5 Things You Need to Know About Wheel Bearings And Hub Assembly

A part of owning or managing a shop is helping customers with worn wheel bearings and/or hub assemblies. These parts are very important when it comes to the safety and functionality of vehicles.

Another important part of owning or managing a shop is to reduce comebacks as much as possible. A good way to reduce comebacks is to be a reliable authority on wheel bearings and hub assemblies. This means:

• Providing quality replacement parts and services
• Giving your customers reliable information about wheel bearings and hub assemblies
• Being able to explain wheel bearings and hub assemblies in layman’s terms
• Gaining your customers” trust when it comes to wheel bearings and hub assemblies

Are you looking for more information on wheel bearings and hub assemblies? You came to the right place. We’re one of the largest global manufacturers of OE and aftermarket wheel bearings and hub assemblies. So we know these parts quite well. In fact, we just wrote an ebook on wheel bearings and hub assemblies. We also rounded up 5 important things every shop should know about these parts:

1. The Most Common Symptoms Of Wheel Hub Bearing Failure

It’s important to be able to identify the symptoms of wheel bearing and/or hub assembly failure. The more familiar your techs are with the symptoms, the happier the customer. To be more specific, it will take less time to diagnose wheel bearing and/or hub assembly failure.

The most common symptoms of a worn wheel hub bearing include:

• Strange humming, rumbling, or growling noise
• Side pulls during brake application
• Uneven brake pad wear
• Wheel vibration and wobble

This post explains each symptom in more detail.

2. The Most Common Causes Of Wheel Bearing And Hub Assembly Failure

Customers trust techs who know what they’re talking about. What if a customer asks one of your techs what caused wheel bearing/hub assembly failure on their car? If the tech can’t answer the question, your shop won’t look good. So it’s important for your techs to know the most common causes of wheel bearing and hub assembly failure:

• Impacts (potholes, curbs, or another large obstacle)
• Moisture and dirt contamination (which leads to corrosion)
• Improper alignment

This post explains each cause in more detail.

3. The Importance Of Using A High Quality Replacement Wheel Hub Assembly

A good way to build customer trust and loyalty is to use high quality replacement parts. It’s the key to reducing comebacks, after all. Low quality replacement wheel hub assemblies come with a bag of issues. Plus, they tend to fail early. This means more comebacks and a blow to your shop’s reputation.

When stocking up on replacement wheel hub assemblies, look for the hallmarks of a high quality assembly:

• High-strength steel
• OE design
• OE type sensors
• Preloaded hub bearings
• Triple lip seals

At GMB, we value quality above all else. All our wheel hub assemblies come with the features listed above. Learn more about our premium wheel bearings and hub assemblies here!

4. The Importance Of Installing A Wheel Bearing And Hub Assembly The Right Way

Improper installation will most likely end in an expensive comeback. Wheel bearing or hub assembly failure on the road is also quite dangerous for the driver. So it’s worth taking the time to ensure that your techs know how to install wheel bearings and hub assemblies. That includes:

• Properly packing the bearing with grease
• The grease must be bearing-rated or manufacturer-specified grease
• Using the manufacturer’s torque specifications
• Knowing how to install new seals
• Torquing the bolts correctly
• Thoroughly testing the newly installed bearing and/or assembly
• If there’s any stiffness, determining whether it’s normal or not

You also want to make sure that your techs avoid the most common mistakes even the pros make when replacing a wheel hub assembly. This brings us to the next point.

5. Important Steps To Double Check When Replacing A Wheel Hub Assembly

Improper installation almost always guarantees a comeback. To reduce comebacks, check below steps to make sure that Wheel Hub Assembly is replaced correctly:

• Torque the axle nuts to the manufacturer’s specs
• Use trusted quality replacement wheel hub assembly with correct bearing
• Test the wheel hubs after replacement

Check out this post if you need more information about each mistake.