Belt-driven engines are cheaper to manufacture and might require more maintenance than a chain-driven engines, but many consumers don’t realize that; they just look at the vehicle’s price tag. Another reason a manufacturer might use a timing belt system is to make the cooling system simpler.

If you encountered any problems while changing your wheel bearings, or if you are not comfortable completing this maintenance on your own, be sure to call a professional mechanic.

The biggest tell on when it’s time to change your wheel bearings and a sign that they are starting to fail is when you hear a moaning noise coming from this area while driving.

Be sure to refer to your owner's manual for information on where the proper lift points to jack up your vehicle are located.

Belt-driven engines use the timing belt to propel the water pump. Most chain-driven engines are designed so that the water pump is not driven by the timing chain.

Timing belt chainreplacement cost

In most cases, this service can be done inexpensively. Once the new bearing is pressed in, the spindle can be installed back on to the vehicle.

Use a floor jack and a pair of safety jack stands to lift your vehicle. This lets you safely remove the tires for your bearing replacements.

Replace the retaining nut on the spindle and grab the rotor with both hands. Proceed to pull the rotor off the spindle, allowing the larger inner bearing to get caught on the retaining nut. Then, release the bearing and grease seal from the rotor.

Pack the new smaller bearing with grease and slide it on to the spindle inside the rotor. Now install the thrust washer and retaining nut onto the spindle.

Congratulations, you have successfully changed your vehicle’s wheel bearing. It is important to perform a test drive after changing the wheel bearings to ensure that the repair is complete.

If your bearing is housed inside a hub that can be unbolted, simply use your ratchet to unbolt the hub from the spindle and install a new hub.

Timing chain or beltchecker

Use a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts to manufacturer specifications. Lower the vehicle completely and remove the floor jack.

BGA focuses on providing one of the largest ranges of high quality, competitively priced parts in the aftermarket containing Auxiliary Drive, Camtrain, Cooling, Gaskets, Lubrication, Power Steering, Steering & Suspension, Timing Belt Kits, Timing Chain Kits and Transmission.

Even though timing belts are less noisy than a timing chain. Both systems are in constant development and thus each have their own pros and cons. Some vehicle manufacturers do not stick to one type (rubber or chain) and keep alternating between them due to different factors.

Timing beltvstiming chaincost

Timing chains are overall more reliable and durable than timing belts; however, it’s always good to have them inspected between 74,500 – 93,000 miles and to change the oil regularly to ensure that everything is running smoothly and thus prevent premature failure.

Now that the new bearing is installed, the brake rotor and caliper can be placed back onto the vehicle using a ratchet and the appropriate sockets that were used to remove them.

Once you have all of the wheel bearing components removed, it is time for the fun part – the actual installation of your new wheel bearings.

Timing belts usually degrade over time and start drying and cracking as they are exposed to the external elements. However, if the timing belt is replaced at the correct internal as indicated by the manufacturer it is unlikely for a timing belt to fail prematurely.

BGA is an Automotive Aftermarket parts supplier, celebrating over 90 years of OE manufacturing heritage as the aftermarket division of the largest privately owned OE supplier, 4BG Group, established in 1929.

Place the rotor face down on the floor with the back side facing upwards. Take the new larger bearing and rub the bearing grease into the casing.

The rotor mounts on a hub that contains the pressed-in wheel bearing. Bearing assemblies on front or rear non-driven axles are mounted between a wheel hub and a simple spindle shaft. Some cars have permanently sealed front wheel bearings.

Don’t stress too much if your car is giving you that tell-tale sign, because it shouldn’t be a costly repair. While changing your bearings is considered a more involved job, for most it can still be done at home to avoid a trip to the mechanic. But be warned, you will need a few specialty tools to get the job done right.

Timing belts and chains are an essential part of the internal combustion engine. Even though they are a pretty simple part, their importance in ensuring that the engine is able to function at all is very important.

Timing belts also rotate more smoothly than chains, reducing parasitic loss, increasing the engine’s power output, and saving fuel. Because of their characteristics, timing belts are ideal for small displacement engines.However, timing-belts have some cons; they need to be replaced every 37,000 to 62,000 miles and may break without any warning. They are much easier to replace than a timing chain due to its location and the way it is routed within the engine. When replacing a timing belt, it is often replaced with the water pump which saves on the labour cost. On a chain-driven engine the water pump is replaced by a separate procedure which will incur an extra cost.

To do this, use your ratchet and ⅜ -socket set to unbolt the disc brake caliper and bracket from the spindle. Use a screwdriver to remove the caliper itself.

Wheel bearings are sets of steel balls that are housed in metal casings called races, which are located in the wheel’s hub.

After gathering the supplies needed, you will need to prepare your vehicle to safely change the wheel bearings. Start by parking your vehicle on a level surface before you begin.

Place the new bearing into the back of the rotor and apply grease to the inside bearing cavity. Install a new bearing seal over the new larger bearing and slide the rotor back on to the spindle. (A rubber mallet can be used to tap the bearing seal into place, if needed).

Timing chainlifespan

Timing beltvstiming chainpros and cons

Replace the wheel and tighten the lug nuts by hand. Support the vehicle with a floor jack and remove the safety jack stands. Slowly lower the vehicle until its tires just touch the ground (similar to how you would when changing a flat tire).

The main difference between a timing belt and a timing chain is their material and shape. At the beginning of the automotive era, predominantly timing chains were used to synchronise the bottom and the top half of an engine. It was simpler that way as reinforced rubber as we know it now simply did not exist back then. By the 1960s, due to many chemical innovation’s engineers have started to use reinforced rubber timing belts.Rubber belts were less expensive to produce and quieter than a metal chain, they did not need any lubrication and lasted a fair amount of time.

When a timing belt breaks, the camshaft controlling the valves and the crankshaft controlling the pistons will lose power and synchronisation. This will likely cause damage in an interference designed engine. As the timing belt snaps, the pistons will continue to go up and down until they are completely stopped. The camshafts will stop turning immediately as it loses power from the crankshaft. If a piston hits a valve as its going up, the valve will bend causing internal damage which is likely to lead to other cylinder head components damage.

To do this, use your pliers to remove the cotter pin and retaining nut and then slide the rotor forward to release the outer wheel bearing (smaller wheel bearing).

Then be sure to use a wheel chock to block the tire opposite of the wheel that you will be working on first. For example, if changing the driver’s side front bearings first, you will need to chock the passenger’s rear wheel.

Timing belt or chainlist

Learning how to change your wheel bearings can be considered by some to be a bit more involved than your entry level maintenance on your truck or car. However, with these tips, you should be able to accomplish this task successfully and save yourself some money!

We’re going to share how to change your wheel bearings in a more general step-by-step process for the common wheel bearing types that are found in the majority of vehicles. However, before starting your replacement job, please consult your vehicle’s service manual to ensure you know what kind of bearings you’re working with on your specific vehicle.

A question asked by many drivers… and the answer is not as straightforward because both components accomplish the same function: they synchronize the crankshaft and the valvetrain for the valves to open and close at the correct time in synchronization with the pistons.

Timing beltwarning signs

To loosen your lug nuts, you will need a ½ inch ratchet with the correct size socket. Loosen the lug nuts, but do not remove them fully just yet.

Some engines will have all their valves bent if the timing belt breaks – others engines may be less prone to suffer from valve damage. There can also be other side effects when the timing belt breaks, like damage to the timing belt’s pulleys, tensor, and water pump.

You are almost there! Just a few last steps that are important to give your full attention to in order to wrap this maintenance up safely.

Timing chains can handle a lot of power; that’s why they are preferred by most pickup and truck manufacturers. Timing chains are also more often resistant to temperature changes in comparison to a rubber-based timing belt.

If your bearing is pressed into the spindle, it is recommended that you remove the spindle from the vehicle and take both the spindle and the new wheel bearing to your local repair shop. They will have the specialty tools to press out the old bearing and press in the new one.

Timing beltreplacement cost

If the wheel bearings are housed inside your disc brake rotor, which is common to see in trucks, you will need to pry off the central dust cap to expose the cotter pin and retaining nut.

The superior advantage timing chains have over timing belts is that they usually don’t fail catastrophically; they stretch first, making a loud rattling noise, giving the vehicle’s owner a warning and enough time to attend to the problem before it fails completely. On rare occasions, a timing chain will suddenly break or skip enough sprocket tooth’s to damage the engine.

Timing belts are cheaper than timing chains. Belt-driven timing systems are simpler than their chain-driven counterparts because they are not lubricated, and they don’t need guide rails and many more components. Timing belts are also quieter than timing chains – reducing the noise and vibrations coming from the engine.A timing belt is also lighter than a timing chain which in turn makes the engine more responsive. Another positive aspect of a timing belt is that they are more flexible than timing chains, allowing manufacturers to save space because they can route them around tight spaces and turns.

Pro Tip: When removing the caliper, be careful not to let it dangle freely because that can damage the flexible brake line. Instead, use the wire hanger to hook it on a secure part of the undercarriage or hang the brake caliper on the suspension.

In summary, best-case scenario – the engine will need a new timing belt kit. Worst-case scenario – the cylinder head will need to be rebuilt, the head gasket, damaged pistons, and eventually connecting rods will have to be replaced, along with the timing belt kit and other components; in other words, the engine will suffer a catastrophic failure and likely be uneconomical to repair.

Tighten the retaining nut until it is snug and turn the rotor counterclockwise at the same time. Tighten the retaining nut a ¼ turn past snug and then install a new cotter pin.

Old timing chains were highly durable which usually lasted the engines lifetime. However, like any other mechanical component they occasionally failed.

The durability of a modern timing chain is now uncertain; it varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and from engine to engine. Most automakers don’t specify a replacement interval. Many modern engines still have highly durable timing chains, but there are some chain-driven engines that, due to a faulty design or poor construction, need to have the timing chain and any other related components replaced before they reach 74,500 miles (generally between 36,000 to 50,000 miles).Some automakers and parts manufacturers are aware of these problems and thus they have manufactured timing kits that are harder and more reliable than the factory-fitted parts.