The use of bearings in various equipment components can significantly reduce energy losses. Such products can come in various shapes and sizes. The purpose of the parts also varies significantly. Some products are installed in engine crankcases and gearboxes, where they are constantly washed by an oil flow, while others are placed “in the open” air. The front strut support bearing belongs to the second category of products. This irreplaceable element has an original design and is of utmost importance in the design of the suspension of any car.
Front shock absorber support bearing: what is it and where is it located?
The support bearing is an essential element of any shock absorber strut. This part helps reduce friction when turning the wheel. This element is especially important on cars that are not equipped with power steering. On modern cars, thanks to the presence of this part, it is possible to reduce wear on both the shock absorber strut itself and the steering rod joints.
The support bearing is usually located in the upper part of the shock absorber strut. To make it easy to replace this part, it is attached to the body using a bolted connection.
The design of the support bearing and its difference from the shock absorber support
A support bearing is a fairly simple mechanism. This part has the following device:
- Top plate.
- Bearing.
- Cup base.
Attention! Many models of journal bearings have a non-separable design, so the lower and upper parts can be pressed together.
The front shock mount bearing should not be confused with the shock mount, which is a ring of thick, durable rubber designed to absorb vibration and shock from the strut.
Useful tips for use and purchase
Lubrication procedure
A rolling bearing can be lubricated by one of four types of lubricants: solid pastes, plastics, liquids and gases. High-quality lubrication will reduce friction, reducing wear of parts.
If you use silicone spray, all that is necessary is to cut the substance into the body area, trying to treat all the most inaccessible places. But the best way is to treat the part with lubricant at the time of installation in its original place (as well as each time the device is dismantled).
How to extend the life of the front strut support bearing
- Compliance with the speed limit, driving on smooth roads without holes, potholes, etc. increases resource and service life. Aggressive style leads to increased loads on the racks, resulting in failure.
- It is also important to regularly check the unit according to the instructions in this article.
- When making repairs, purchase only original spare parts.
- Monitor the tightness of the assembly under the hood.
Rules for choosing a bearing taking into account the manufacturer
When purchasing, pay attention to the following companies:
- Lemforder
- SKF
- RUVILLE
- Febest
- F.A.G.
- SNR
- VBF (for VAZ)
Contents of delivery
The scope of delivery depends on the specific part purchased. If it is a bearing, then the kit does not include additional equipment. If it is a support, the kit usually includes mounting bolts and washers, and the bearing itself. Check the equipment on the manufacturer's website or before purchasing.
Types of support bearings
Products of this type can differ significantly in many respects. The main types of such products are:
- With integrated inner or outer ring. The design feature is the absence of clamping flanges.
- With detachable ring. The main advantage of the model is maintainability.
- Single split design. The advantage of the model is increased rigidity.
There are also various combinations of the listed designs, for example, products with a separable inner or outer ring.
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Everything about the signs is very clear. But you need to know why such a malfunction occurs, and try to prevent premature wear of the support bearing on the front struts in the future.
- Natural destructive processes. Each OP has its own resource, which is usually developed after 80-100 thousand kilometers. Sometimes, if operating conditions are difficult, wear occurs faster. Therefore, it is better to check the condition of the OP every 20 thousand km.
- Aggressive driving. If you like to race, corner sharply and literally rape your car, which I categorically do not approve of, then your OP will not last anywhere near 100 thousand km. Such piloting speeds up the wear process significantly.
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- Questionable bearing quality. Many car owners try to save money by buying cheap parts. But they serve little purpose and can fail at the most inopportune moment. Therefore, dear car owners, do not skimp on such important things.
- Terms of Use. You can drive extremely carefully, but if you regularly drive on broken roads, off-road and other conditions that are not the most pleasant for the car, the OP will wear out faster.
- Lubrication. It may be of poor quality, and therefore does not adequately simplify the operation of the bearing. Plus, some lubricants are sensitive to low temperatures. When purchasing and applying lubricant, make sure that it is of high quality and can withstand the upcoming loads, as well as operating conditions.
Causes of support bearing failure
A shock absorber strut bearing can fail for several reasons. Most often replacement or repair of a part is required when:
- Natural wear and tear.
- Operating a vehicle in difficult road conditions.
- Marriage.
- If abrasive gets inside the structure.
- Low quality of the material from which the parts were made.
Attention! The support bearing usually lasts much longer than the shock absorber, but when replacing the strut, it is necessary to determine the condition of this part.
What types of malfunctions are there?
Most often, the first signs of problems with the support bearings will be knocking sounds in the suspension. A heavily worn and loose bearing will make this sound at every significant bump.
Related article: Repair of shock absorber struts or instructions for restoring faulty components
Depending on the design, the shock absorber rod can either be connected to the inner race of the bearing, or secured through a bushing and a rubber damper on the body.
In the first case, bearing wear will more significantly affect the car's handling, camber and caster angle settings, and therefore can be noticed even before knocking occurs.
As already mentioned, the sealing of the unit from road dirt and moisture leaves much to be desired. As all this accumulates in the bearing, it intensively corrodes and begins to make sounds of a different kind, reminiscent of creaking and crunching.
If such a part is disassembled, the picture will be characteristic - the cavity between the clips is occupied by rusty fragments of former balls or rollers.
How to determine a faulty shock absorber support: basic methods
For repairs, in many cases, it is impossible to do without removing the shock absorber strut. This procedure takes a lot of time, and the camber and toe angles of the front wheels may be disrupted. In order not to make a mistake and not disassemble a completely serviceable unit, it is recommended to make sure in advance that the failure of the suspension consists of failure of the supporting part.
On level ground
This method is the simplest, but this work requires two people. You can find out about the malfunction as follows:
- Park the car on a level surface.
- Securely secure it with the parking brake.
- Open the hood.
- Remove the glass protection.
- Press the support device with your hand.
- The assistant must rock the car.
If play is felt in the support bearing, it will need to be replaced.
While driving
While driving the car, it is also a good idea to test the front or rear strut bearing. To do this, just drive over the speed bump, listening to the noise of the suspension. If a certain creaking or knocking noise is detected, then it is most likely time to change this part.
Attention! Sharp turns of the steering wheel while the car is moving will also allow you to audibly determine the malfunction of this part.
Steering wheel rotation
This test method is similar to the first diagnostic option, with the only difference being that the partner should not rock the car, but vigorously rotate the steering wheel from side to side. If, as a result of such a “research”, a significant gap is also felt in the mating elements, accompanied by metallic clicks, then the part will need to be replaced.
Device
Let's first analyze its device.
Here is a picture of a thrust bearing. In its upper part there are three studs for its fastening and one central fastening through the inside of the support.
This video was created to explain the essence of installing a support bearing, the purpose of which for some reason most car enthusiasts forget. They only know the purpose of shock absorbers and springs, although the support is an equally important element in the car’s suspension.
Video
Struct assembly diagram for Kalina car
Scheme for assembling struts for Granta vehicles
The video above (see pictures) shows:
• Attaching the upper part of the rack to the body mudguard;
• The stand itself is disassembled with a spring and upper support;
• Support bearing (there are several types).
The upper support serves to smooth out the loads coming from the wheels through the shock absorber onto the car body and distribute them evenly.
Support bearing wear
As it is used, the support bearing wears out and there is grinding, creaking, knocking, and the most dangerous thing is when play appears. All this is reflected in the condition of the rack itself and the entire wheel assembly.
So, if you lift the car on a lift and move the wheel sideways, right/left, you will notice a large free play of the entire assembly, which will tell us that the support bearing requires replacement.
If you look from above, where the shock absorber rod is attached, you will notice its movement from side to side. You can also place your hand on the top of the shock absorber where the rod nut is located. In this place the play is clearly felt.
When the bearing balls wear out, the load on the front suspension elements increases and the vehicle's handling deteriorates. Consequently, all this negatively affects overall traffic safety.
Replacing the rack support
To replace the support bearing, the strut must be removed from the car, disassembled, after compressing the spring with special ties. The faulty support is removed, a new one is installed, the rod fastening nut is tightened, the ties are removed and the stand is installed on the car.
After replacing the supports, it is recommended to check the wheel alignment on a stand to check the wheel alignment angles.
That's all, write comments. Goodbye!
In this article we will get acquainted with a small but very important component of a car's suspension - this is the front strut support bearing (in common parlance, a support bearing).
Let's try to find out why it is needed, what threatens it, and how to determine that a part requires replacement.
There is not a single unnecessary part in the machine, so if at least one of them fails, this can pose a threat to its overall performance. As a rule, a harbinger of malfunctions can be:
- changes in vehicle behavior;
- the appearance of extraneous sounds and knocks;
- unusual vibrations.
How to choose support bearings for replacement
When replacing a support element, like any other part, you will need to select a high-quality spare part that should be suitable for installation on a car of a particular brand. It is not recommended to experiment with installing supports removed from other machines. In this case, the behavior of the suspension may be unpredictable; moreover, the product may not be suitable in size or location of the fastening elements.
Attention! It is recommended to choose original products from the middle price category. Thus, the car enthusiast will not overpay for the brand and will protect himself as much as possible from purchasing counterfeit products.
Important tips for replacement and operation
Tip 1
Should I change one prop or both? Pair replacement is performed as reinsurance. This method is acceptable for a new car that is under warranty. In other cases, replacement of a worn-out spare part is carried out upon detection of a malfunction.
Tip 2
Is it necessary to do a wheel alignment? If, when disassembling parts, levers, struts, and other suspension elements were dismantled, checking the installation of angular indicators is necessary. If the replacement, for example, on a VAZ car was carried out without dismantling the strut, then a wheel alignment is not required.
Tip 3
Before performing work, prepare new spare parts and special tools: spring pullers, torque wrench, set of sockets. Before starting repairs, you need to buy spare parts. If you have any doubts about self-repair, contact a car service center.
How to replace a shock absorber strut bearing
The support of any shock absorber can only be replaced by hanging the car on a jack or lift. Sometimes it's easier to completely remove the shock strut to do this type of work.
Rack removal method
You can replace the support element by removing the stand in the following sequence:
- Remove the wheel.
- Raise the car on a jack.
- Unscrew the lower rack bolts.
- Unscrew the shock absorber rod nut.
- Unscrew the fastening of the support device.
- Remove the strut along with the bearing.
Installing the new part together with the shock absorber strut is carried out in the reverse order.
What indicates a malfunction
It is not always necessary to undergo complex diagnostics and a visit to a service station to understand that the support bearing has come to an end.
In fact, there are two main indicators of a breakdown or, at least, an unsatisfactory condition of the device, which requires mandatory replacement in the near future.
Many cars experience a knocking noise. But this is not true for all cars, since knocking in the struts may be absent due to design features. Therefore, motorists more often pay attention to changes in steering behavior. It is more difficult to steer a car; you constantly need to steer if you are driving in a straight line. Moreover, when it leads in one direction or another, you can understand what kind of persistent problem it is.
Causes of failure
Method without dismantling the rack
You can change the support bearing without dismantling the shock absorber strut. To perform this operation, you cannot do without using special spring ties and two jacks. This is necessary in order to compress the shock absorber and gain access to the support element. The part should be removed in this order:
- Raise the car on a jack.
- Remove the wheel.
- Loosen the stem nut.
- Place a second jack under the wheel hub and compress the shock absorber spring.
- Install the tie spring.
- Lower the hub.
- Unscrew the fastening of the supporting part.
- Remove the faulty support.
The new part is installed in the reverse order of removal.
Prevention of breakdowns and knocks
The main rule for preventing malfunctions is to drive carefully on bad roads. The car's suspension suffers greatly when the driver drives over potholes and bumps at high speed. It seems like it won't cause any damage, but it doesn't. Constant careless driving will definitely lead to car malfunctions.
You need to carefully monitor any extraneous sounds that appear during the trip. If you hear signs of a malfunction of the strut supports, you need to find out, diagnose and repair. Timely repairs will save you from costly replacement of suspension mechanisms.
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- Loosen the tension on the nuts that secure the support. On most cars it is located in the engine compartment. There are 3 of them.
- Raise the part of the car with a jack where repairs are planned. Remove the wheel.
Purpose
A bearing is a part that serves as a support and which at the same time ensures the mobility of the parts associated with it. No matter what type or type of bearing it is, it is always mounted slightly higher than the front spring. The shock absorber rod passes through a hole in the bearing race. The shock absorber is attached to the car body in the place where the support bearing is installed. It allows the shock absorber to move relative to the car body. Such a support bearing absorbs both radial and axial loads.
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What conclusions can be drawn? OP, that is, the support bearing, is a relatively small suspension element. At the same time, it plays a huge role in the quality of its operation and the safety of driving. Therefore, it is important to monitor its condition and replace it on time.
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