Heavy Duty

Premature bearing failure will impact a fleet’s efficiency with serious performance, safety and budgetary implications. Proper wheel bearing adjustment is a key factor for optimal bearing life. To reduce premature bearing failure in heavy duty wheel-end applications, the ideal bearing end-play setting should be between 0.001” and 0.005”.

When it comes to replacing bearings and races, NTN has a couple of recommendations we make to installers to ensure that our products meet their maximum life expectancy. When replacing the bearing and race, NTN encourages installers to: 1) Replace both components as a set 2) Ensure both components come from the same manufacturer Replace…

What’s the Difference? Bearing components must have hardened rolling surfaces in order to provide long life. In general, there are two ways to harden steel to the required level: Through Hardening and Case Hardening. Through Hardening In order to harden steel, the iron mix must contain a certain amount of carbon. Carbon dissolves in molten…

To increase application performance and help ensure safety, refer to these “Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Recommended Maintenance Practices (RPs)” when handling wheel or drivetrain bearings.

Follow this six-step procedure for nut torquing and back off to adjust wheel bearings to meet correct end play specifications.

hen adjusted properly, wheel end setting should not change significantly during early operation. Over time, wear causes small changes, which worsen with poor cleanliness and improper maintenance practices. For proper wheel end cleaning and maintenance procedures, refer to TMC RP 622.

To service pre-adjusted wheel ends and maximize performance, follow the DOs and DON’Ts below. Note: A spacer between the inner and outer bearings can identify a pre-adjusted wheel end.

Skill Level: Easy | Special Tools: None Timken recommends replacing the bearing cone (inner race) and bearing cup (outer race) at the same time and that both components come from the same manufacturer. Avoid Mixing Parts from Different Bearing Manufacturers Common Problems Caused By Mixing Parts • Incompatible internal bearing profile • Overall bearing width…

You can keep your trucks running smoothly by replacing the wheel end bearings using the manufacturer’s recommended schedule. In this video, you’ll see how to install a set-right preset bearing.

As you can figure out from their name, preset bearings don’t require any setting or adjusting. If you’re not using a preset bearing, you have to adjust the bearings to create the right clearance between the inner and outer races.