If you took the time to calculate how many revolutions your wheels make on an annual basis, chances are you might give a little more thought to your wheel bearings. How many of us take the time to maintain these four little rolling marvels as the maintenance schedule suggests?
Just pulling the axle and sticking your finger in the bearing to see how it feels is not what manufacturers had in mind. In addition to the way they feel regarding rotation, the bearings must fit properly in their races, and, more importantly, have the correct amount of endplay. Just what is endplay? And why is it important?
Endplay is simply the amount of lateral movement the bearings have when they are secured by the axle. Too much endplay can cause your wheel to wobble, and the bearing to wear. And, too little or no endplay can cause excess friction that generates rolling resistance and premature bearing failure. In either case, improper adjustment can cause a dangerous condition while riding.
Most manuals recommend servicing wheel bearings at 10,000-mile intervals. Some of the new sealed bearing units can go as many as 100,000 miles with no maintenance on the bearing. Although, endplay is not applicable on sealed units, they still must be fit properly to the wheel.
Read on, as Dave Newton of Wheel Works, located in Garden Grove, California, shares some of his expertise with us. In the following photos, he shows us the proper way to care for and adjust wheel bearings.