In 1963, almost every car manufactured in the U.S. had a solid rear axle. There were exceptions like the Corvette and Corvair. Today, many light- to medium-duty trucks still use live rear axles. While the design differentials have changed, the ends of the axles have not. The improvements in have...
In this technical bulletin, SKF provides updated technical information for preventing ABS sensor failure in pigtail-style hub assemblies. ABS system failures that happen shortly after hub unit installation can cause concern and customer dissatisfaction. Several items should be checked during the replacement process to prevent additional unnecessary repairs.
Signs of a worn wheel hub bearing vary in severity. Some may be difficult to detect, leading to damage before corrective action can be taken. The timeframe in which damage occurs is linked to driving conditions and/or the mechanical practices that were followed at installation. Noise is a classic sign...
Wheel bearings can be of either ball or tapered roller type. The ball bearings used for front wheel bearing applications are an angular type. An angular-type ball bearing will accept greater thrust loads than a Conrad-type bearing, which will accept a 100 percent load in the radial or thrust position...
The amount of end play, or preload, existing in a mounted pair of bearings is vital to a vehicle's performance. Too tight or too loose of a preload can result in a damaged bearing or alignment problems. Seals, brake components and tire operation may also be affected, according to the...
Wheel vibrations may occur if the wheel is not installed in the exact center position on the wheel hub. To avoid radial misalignment between the wheel and the hub, they must have the same diameters. It has been discovered on some cars that the wheel hubs (spare parts as well...
How much load can a wheel bearing carry? On a typical passenger vehicle weighing around 3,400 pounds, each pair of front-wheel bearings, as well as the rear-wheel or axle bearings, support around 850 pounds, depending on the weight balance and driveline configuration. If it’s a 6,000-pound SUV, each bearing might...
Judging from weekend traffic, desert off-road and mountain trail driving is becoming a major past-time for many import vehicle enthusiasts. Most of the off-road import vehicles I see in Colorado are the late '80s and early '90s Toyota and Nissan pickups and SUVs that feature mechanical simplicity along with the...
Worn chassis parts are often-overlooked causes of tire wear, steering and handling problems, and even road noise. Worn tie rods are the most common culprit for causing rapid tire wear, but worn control arm bushings or ball joints can also contribute to tire wear.
Customer Concern: When you come to a stop, just before completely stopped, the ABS motor kicks on and the pedal goes down, then comes back up. Doesn't matter what kind of stop. Always does it right before the vehicle is completely stopped. No codes are present.
