What does a wheel bearing do?

A wheel bearing is a circle of ball bearings secured in a ring called a 'race'. This simple design helps your wheels turn with the minimum amount of friction. Wheel bearings can be found in most vehicles with wheels, including cars, trucks and planes.

At the center of your car’s wheels, there is a cup-shaped, hollow piece of metal, called a hub. Wheel bearings rotate on the end of the axles and fit snugly into the wheel hub. Located on the hub are lug bolts which are used to hold the wheel in place. All these components work in harmony to help reduce friction as the wheel spins, to give you and your passengers a smooth ride.

As well as being fundamental to a smooth ride, wheel bearings are a crucial safety feature as they enable the hub, tyre and wheel assemblies to work together and allow your car’s load to remain balanced. It is therefore not safe to drive for any length of time if you suspect you may have an issue with one of your wheel bearings.

Mini

Mini is a British automotive marque that has been owned by the German multinational vehicle manufacturer BMW since 2000.

The Mini brand was originally introduced in 1969 when the vehicle model became a marque in its own right, breaking away from the Austin and Morris brands under the British Leyland umbrella.

How popular is Mini in the United Kingdom?

The Mini Hatch was the 7th best selling car of 2018 in the UK. Mini is a consistent favourite among buyers with a leaning for British cultural icons and retro styling.

There are around 750k Mini cars on the roads, showing that the brand is still as popular as ever due to their compact sizing, attractive styling and its reputation as a classy and classic small car.

Mini: a premium product of British motoring

With its unique and unmistakable styling, Mini is firmly placed as a premium product. Its ownership by BMW has added advantages in production, by being able to lean on the executive luxury German marque for many of the advanced technological systems and specialist industry knowledge used in their manufacture.

A piece of British culture and a Hollywood star

Enhancing its popularity as a household name, the original British Mini became a star of the silver screen when it appeared predominantly in the gold-heist movie ‘The Italian Job’ in 1969, starring Michael Caine and Noel Coward. With a remake hitting the screens in 2003, the new Mini was called on to star once again, and a selection of Mini hatch models continued the tradition by featuring in the film.

Mini: a new competitor to the most popular 3-door hatchbacks

Despite its small footprint, the Mini hatch is providing real competition to the Audi A1 and VW Polo due to its premium quality build. And with the weight of BMW behind them, it’s easy to see why.

How often does a wheel bearing need replacing?

The lifespan of a wheel bearing depends on the quality of the parts, the driver and the driving conditions, but in general they have a lifespan of 85,000 - 100,000 miles. Wheel bearings are usually made of hardened steel. While they can withstand lots of wear and tear, too many bumps, or the wrong conditions can reduce the lifespan of a wheel bearing.

Heat, caused by a lack of lubrication, and a build-up of stress and energy inside the wheel will eventually damage the bearings and cause them to fail. Water or dirt penetrating inside the bearings will also cause damage and cause premature wear. A hard impact against a kerb can also easily damage a wheel bearing, so to dodge the cost of a replacement drive carefully and avoid wet, muddy conditions.

The law, vehicle regulations and your MOT

Your car’s wheel bearings will be checked by a mechanic during its MOT. Therefore it’s important that they’re kept in good condition and you keep an eye out for any of the above signs that there may be issues with your wheel bearings.

What happens during a wheel bearing replacement?

Our certified mechanics will:

• Jack the car safely and inspect the wheel with the faulty bearing.

• Replace the faulty bearing, if necessary.

• Refit the bearing and wheel.

• Torque the wheel to the correct pressure. This is set by the car manufacturer.

• Test drive the car.

• If necessary, they will make any final adjustments.

What causes a wheel bearing to break?

There are a number of reasons that a wheel bearing may break or fail. Impact damage, such as mounting a kerb badly or driving over speed bumps or potholes, can damage a wheel bearing and reduce its lifespan.

Driving through deep water or mud can also be bad news for your wheel bearings. Water, mud or dust could get past the seals and enter the bearing, causing the bearings to wear down quickly. Wheel bearings made of low-quality materials are also more likely to wear down quickly, leading to premature failure.

Car modifications, such as lowering your car, fitting bigger or wider rims, stiffer shock absorbers and suspension springs, can increase the load on the wheel bearing and can accelerate wear.

What are the signs of a bad wheel bearing?

Usually, there a few signs you can look for:

• If you notice a grinding, grating or humming noise coming from your wheel or tyre. This noise usually increases with acceleration or as the vehicle turns.

• A car that feels loose as you drive it - your steering seems less responsive or less precise than usual.

• Steering wheel vibration which changes with speed or as your car turns.

• Extremely uneven tyre wear.

• ABS malfunctioning.

• When a wheel does not move (bearing has seized).

How often should you replace your wheel bearing?

Wheel bearings have an average lifespan of 85,000 - 100,000 miles. However, this is only an estimate, the actual lifespan of a wheel bearing depends on the quality of the wheel bearing, the driver and the surroundings.

What happens when we do a wheel bearing replacement on your car?

Our certified mechanics will:

• Jack the car safely and inspect the wheel with the faulty bearing.

• Replace the faulty bearing, if necessary.

• Refit the bearing and wheel.

• Torque the wheel to the correct pressure. This is set by the car manufacturer.

• Test drive the car.

• If necessary, they will make any final adjustments.

Can you drive a car with a bad wheel bearing?

No, driving with a bad wheel bearing can be very dangerous. Because the wheel bearing is essential for connecting your wheel to your car, any weakness in this connection could have severe consequences for your drive-axle and steering assembly, as well as for your safety.

A loose or failing wheel bearing will mean that your steering won’t be as responsive as it should be, your tyres will wear out faster, and worst case scenario, your wheel could fall off completely while driving.

What happens if you don't change a broken wheel bearing?

Failing to replace a bad wheel bearing can be very dangerous. In extreme circumstances, it may cause the wheel to fall off your car or stop completely while driving. Additionally, a damaged wheel bearing puts a lot of extra stress on the hub, tyres, the CV joint, and the gearbox, all of which can lead to more costly repairs in the future.