Your mechanic says you want a wheel bearing, what’s a wheel bearing? I will turn this into as easy as easy to understand usingvideo and pictures, and my own interpretation of what a wheel bearing is, what its job is, where it’s located and the noises it makes when it’s damaged.

Wheel bearings with race

Wheel bearings are usually pressed into a hub like this

Just what is a wheel bearing?

A wheel bearing is exactly what it sounds like, it’s a bearing for the wheel. What’s a bearing you ask? It’s a bunch of steel balls held together from a metal ring, which is named a race. There are various styles bearings but are all very similar and all carry out the same job, they help something spin with very little friction like a wheel, turbine, or a carnival ride.

A wheel bearing on a car is a collection of ball bearings that keep the wheel and ride on the metal shaft which is called an axle shaft. The wheel bearing is located in the hub, the hub is located at the centre of your wheel, when you are considering a wheel on a car, the hub is located in which the lug bolts come from the wheel. The lug bolts are pressed into the hub, and the wheel bearing is pressed to the hub as well, from the back side of the hub.

Bearing with race

Ball bearings

What does a wheel bearing do?

Wheel bearings are use on all kinds of vehicles from bicycles to aircraft and they all perform the same job, they allow the wheel to spin freely. Based on the application, most wheel bearings are hardened steel and may withstand lots of abuse. A wheel bearings worst 2 enemies are heat and water. Heat caused by absence of lubrication can destroy a wheel bearing, and water that penetrates the sealed bearing will destroy the wheel bearing as well.

Most wheel bearings manufactured today are sealed bearings, they come from the factory pressed together as an assembly, front race, bearing set, center race, bearing set and outer race with seals for both front and rear race. Bearings are sealed in thewater and elements, and debris by a non penetrable seal that also seals in high temperature wheel bearing grease. When the seal is broken or damaged, the wheel bearing will fail and initiate making noise.

Mean, Green Driving MachineThe Car Care Council suggests five easy ways to turn your car in a mean, green driving machine – for your personal wallet and also the environment.

Drive Green – Recognize that how you drive offers quite a bit to do with fuel economy. Avoid sudden stops and startsstops and go the pace limit. Jerky and aggressive driving decreases your mpg (MPG) and increases tear and wear in your vehicle. By combining errands in one trip, Minimize unnecessary miles.

In the event the tires on every American’s car were properly inflated, check Tire Pressure – Each year, about two billion gallons of gas might be saved. Optimal tire pressure for your vehicle is listed in the owner’s manual. Tires that are not properly inflated add rolling resistance which makes the engine work harder to maneuver the vehicle. All of this increases fuel costs just as much as three to five cents per gallon, and increases the risk of engine damage.

Obtain a Tune-Up – Regular tune-ups, having and maintenance clean air filters will help your car or truck pollute less and burn less gas. With a proper tune-up, you can save four percent on the price of gas or higher to forty percent by replacing a faulty oxygen sensor. Simply changing the car’s air filter can improve efficiency by 10 percent.

Lighten the Load – Get the junk out of the trunk and the stuff out of your car, with the exception of emergency items such as a spare tire, flares along with a first-aid kit. Extra items weigh the automobile down and cause an increase in gas usage.

Gas Caps and Fill-Ups – Look at your vehicle’s gas cap. Loose, damaged or missing gas caps cause millions of gallons of gas to evaporate into the air every year. Topping off your gas tank when completing your car also can release harmful vapors into the environment.

“Driving technique and proper vehicle maintenance can go a long way toward protecting the surroundings and conserving fuel. These five simple actions will help minimize the amount of pollutants from your vehicle and keep more ‘green’ inside your wallet through better fuel economy,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “Vehicle owners who do their own maintenance should remember to recycle or properly dispose of fluids and other vehicle components, including used motor oil, batteries and tires.”

If you are looking for a fiat dealership Los Angeles will not let you down . . . all with rows of beautiful shiny motors, paintwork gleaming and bright, clean interiors. Unfortunately the savage heat of the summer can soon put an end to all of that. The heat and the sunshine can cause lots of damage to a car both on the inside and on the outside. Just think about how hot it can get inside your car if it’s been parked in full sunshine for even a half hour – we’ve all sat down on a hot seat in shorts or short skirt and had to shuffle around a bit until things cool down (leather seats are definitely the worst culprits for that). Steering wheels can also get too hot to handle in the heat of the summer.

There are other problems too – the sun can damage the paintwork of the car, cause the dashboard to crack and the seats to dry out. The trim can fade and become brittle . . . it really is a recipe for disaster.
Here are a few tips about how to protect your car from the heat and the summer sun.

On the Inside;

• The first tip is certainly not rocket science, in fact it’s remarkably easy – find a shady spot to park. This will help to keep the temperature lower inside the car and prevent the dashboard from drying out and getting cracked – it will also prevent burned legs when you get back in the car. If at all possible it’s also a great idea to leave the windows open just a little to allow the air to circulate and equalize air pressure – this isn’t always safe but is something you should consider if the car is in a safe location.
• Windshield sun protectors are worth their weight in gold during the hottest months. They may not be the most attractive thing in the world but are cheap to buy, easy to use and can help to keep the temperatures lower inside your car.

• Seat covers are another easy solution for protecting both leather and other types of fabric seats. They will help to keep them clean, in good condition and cool in the summer.
• Leather seats are particularly vulnerable in the hot sunshine and can quickly become dry and cracked. Applying a touch of leather conditioner can help to keep them in tip top condition which will prevent them from cracking and tearing.

On the Outside;

• Keep your car nice clean with regular washes and dries. Sunshine and heat can cause the paint to become dull and cracked but regular washes will remove the dust / dirt particles which can cause those tiny scratches on the paints surface and make it appear dull.
• Waxing your motor is another good idea which reaps benefits during the summer; the wax can help to protect your paintwork from the harmful rays of the sun.

• Keep an eye on tire pressures all year round but particularly in the summer. Hot pavements crossed with low tire pressures are a recipe for disaster and can cause blowouts. Even good quality tires may lose up to a pound of pressure per month in the hottest weather. Check these regularly – it’s better to be safe than sorry.

At www.ocfiat.com, they’ve got a great selection of motors all shiny and new . . . but if you want your new car to stay that way through the summer you know what to do about it.

To cool down an engine on the verge of overheating, turn off the air conditioner and turn on the heater full blast. This helps dissipate heat from the engine. If it doesn’t cool off the engine, stop the auto. This is not a lasting fix. Schedule an appointment to fix the problem.

Avoid overheating by reducing the load in your engine. Shut down the air conditioner or shift into a lower gear in case you are climbing a lengthy hill. This will allow you to overcome the hill without overstraining your engine.

Don’t open the cap on the radiator when it’s hot (immediately after the car has become running for a while). The hot fluid inside is under tremendous pressure and can shoot out and burn you.

Most of us have had the excellent fortune of not being in a car collision. It’s easy to forget what to do to protect ourselves due to the adrenalin rushing through our systems, when it does happen.

To remember all the things you must do to avoid messy insurance issues later, keep this post-collision checklist with your glove box:

First, make an effort to stay calm. Then focus on the body. You will need to provide information on bodily injuries to the insurance company.

In the event you or anybody else is seriously hurt, call 911.

Call your local police to file a report of the accident. Give them as much details as you possibly can from your perspective.

Note any injuries (use pen & paper, telephone call to voicemail, text or whatever’s handy). Check for headache, shoulder pain, knee pain, back pain etc.

Second, obtain the other driver’s information.

The driver’s license address, name and number. When possible to copy the information, check their license.

Write down the license plate numbers of all the cars working in the collision besides your own.

Jot down the make, model and color of all of the other cars involved.

Ensure that you get the driver’s insurance company name and the policy number.

Third, document the collision and seek medical treatment. Again, unless you have pen and paper, you can text, take pictures or call a trusted voicemail box.

Take pictures of your damage and injuries for the cars or property involved.

Take down witness’ information (usually name and phone number will do).

Write down what went down. The insurance companies will ask you lots of questions and you’ll want to be clear on what you’ll say and not leave anything out.

Seek prompt medical attention. You may think you are alright, but you may actually be hurt and not feel pain because of the adrenalin rush.

If you are hurt, show or tell the doctor the notes you made at the time of the accident.

Fourth, follow through with the appropriate parties.

Call your insurance company as soon as you get the chance and mention all of the notes you took at the time of the collision.

Call your lawyer for guidance and information on working with the insurance companies involved.

Collisions are unusual experiences, so it is easy to forget the simple steps we are able to take to protect ourselves. Take the time now to print this out and placed it in your glove box. If you get into a collision this checklist will assure you have everything that you need., although hopefully you will never need to use it.

Everyone has had an experience with a salesperson who was just too pushy. And while that’s not necessarily the norm today in the car dealership world, it can make going to a dealership an intimidating experience, especially for someone who’s quiet or who isn’t entirely certain for what they are looking for. When you’re hunting for a new car, you’re going to spend at least one, and probably several, afternoons working with a salesperson, so it’s important that you know how to work with them.

Yes, they want to make a sale. But good salespeople understand that if you aren’t happy with what you’re getting, there won’t be a sale. So, don’t be afraid to let them know what you want. If you have an idea of what you are hoping to find, express it to them. You’re making their job a lot easier and increasing the chances that you will end up with exactly what you want. If you don’t know exactly which car you want to buy, ask them questions. You need to learn about the products before you can buy them, so don’t feel bad asking everything you can think of. What’s the gas mileage like? What’s the safety rating? If it’s a used car, what can they tell you about this particular vehicle’s history? Never be embarrassed to ask your salesperson the things that are important to you. We all know that there are no stupid questions.

And if you’re really not sure where to begin, take a look at a dealership’s website. For instance for dodge san juan capistrano, check out www.ocauto.com, you’ll be able to see what they have available, discern what you do or do not like and then better explain to your salesperson some things that might interest you in a car.

When you are driving around town, your car engine needs clean air to burn the fuel – and it wants a lot. The truth is, a typical vehicle needs about 216,000 gallons of air for every single tank of gas.

Everything that air passes through a filter that catches the dust and dirt. Eventually the filter can get completely full. Because the filter can only hold so much, the dirt starts getting through. This dirty air passes through the mass airflow sensor and actually starts to accumulate in the delicate sensor element. The mass airflow sensor measures how much air is getting to your engine. As soon as the airflow reading is incorrect, your car engine doesn’t get the proper level of fuel. The engine runs rough and doesn’t perform as well as it should.

Eventually, the sensor is very damaged it needs to be replaced – which is expensive. In fact you could buy a case or a pair of air filters for the cost of a sensor replacement.

Needless to say, that dirty air keeps on going through in your engine where it is burned along with the fuel, which gets your combustion chamber dirty and increases harmful exhaust emissions – not a good thing for Denver air quality, in addition to our lungs.

If you neglect this simple Express Car Care service, once your Express Car Care service adviser reveals your dirty air filter and recommends a replacement, keep in mind cost and poor performance that can be waiting for you in the future. Ask your friendly service tech if it’s a chance to replace your engine air filter.

Express Car Care in Denver is providing quality auto repair services for auto owners for eleven years. Our specialties include transmission and brake service, windshield wipers, and tire rotation.