The Black Swan
Senior Member
Joined: 02-01-2006
Posts: 1,470
From: lockport,ny
Years ago, all car bearings were roller bearings.
Then automakers, in search of better fuel economy, asked the bearing manufacturers to reduce the rolling resistance of wheel bearings.
The bearing manufacturers created a bearing/hub that used two rows of ball bearings.
Balls each have a single contact point to the race. Roller bearings have a line contact. So the load is spread out over a larger area.
So ball bearing hubs have a little less rolling resistance at the price of much shorter longevity.
Trucks and truck-based SUVs still use roller bearings (at least the last I heard).
My Suburban has 285K miles and no bearing replacements needed. Previous Suburban had 250K miles and original hubs. In addition, the Suburban has an O-ring seal at the back of the hub to the bore in the spindle. This prevents water/salt from getting to the hub body and corroding it to the spindle. Wish the HHRs had this O-ring seal.
Oldblue, If the Mevotech really has roller bearings, this could mean a very long life for the hub. I'll have to look into the Mevotech for future hubs on the HHR.
Steve
Then automakers, in search of better fuel economy, asked the bearing manufacturers to reduce the rolling resistance of wheel bearings.
The bearing manufacturers created a bearing/hub that used two rows of ball bearings.
Balls each have a single contact point to the race. Roller bearings have a line contact. So the load is spread out over a larger area.
So ball bearing hubs have a little less rolling resistance at the price of much shorter longevity.
Trucks and truck-based SUVs still use roller bearings (at least the last I heard).
My Suburban has 285K miles and no bearing replacements needed. Previous Suburban had 250K miles and original hubs. In addition, the Suburban has an O-ring seal at the back of the hub to the bore in the spindle. This prevents water/salt from getting to the hub body and corroding it to the spindle. Wish the HHRs had this O-ring seal.
Oldblue, If the Mevotech really has roller bearings, this could mean a very long life for the hub. I'll have to look into the Mevotech for future hubs on the HHR.
Steve
Thread Starter
Administrator
Joined: 10-13-2011
Posts: 39,900
From: Welland,Ont Canada
I’m sorry to say, I didn’t take photos or video, I did notice there is a seal between the hub and the flange to keep slop and water out. The RA site has videos from Mevotech . I just got home from the hospital, so no research today.
like I can rest now! I opened the mevotech site and found they have to rows of ball bearings with better seals.
https://www.mevotech.com/wp-content/...ubs-A-Page.pdf
No roller bearings!however this video does show roller bearings, just in a different application hub
like I can rest now! I opened the mevotech site and found they have to rows of ball bearings with better seals.
https://www.mevotech.com/wp-content/...ubs-A-Page.pdf
No roller bearings!however this video does show roller bearings, just in a different application hub
Last edited by Oldblue; Mar 14, 2024 at 04:07 PM.
