How Do Wheel Bearings Work and How Do I Remove Them From That Random Brake Hub I Have?

So, what are wheel bearings?

Basically, wheel bearings enable wheels to spin with minimal friction while between an axle, creating a smooth and stable ride for your car drive down any road. They also allow your wheels to move more smoothly and efficiently.

Another cool thing about wheel bearings is their effect on our safety. When in a car, they help with the steering aspects of your vehicle by helping you maintain control during driving

What are some types of bearings?

There are two main types of bearings that help maintaining different types of vehicles.

1. Ball Bearings are designed to handle radial and axial loads, making them great for any type of vehicle. They have small metal balls inside of them held by a cage that help with smooth and efficient rotation.
2. Tapered bearings are designed to deal with having large radial and axial loads, making them a good choice for larger vehicles, like semi trucks, box trucks, SUVs, etc. They have tapered rollers positioned between inner and outer races, providing great durability and support for heavy loads.

They also have different generations from 0-3. As you go up in generations, newer and newer technology has improved them.

1. Gen 0: One of the first ever iterations of wheel bearings, very simple with just one row of balls encased by raceways (see diagram). Can also come with tapered bearings.
2. Gen 1: Improves on Gen 0 by having double the balls. Some iterations have tapered rollers instead of balls. These are still used today but are the most difficult to mount and dismount in comparison to later generations. Some also have an ABS tone ring thus being able to be active sensor bearings, or ASBS.
3. Gen 2: Improves on Gen 1 by having an integrated hub, that allows for easy installation along with an increase in accuracy. They can come with an ABS Ring or not depending on the application making them much cheaper then Gen 3.
4. Gen 3: As the most widely used, the Gen 3 improves on Gen 2 by allowing more ABS types (Magnetic, Electrical, and Mechanical). Like the Gen 1s, they are offered in balls or tapered rollers. Gen 3s are the easiest to install and remain the most advanced wheel bearings offered.

For more information about the generations, check out this video or this website!

You will learn how to clean a break hub with the bearing in it.

Attached is an expanded 3D view of the bearing that is within the brake hub!

Diagram Attribution: Xiangjin Song, Jingtao Hu, Hongyu Zhu, Jilong Zhang, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wheel bearings can be found in about every single car ever and depending on the generation, you may need to service them more regularly then others. Older bearings usually require to be greased once in a while, while newer renditions can last much longer as they were pre-fitted with long lasting grease.

The one pictured above is from a Jeep that was rebuilt over many years at by my school's automotive class. It uses a Gen 0 for steering and efficiency of the vehicle with tapered bearings.

To remove it from a brake, get a:

1. Hammer
2. Chisel
3. Paper towels
4. Latex gloves (optional)

Place the chisel between the break hub and the rubber seal.

Then chisel around the area until it comes loose. It may be stuck for a moment!

You then are able to see the (from top to bottom) the outer race way, inner raceway, and the seal.

These may be a bit greasy when you take them out!

Look where the bearing was.

It should be full of grease and ready to clean with your paper towels!

After cleaning the hub, you should be good to put it back together. Just do put everything back where it was and hammer in the seal. It should be ready to go for the next step!