What causes bearing breakage?

Bearings are actually components that fix and reduce the load friction coefficient during mechanical transmission. They are mainly used to fix, support and prevent axial rotation.

The most common design is the ball bearing. Most of these bearings are made of high-chromium steel and are very hard, so it is not easy to grind this material flat.

Its structure is composed of balls, inner rings, outer rings and retainers. Why is this design used? Because ball bearings are one of the few bearing structures that can still rotate under heavy loads, and this design also affects the structural application of bearings in trucks at this stage.

The current structure of wheel hub bearings is usually a split two-disc radial thrust roller bearing, which is mainly used to bear weight and provide precise guidance for the rotation of the wheel hub. It bears both axial and radial loads and is a very important component. The structure of this type of bearing is more special than that of needle bearings, sliding bearings, and ball bearings. Its relatively irregular appearance requires the assistance of high-quality lubricating oil with moderate rolling resistance.

From the structure, it is not difficult to see that the wheel hub bearing is a very important bearing component between the axle and the tire. It not only needs to assist in bearing the vehicle's own weight, but also needs to bear the left and right stress of the axle when turning. Therefore, whether it is an outer bearing or an inner bearing, its manufacturing strength is self-evident. At the same time, as long as it is lubricated and maintained properly, the bearing will rotate very easily, and there is no need for excessive inspection and intervention on a daily basis.

So why would such a strong structure also be damaged? Apart from factors such as long mileage and natural aging of the bearings, whether the bearings are prone to damage is actually related to the driver's driving habits and the maintenance.

Generally, when driving, the bearings will help the vehicle tires rotate under the lubrication of butter and grease between the wheel end and the brake drum. If inferior butter is used, it will not fully lubricate the bearings. Then, when driving for a long distance and for a long time, the friction between the inner and outer bearings will increase, causing the kinetic energy to be converted into heat, and the temperature of the bearings will rise abnormally, eventually causing the bearings to burn out due to the high temperature.

Overtightening the wheel end screw assembly will also cause the truck wheel end to generate high temperature during operation. How to judge whether the thread is adjusted too tight? In fact, it is also very simple. After we replace the butter or grease, we should test it on the road. After a period of time, we use a temperature measuring gun or mobile phone temperature measuring software to see if there is any abnormal temperature between the wheel hub and the brake drum of each wheel. If the vehicle has an over-high temperature phenomenon at the wheel end or wheel hub, it is very likely that the adjustment is too tight and should be adjusted in time.

Do not apply excessive grease to the wheel hub bearings. Because the ABS sensors of some models are mostly installed near the bearings inside the wheel hub, too much grease may stick to the sensors, causing the ABS sensor probe installed nearby to be unable to sense.