How To Repair Badly Rusted Wheel Arches

Chances are, you'll never think about your wheel bearings until something has gone wrong. The bearings last a long time, but when they go bad, they can generate heat. Bad bearings can lock up your wheel, which is dangerous. If you hear a whirring or groaning sound from your wheels, it's time to fix or replace the bearings, you can save money by doing it yourself. Here are some tips for how to repair or replace your wheel bearings:

Park on a Flat Surface and Chock the Tires on the Wheels you're Not Fixing.

Safety is first and foremost, of course, so you'll want to make sure you're parked on a flat, level surface. It would be extremely dangerous if your car were to begin to roll while you're working on one of the wheels. Place your vehicle in park, and apply the parking brake. Next you'll want to chock the tires on the wheels you're not working on. For example, if you're working on one of the front wheels, place chock blocks behind the back tires. If you're replacing bearings on a back wheel, you'll need to chock the front tires. You can't be too careful.

Before you place the jack under the car to raise it, you'll want to loosen the lug nuts. If you or a mechanic used an impact wrench to put the lug nuts back on the last time, this may take some effort. Be patient if you can't loosen them the first try and keep working until you can loosen them. Your next step is to raise your car with the jack and remove the lug nuts. Keep these safe, because they can roll away easily. Remove the tire and set it to the side. You can place the tire on its side and sit on it so that you don't have to sit directly on the ground.

Remove the Brake Caliper, Rotor and Hub.

you'll need a ratchet and socket along with a screwdriver to remove the brake caliper. don't let the caliper dangle, as that can damage the brake hose. Next, you'll need to remove the dust cover, cotter pin, and castle nut and set these small parts in a place where you won't lose them. Take the rotor off next. If it gets stuck, you can gently use a rubber mallet to help get it off, but don't hit it too hard. Finally, you'll need to take the hub assembly apart and remove the hub so that you can access the wheel bearings.

Pack or Replace the Bearings.

Once you're able to access the wheel bearings, you can inspect them to see if they need to be repaired or packed or if you have to replace them. Clean the bearings and inspect them carefully. If they aren't worn or damaged in any way, you can pack them and reuse them. All you have to do is pack them with grease and replace them if you can use them. If there's any doubt at all in your mind based on your inspection, it's better to replace them. For your peace of mind and safety, replacing is usually a better way. Simply replace the old bearings with new ones.

Reassemble Everything and Take a Test Drive.

Once you've repaired or replaced the bearings, it's time to put everything back together. Put everything back in reverse order. Make sure that everything is secure and that you've reassembled everything properly. Put the wheel and lug nuts back on, and double check to make sure you've tightened them properly. Then you can lower the car and remove the chocks. It's extremely important for you to take a short test drive to make sure that everything is working properly before you try to drive your car to work or to the store. If something doesn't sound or feel right, or if you have any doubts about your work, consult a mechanic immediately.