Why are vehicles provided with wheels and ball bearings?

Wheels on the car roll on the road. The wheel turns but the car doesn't turn. The car just goes along, not round. So the wheel is joined to the car by an axle. The axle (non driving) doesn't turn but the wheel connected to it does. That would have the two parts rubbing together and wearing on each other. read more

Wheels on the car roll on the road. The wheel turns but the car doesn't turn. The car just goes along, not round. So the wheel is joined to the car by an axle. The axle (non driving) doesn't turn but the wheel connected to it does. That would have the two parts rubbing together and wearing on each other. read more

When the entire axle is assembled, and wheel alignment is correct, the major weight of the vehicle will be on the inner, larger wheel bearing, with the outer bearing being more of a retainer bearing. The situation is similar, both in appearance and function, on a rear axle, of a front-wheel drive. read more

In all my previous vehicles, I never had to replace a wheel bearing. I do remember repacking the front wheel bearings on my rear wheel drive cars that were made back in the 1940s through the 1970s. The rear axle wheel bearings were lubricated by the 90 weight oil in the differential and rear axle. read more