then explain the main features of bearings.

1. Grinding or Growling: The wheel bearing wears out, creating a rough, growling sound. Whenever you speed up, this wheel bearing noise gets louder.

These use cylindrical rollers as their rolling elements. Cylindrical roller bearings can support an even greater radial load than deep groove ball bearings, and are used in machinery where they will experience strong impacts.

Despite having a double-row outer ring and two-row inner ring, the self-aligning ball bearing has a continuous spherical design raceway on the outer ring, which enables the inner ring to swivel within the outer ring. This allows the application to self-align.

In this way, bearings at all times have forces applied from various directions. The bearings are categorized based on which direction the force is coming from and how much force can be applied.

Bad bearing soundsat low speeds

Figure 1 shows the forces applied to the bearing used in a car's wheel with a tire on it. The force generated by the weight of the vehicle (the blue arrow in Figure 1) is applied perpendicular to the axle. Conversely, the centrifugal force generated when the car turns(the red arrow in Figure 1) is applied in the same direction as the axle.

6. Monitor Temperature: High temperatures can cause bearings to overheat and degrade faster. If your application involves extreme heat, opt for bearings designed to withstand these conditions.

Bad bearing soundswhen accelerating

● Brake Issues: Weak bearings can result in inefficient braking or brake slippage. A loose bearing causes the rotors to push the piston further when you tap on the brakes, causing them to feel weak.

Plain bearings, are the least expensive type of bearing. They are also compact and lightweight, and they have a high load-carrying capacity.

A needle roller bearing is a special type of cylindrical roller bearing with long, thin rolling elements. Bearings with needle rollers are only suitable for radial loads, and can fix in little spaces.

Bearings have load limits. Overloading or subjecting them to shock loads causes faster wear, leading to bad ball bearing noise.

Wheelbearingreplacement cost

They support shafts with surfaces and reduce friction by interposing a lubricating film (such as oil or air) between them. Plain bearings include self-lubricating materials to reduce friction and wear, making them lubrication-free bearings.

● Loose Steering: Loose steering is a red flag! it can be difficult to convey, but in this case, steer your car less precisely or responsively than usual.

Front wheelbearingnoise symptoms

As can be seen in Table 1, bearings can be categorized into four groups based on the direction of the force supported and the shape of the rolling elements. For more details, please take a look back at Part 3!

2. Proper Lubrication: Always ensure your bearings are adequately lubricated. Lack of lubrication increases friction, which accelerates wear. For high-temperature environments, use heat-resistant lubricants.

Badwheelbearingsymptoms

Bearings exposed to excessively high or low temperatures can suffer from material fatigue or a breakdown of the lubrication, causing noise.

In addition to wheel bearings, other types of bearings, like a throw out bearing sound often manifests as a squealing or chirping noise when you press the clutch pedal in a manual transmission vehicle. This sound indicates wear or damage to the bearing, requiring immediate attention to prevent further issues. But the question is, why bearings make strange noises? We have mentioned some causes below so that you can take precautionary measures to prevent future failures:

As shown in Figure 8, spherical roller bearings can support a large load, and are used in machines where the shaft is easily bent.

Angular contact ball bearings can support a radial load and a one-directional axial load at the same time. When axial loads coming from both directions are to be supported, two or more angular contact ball bearings are combined together.

Deep groove ball bearings are the most widely used among all bearings. They can support both a radial load and a certain amount of axial load coming from both directions at the same time. If a bearing to support a very large axial load is needed, the "angular contact ball bearings" explained below are used.

These use needle rollers as their rolling elements. Needle rollers have a smaller diameter than cylindrical rollers, and so (as can be seen in Figure 5) the bearings have a smaller cross-sectional height and contributed to the down-sizing of machinery.

There are various types of bearings categorized by the direction and magnitude of the force they can support, and the optimal bearing type is selected, taking the machine's structure into consideration.There are many other types of bearings we didn't introduce in this article. For those who wish to learn more, please click on the Koyo Bearing product-type pages or the catalog below. You can also contact JTEKT directly.