Connection between wheel and vehicle
The wheel hub plays a central role: it carries the wheel, serves as a pivot point and transmits forces from the road surface, brake and drive components. Modern wheel hubs often also integrate bearings, ABS sensor rings or mounting flanges.
Technology in interaction
Running accuracy, tightness and load capacity can only be maintained if the hub, bearing points and accessories are structurally harmonized. Accessories such as sealing or locking elements, fastening parts or sensor rings must be dimensioned to fit the hub precisely so that no play occurs and no oil or grease is lost.
What should you look out for when buying:
Extreme loads and the technology of the heavy-duty wheel hub
The wheel hub of a truck carries loads that are many times higher than those of a passenger car. It has to absorb enormous static and dynamic forces as well as high bending moments caused by the high weight and large wheel dimensions. For this reason, truck wheel hubs are solidly constructed and often fitted with robust tapered roller bearings that require careful adjustment of the bearing clearance. In many commercial vehicles, the wheel hubs are also oil-lubricated (instead of grease-lubricated), with the transmission oil circulating directly via the hub. This places the highest demands on the casting quality and the precision of the bearing points to ensure durability under continuous load.
Critical role of tightness and sensors
Given the long mileages in the transportation industry, the sealing of the wheel hub is an absolutely critical factor. The seals must not only reliably prevent the loss of lubricant (oil or grease), but above all prevent the ingress of moisture, dirt and road salt, which would quickly lead to destructive bearing damage. Another central task of the wheel hub in the truck is the integration of safety sensors. The hub holds the ABS or EBS sensor ring in a precise position. The integrity of this ring and the correct installation of the hub are directly decisive for the function of the electronic braking and stability systems (EBS), which are essential for the driving safety of the heavy vehicle.
Simplified maintenance thanks to compact bearings
Although conventional wheel bearing systems require complex adjustment, modern trucks are increasingly relying on highly integrated compact bearing units. These units, which include bearings and seals as a pre-assembled and pre-adjusted cassette, simplify maintenance considerably. They guarantee the correct bearing clearance without manual adjustment and minimize the risk of errors during assembly. The selection of these OE-quality component sets is essential in order to reduce vehicle downtimes and ensure the operational reliability of the entire axle system over the required high mileages.
