Wheel hub repair: signs of malfunction, causes, repair steps

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Every motorist knows that the main rule on the road is safety, which he must ensure not only for himself and his passengers, but also for other road users. This applies not only to compliance with traffic rules, but also to the technical condition of the car.

History knows many cases of accidents involving defective vehicles. Therefore, it is very important for a motorist to be able to find and eliminate existing malfunctions in time. First of all, this applies to the chassis, since the safety of the trip depends on it. It includes not only wheels, but also hubs, which will be discussed in this article. It plays a very important role in the complex operation of the machine. The article talks about the repair of the hub and the problems associated with its breakage.

The device of the hub and its purpose

Each part of the vehicle performs the work assigned to it by the developers. The task of the hub is to secure the wheel to the axle and transmit torque from the crankshaft to it. Along with the movementIt is also designed to stop the car, as the brake discs are fixed on it. It is made in the form of a one-piece part with a semi-axis or with a landing splined hole for installation on the half-axis of the hinge of equal angular velocities. The bearing is an important element of the running gear, which can be single-row or double-row. Hub General Purpose:

• Hold the wheel rim securely.
• Be the basis for attaching the brake disc and other components, such as ABS.
• Spin the wheel.

Assignment of its individual parts:

• A rim with holes is required for screwing in bolts, studs or guide bushings.
• The inner part is needed for the installation of bearings.
• The slots in the hole are needed to fit the hub on the CV joint shaft.
• Some elements have additional slots for installing sensors.

Before repairing the wheel hub, it is necessary to clarify its type and design. And if disassembly is done for the first time, then it is advisable to read information about its features. Sometimes even defective parts do not have visible defects. By inexperience, you can replace a completely usable hub.

Signs of wear and how to identify

An experienced driver can tell if a hub needs to be repaired by following some of the signs:

• Tire tread wear unevenly.
• There is a lot of body sway when cornering or braking.
• While driving, the car begins to deviate fromstraight course.
• Shock absorbers start to leak and shrink. This causes vibration and extraneous noise while driving.

Such symptoms usually indicate that a front wheel hub repair is needed on a front wheel drive vehicle. Another more obvious sign of product deterioration for these types of vehicles is high tire wear, which affects vibration and kickback on the steering wheel while driving. As a result of strong friction of the inner bearing, the brake disc heats up.

In order to find out, you need to drive 10 kilometers and touch it. If its temperature is more than 70 °, then there is reason to think. If in doubt, you can raise the car with a jack and turn the wheel back and forth. A worn hub rotates with a creak and rattle. She also has play, as evidenced by a slight looseness of the wheel.

Reason for wear

A common cause of such breakdowns is the severe deterioration of other components of the system. Incorrectly fixed shock absorbers, inaccuracies in wheel alignment adjustment cause irreparable damage to the hub. On front-wheel drive vehicles, it is heavily stressed.

On rear-wheel drive machines, axial and significant vertical loads affect the wear of the part, and on all-wheel drive machines, high torque is added to them. In some cases, hub repair is required due to the negligence of the owners themselves. This happens during tire changes. Not everyone feels that"golden mean" and apply too much force, breaking it. In such cases, it is better to use a wrench that has an adjustable bolt torque.

Significant damage is caused by dust, moisture, which gets inside while driving on the roads. The dust inside works as an abrasive, gradually abrading the surface of the part and squeezing out the lubricant. You can find out about this by the characteristic hum and knock, which intensifies when hitting bumps. Also, when you turn the steering wheel, braking is uncharacteristic for the car. The above "symptoms" are the very first signs that there is a problem with the hub.

Required tool

Usually enough to repair a hub:

• Set of wrenches with different head sizes.
• Retaining ring removers.
• Vice.
• Cup remover.
• A set of screwdrivers.
• Chisel.
• Hammer.
• Jack.

This set of tools is standard. Usually it is enough for work, but in some cases specialized devices may be needed. For example, for foreign cars, in the hubs of which sensors are mounted.

Sequence of work

All required replacement parts must be purchased in advance. To determine whether a complete hub assembly or just a bearing is required, you can determine the degree of heating of the brake disc and the degree of its wear. Only the problematic part should be replaced. It is desirable to duplicate the work of the jack with bars, bricks orother supports, in case the car flies off it. It is important to give the car a reliable foothold while working. You don't need to lift it high as you just need to hang the wheel so it can be easily removed.

After all the preparations, the car is put on the handbrake and the gear is turned on. Repair of the front hub begins with the removal of the wheel, for which four fixing bolts are unscrewed and it is removed. Then remove the protective cap from the hub with a screwdriver. A caliper is removed from the brake disc, which includes a drum and racks. In order for them not to interfere, they are simply taken aside and hung up. In the third step, remove the steering tips and ball joints. The brake disc is removed by simply unscrewing the bolts that fix it to the hub. Then they remove the rack and remove the hub itself.

Most often the bearing itself breaks, so only it is changed. In case of more serious damage, the entire part as a whole is changed. The rear hub is repaired in a similar way. After inspecting and replacing defective parts, install and reassemble.

Conclusion

Hub repair cannot be classified as frequent, as its frequency depends on external factors. Accurate driving and frugality to the car can extend the life of the part. It is already experiencing enormous loads, from which its service life is drastically reduced. Timely diagnosis will allow you to identify a malfunction prematurely, before it develops into a big problem.