Automatic lubrication systems range from simple single-point lubricators to large, complex multiline systems that lubricate hundreds of individual lubrication points. While some are designed just for grease, others can be used with either oil or grease, offering flexibility to accommodate various scenarios.

As the gas expands, the force causes a diaphragm to push grease into the housing. Like spring-activated auto-lubers, ambient conditions greatly influence how effective gas-activated auto-lubers work.

Since your wheel bearings are located on your wheel, they need to be able to withstand harsh driving and weather conditions such as potholes, speed bumps, rain, dust, and more. All these harsh conditions can reduce their lifespan, so you should keep an eye out for the symptoms of a failing wheel bearing rather than relying on a timeline.

Conversely, the bearing may be under-lubricated as we reach the prescribed relubrication interval. With automatic lubrication, we can add a smaller amount of lubricant over a shorter time interval, helping always to maintain an amount closer to the ideal quantity (Figure 1).

Some of these symptoms of bad wheel bearings are very serious and need immediate attention. Before hopping back on the road, make sure to get your car checked out by a qualified mechanic!

In non-progressive systems, a pump pressurizes a supply line with lubricant. Divider blocks connect the grease supply line to individual application points, which can be uniquely adjusted to dispense different quantities of oil or grease (Figure 3).

While parallel systems are inexpensive, they have some drawbacks, most notably a limited distance range, particularly in cold climates. At the same time, each injector needs to be periodically inspected and tested using a grease gun to ensure both the supply line and injector are functioning.

Although wheel bearings are engineered to last the entire lifespan of your vehicle, they can break and get worn out. Most wheel bearings last about 85,000 to 100,000 miles before they need to be replaced. Some vehicles have wheel bearings that last a lot longer, and some vehicles need them replaced fairly quickly. It all depends on the quality of your wheel bearings and your usual driving conditions.

But they are not and never will be, an excuse for laziness or no maintenance. Choose them carefully, inspect them regularly, and never “set it and forget it.”

Used judiciously, the case of automatic lubrication is clear. Whether to ensure that just the right amount of lubricant is supplied at the right time or to help ensure that we don’t expose our lube techs to unnecessary safety risks, automatic lubricators can play an essential role in any lubrication program.

Your car's wheels are very important as you won't be able to drive anywhere without them. Unless you are a mechanic or you are an avid car enthusiast yourself, you might not know how many parts go into a wheel. There is a tire, rotor, bearing, stator, and capacitor ring, just to name a few. The average car owner doesn't even know the purpose of parts such as wheel bearings, let alone know when they are failing!

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Automatic lubrication systems are not foolproof. They must be inspected, topped up, tested for obstructions or failed injectors, and properly maintained. Likewise, we need to consider the viscosity of the oil or thickness of grease to be used, particularly at very high or low ambient operating temperatures.

To keep our customers educated about their car and its various parts, we will go over everything you need to know about wheel bearings and why they are important for your vehicle. Then you will be able to quickly identify wheel bearing problems in the future, or at least know when it is time to visit a mechanic.

Spring-type auto-lubers are probably the most unreliable. Over time, the spring may weaken or break, or the force generated may be too low to inject grease into the housing effectively.

Automatic GreasePump

There are many signs you should look out for if you are concerned about your wheel bearings. If you notice any of the signs listed below, you might need a wheel bearing replacement. Keep your eyes and ears alert if you suspect your wheel bearings are going bad, and let your mechanic know which signs you've noticed.

Aside from optimizing lubricant volume, automatic lubrication can also help in applications where it is difficult to access the lubricated component safely during normal operation.

Automatic greaselubrication system

Most units can be adjusted to vary the quantity and frequency of lubricant and come in different designs that use either a prefilled cartridge of grease or a grease zerk for refilling.

The simplest form of single-point lubricator uses a spring and plate design. By filling the reservoir, the plate compresses a spring. Over time, as the bearing rotates, the force created by the compressed spring in conjunction with the centrifugal force of the rotating bearing causes grease to be injected into the housing.

Then we will need to know what auto repair or maintenance service you need. If you know your wheel bearings have gone bad, book a wheel bearing replacement appointment! If you suspect that your wheel bearings are the cause of your automotive issues, but you aren't sure, book a diagnostic appointment and our mobile technician will take a look at your car and figure out what's going on.

But is there a better way? Sometimes, the answer is a resounding “yes” using single or multipoint automatic lubrication systems.

In cold climates, the reaction rate may be too slow to generate enough pressure, while in warmer temperatures, the reaction may work too well, injecting too much grease into the housing.

Automatic lubrication systems vary widely in design and layout. However, they all offer similar positives while having some very real negatives if they are not properly selected, installed, and maintained.

The simplest type of automatic lubricator is the single-point auto-luber (Figure 2). As the name implies, the automatic lubricator is connected to a single point, often a pillow block or other bearing housing. Single-point auto-lubers are commonly used with grease and are a good option where safety concerns preclude manual lubrication.

Looking for a mobile mechanic to replace your wheel bearings? Look no further because Wrench is here to help! We have hundreds of ASE-certified mobile technicians all over the country that have the skills to replace your wheel bearings or perform any requested auto repair or maintenance service.

So, too, thickener type should be considered. Some thickeners have a higher bleed rate than others, causing grease to separate in a multipoint lubrication system. This can result in plugged lines and a lack of lubrication.

Auto greaser kit

Likewise, changes in ambient temperatures can affect both the lubricant viscosity and grease consistency, resulting in under or over-lubrication.

The first thing we will need to know is what kind of vehicle you have. You should provide us with the year, make, and model, as well as the VIN and license plate number. This information will help us properly prepare for your wheel bearing replacement and any other services you may have requested. If your car requires a specific part, we will make sure we come with the correct tools and parts to perform all of your necessary repairs and services.

Auto greaser for bearings

The supply line is pressurized and primes and fires the first valve. This, in turn, primes and pressurizes the second valve, and so on Figure 4). Series systems can be used over a slightly longer distance since they carry more pressure to a single lubrication point.

No. We don't recommend driving without a properly functioning wheel bearing. Not only is it extremely dangerous for you, but you can also end up injuring or killing other drivers on the road.

Like the single-line parallel system, a dual-line system has two lines that pressurize and de-pressurize the system to feed multiple lubrication points through adjustable injectors.

Once we know which services your car needs and what kind of car you have, we will calculate an auto repair quote for you. This quote will be personalized just for you, so you can know exactly what to expect. We will include everything from the cost of the parts and labor to the estimated time it will take to complete the services. After you have had the chance to look over our auto repair quote, you will pick a date, time, and location for your wheel bearing replacement appointment.

Done correctly, manual lubrication can be an efficient and effective way to keep smaller equipment running reliably while also allowing us to inspect the asset easily at the same time.

Perhaps the biggest downside to automatic lubrication is the false sense of security or a so-called “set-it-and-forget-it” mentality. Left unattended and uninspected, automatic lubrication systems can stop working, become plugged, or run empty.

Log into our mobile app or website to book a wheel bearing replacement service today! You can book an appointment as a guest if you don't have an account with us just yet. Whether you have an account with us or not, we will need to gather a little information about your type of vehicle and its needs.

In mobile applications, using a central greasing system to lubricate pins and bushing can also help to purge contaminants out of the bushing. This is particularly useful in off-highway applications where high dust and dirt ingression can cause significant wear problems.

The most reliable single-point lubricators use a motor and positive displacement pump to inject the lubricant. These can be hardwired or battery-activated and generate hundreds of PSI of pressure. In some cases, they can also be connected to the plant’s PLC and DCS system to stop pumping if production shuts down.

In most industrial facilities, many lubricant application tasks are performed manually using either a grease gun, an oil can, an oil top-off container, or an aerosol spray.

Autogrease

Then the rest is up to us! Our mobile technician will arrive on time and completely prepared to get your car up and running again. Go ahead and book a mobile wheel bearing replacement with Wrench today!

Mark has over 25 years of experience in the fields of lubrication management, oil analysis, and contamination control, and has published more than 190 technical articles and whitepapers. He is frequently invited to share his subject matter expertise at conferences around the globe and has worked with a number of blue chip companies, including Chevron, DuPont, Alcoa, ExxonMobil, Goodyear, Cargill, International Paper, General Mills, and the U.S. Army to extend asset life through precision lubrication. For numerous years now, Mark Barnes leads Des-Case’s reliability services team, helping customers identify opportunities for improvements to their industrial lubrication programs through training, consulting and product solutions. Prior to joining Des-Case, Mark was Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Services for Noria Corporation. Mark holds a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom and is a Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional (CMRP).

In addition to the danger, it can put a lot of strain on other parts of your vehicle, such as the hub, CV joint, and transmission. If you don't repair your failing wheel bearings soon enough, you might have to spend even more money on auto repair services. You might also notice that your tires wear out faster, which will mean you will need to purchase new tires more often. Overall, all of these potential side effects of bad wheel bearings can end up being more expensive than the original problem.

Perhaps the most significant benefit of automatic lubrication is ensuring that a bearing or other lubricated point receives the optimum amount of lubricant.

A wheel bearing is a set of steel balls or tapers that we call "ball bearings" or "tapered bearings." These bearings are held together by a metal ring called a "race." In the center of the wheel, there is a hollow piece of metal called a "hub," and the wheel bearings fit inside the hub to help rotate your wheels.

Automatic greasecartridge

Some single-point lubricators can be used with divider blocks to distribute lubricant to as many as sixteen lubrication points nearby. These can be particularly helpful in applications such as conveying systems where many grease-lubricated pillow block bearings can be found at the head or tail of the conveyor.

Precision Lubrication magazine provides timely, in-depth news and insights on lubrication, maintenance, and reliability. Each issue delivers solid guidance, tools and information you can use right away at your facility.

The valve blocks are often automatically monitored for pressure and alarmed to ensure the system is still functioning. The biggest drawback for any series system is the progressive nature of the system, whereby any valve failure early in the series will result in no lubricant being dispensed further down the line.

If you ignore bad wheel bearings, your wheel could stop working while driving, or you could have issues steering your car.

In applications where oil or grease has to be dispensed over large distances or where high-viscosity oils or thicker greases are in use, it is common to use a dual-line parallel system.

Luckily for you, a wheel bearing replacement service isn't a super complicated job, especially for professional technicians. This means it won't be as expensive or time-intensive as a more severe issue. However, if you ignore this issue for too long, other parts might be affected by the bad wheel bearings, adding more repairs and costs to your final bill.

Multipoint automatic lubrication systems are used for distribution across a wider area. Multipoint systems can be divided into two general categories: parallel (non-progressive) or series (progressive).

Your car's exhaust system, and all of the various parts, including the exhaust manifold, are important to keeping your car on the road. Without a properly functioning exhaust system, you could