This video is sponsored by FAG.
Wheel bearings might not be the sexiest part of a vehicle, but that shouldn’t diminish the Herculean role these safety-critical components play in the vehicle’s chassis system. The chassis system comprises all the load-bearing parts of the vehicle, and wheel bearings shoulder a heavy burden – literally and figuratively.
Wheel bearings assist in transferring the force of the transmission to the wheels. They reduce friction. They provide support for the wheel hub, wheel, and brake disc or brake drum. On top of that, wheel bearings help support the weight of the vehicle on the axles and spindles. All in a day’s work!
As part of the chassis system, wheel bearings help stabilize the vehicle against external and internal forces. They have to be able to transfer axial forces that come from cornering and hitting curbs, and radial forces from braking and acceleration, potholes, poor road surfaces and the weight of the vehicle.
Increasingly, wheel bearings have another important function: They send rotational-speed signals to the anti-lock braking, electronic stability control and other driver-assistance systems.
Wheel bearings keep the world rolling by reducing friction, transferring forces and allowing the wheels and axles to spin while a vehicle is in motion. In the next video, we’ll talk about the basic types of wheel bearings.
