Best lubricant forbearings

The viscosity of the oils is important. If the viscosity is too low, it is not enough to completely separate the contact surfaces in the ball bearings. However, if the viscosity is too high, the lubricant friction increases and problems can occur when feeding and draining the oil. Therefore, it should be calculated in advance exactly which oil is suitable for your system. Our application technology department can help you with this. Oils are used for ball bearings when high speeds and temperatures prevail in order to dissipate the heat generated in the best possible way. Under these conditions, they lubricate more reliably than greases.

A wheel hub assembly (WHA), also referred to as hub assembly, wheel hub unit, wheel hub bearing, is an automotive part used in most cars, passenger vehicles, and light and heavy trucks.[citation needed]

Bearing lubrication chart

Greases can also be used for ball bearing lubrication. They seal the bearing points against dirt and prevent corrosion due to their water-repellent effect. The consistency of greases is generally in the range of NLGI class 2 or 3. The consistency of greases is equivalent to the viscosity of oils. The consistency of a grease describes its resistance to deformation by external influences. Depending on the specific application, the consistency must be adapted. Lubricating greases are used at lower speeds and operating temperatures.

The hub assembly is located between the brake drums or discs and the drive axle. A wheel is bolted on it. Depending on the construction, the end of the hub comes equipped with the splined teeth. They mate the teeth on the axle shaft. The axle hub spins along with the wheels bolted to it and provide power to the wheels in order to rotate.

Types of lubrication in bearing

A roller bearing between the axle hub and axle shaft ensures easy rotation of the non-drive wheels. On the axle side, it is mounted to the holding bracket from the chassis; on the disc side, the wheel is mounted to the bolts of the WHA. When replacing, a wheel hub assembly should be torqued to the vehicle's specifications to prevent failure.[1]

Ball bearings are a form of rolling bearings in which one or two rows of balls serve as rolling elements. They are used for small to medium radial loads. They have become indispensable in mechanical engineering. They can be found as a component of the chassis in cars or are required in the bicycle industry. Ball bearings are also used in sectors such as the medical or packaging industry. If ball bearings should function as desired, they must be supplied with the appropriate lubricant. Depending on the application, this can be oil or grease.

Bearing lubrication oil

Wheel hub bearing are used at least since the 1930s when SKF designed a unit used on the Citroën Traction Avant car.[2] As of 2019 at least 90 million vehicles use SKF wheel hub bearings.[2]

It always depends on the specific application which oil is best suited for ball bearings. Depending on the load and external circumstances, the lubricant must be adapted. In general, both mineral oils and synthetic oils can be used for ball bearing lubrication. Synthetic oils are mainly used for high temperature fluctuations in the working process.