Your Kia Soul’s wheel bearings enable your wheels to spin smoothly while driving. In most cases, they are pressed or screwed into the steering hub and are installed behind your wheels. If there are any problems, you should repair these bearings to maintain your Kia Soul in good operating order and protect your wheel from coming off as you’re speeding along the highway.
Depending on where the bearing is located and whether the wheel needs to be pressed in and out, a replacement noisy wheel bearing can cost anywhere from $150 to more than $600.
How do wheel bearings work? What does it do in a vehicle?
An essential component of the wheel assembly that connects the wheel to the axle is a wheel bearing. A metal ring holds together a group of steel balls (ball bearings) or taper (tapered bearings). KIA’s wheel may spin easily and with little effort thanks to it.
When they stop functioning correctly, wheel bearings must be replaced before creating noise, Though they are security parts created to handle radial and axial pressures put on by gravity, accelerating braking, and steering forces.
What causes wheel bearing failure?
Wheel bearings could break down for a variety of causes. The following are a few major reasons why wheel bearings fail –
Driving Conditions
Wheel bearing noises may result from driving your KIA through dirt, water, or salt on the road. Particles have the potential to break barriers and reach bearings, spoiling the grease and causing bearing damage.
Qualities
KIA SOUL’S any other auto part, the wheel bearing’s quality significantly impacts how long it will last. Due to their quality, bearings users must be able to manufacture procedures. Low-quality steel frequently has poor heat-treating that can cause flakes, poor maintenance, and the presence of hard or soft metal, which can result in failure. To make sure that your automobile has stable, long-lasting wheel bearings, you should speak with a reliable auto repair.
Rough Roads
It is more likely that your wheel bearings will suffer damage and destruction if you drive on bumpy roads regularly. The effectiveness of the steel balls to minimize tension for wheels will be hampered over time as they develop damaged areas and will create noise. At that moment, you must take your car to a repair center.
Improper installation
The outside or interior of the wheel end bearing might be harmed by using incorrect tools. The wheel bearing suddenly fails as a result of this. Wheel end bearings can work unsafely when older accessories, such as nuts, bolts, splint pins, and seals, are re-used, which raises the possibility of an occurrence and noises.
Damaged tires
Ensure your car’s tires are balanced as part of any proper auto service plan. If not, some wheel bearings will experience heavy pressure and stress than others, which could result in damage and noise also. If you think your tires may be mismatched, bring your car into a garage so a mechanic may check it out.
Accidents
Wheel bearings are one of the many parts of a car that can be damaged in an accident. Even a tiny scratch from an accident can result in trouble. Wheel bearing damage from cracks, speed bumps, and even running into barriers can be detected by an auto mechanic.
Cause of Kia Soul Wheel Noise
1. Pounding Wheel Noise From Cardan Shaft on Kia Soul
Your Kia Soul may experience a stabilizer sound when you are turning heavily, usually at a slow speed. This is the first possible indicator of grinding wheel noise. It is also possible that you might hear this noise as you over-speed bump.
A noise that sounds almost crackling should be heard. In this situation, it is entirely conceivable that one or more of your stabilizer’ covers are outdated. The gearbox can fail in this case because the joint must be weakened.
2. Kia Soul Wheel Noise While Riding Caused by a Bearing
When under pressure, it often makes a banging noise that gets louder. Therefore, keep in mind to check that the sound is coming from here by moving at speed (neutral with the window open to hear only the noise of the wheels); if so, change it or them as soon as possible. If, however, this noise only appears when the speed is engaged.
3. Faulty Wheel Alignment Linked to Kia Soul
It’s possible that your wheel balancing or alignment caused it. After changing tires, an automobile’s wheel alignment is usually done. It will guarantee that the wheel rotates along its proper axis, resulting in balanced tire wear, good grip, and ideal ground contact. Wheels that lack or are installed improperly in balancing weights have a habit of vibrating and making noise a lot.
4. Wishbone Linked to a Wheel Noise of Kia Soul
You either brake after you accelerate, at a random point, or both. The double wishbone suspension or the direction joints are most likely the noise caused. In fact, you can test a broken double-suspension wishbone by pushing it to the side and accelerating while the car pulls to the outside of it (right wishbone pulls right) and stopping while the vehicle pulls to the inside of the same side (left wishbone pulls left).
The Bearing’s Replacement
Luckily, bearings can be easily replaced in KIA SOUL, Most modern vehicles will have either ball bearings or taper roller bearings as the wheel bearing type. You can complete this replacement yourself if you have the proper tools:
- Wheel chocks should be used to secure the wheels that aren’t being worked on while you park your car on a flat, stable surface.
- Lift the wheel with the wheel jack after loosening the lug nuts.
- Take the wheel off after removing the lug nuts.
- With the help of a socket wrench, remove the brake caliper.
- Remove the castle nut, yoke pin, and dust cover. The dust cover, tiny plastic or metal cap that shields the rotor’s internals, is often removable with calipers. The castle nut and cotter pin are located beneath the dust cover and can be taken out with pliers.
- Take the rotor out. Remove the outer bearing first, then the actual rotor. Use a rubber hammer to shake it loose if it becomes stuck.
- The old hub should be removed by unscrewing the hub nuts. Located behind the hub is the wheel bearing.
- Take apart the hub assembly. To reach the bearings, you must remove the hub.
- Remove your races and clean your knuckle. Typically, to do this, the races are broken with a cutter or a hammer and chisel. Clean the knuckle inside the wheel assembly once the races are gone. There will undoubtedly be a lot of greases, so keep some clothes nearby!
- Replace the wheel races and bearings. Have a hammer on hand to tap the races into position, then lubricate and attach the new inner part. Make sure the bearings are correctly aligned and pushed in as far as they can go, and use a lot of lubricants.
- Reinstall everything in the proper order before lowering the car off the jack.
When you’re finished, Pay close attention to the lubricant used, the packing itself, and the placing, then carefully use your jack to lower the automobile back to the ground. You just replaced your noisy wheel bearings, so congrats.
Conclusion
Driving your Kia Soul on a bad wheel bearing is not allowed. They represent an annoying cracking noise. They produce heat as they decline. The tire may eventually lock up while traveling along the road as a result of this heat.
Even if you take the wheel into a shop to have the bearing replaced and get a noise-free ambiance, it won’t cost much. Good luck with your Soul’s diagnosis. Please feel free to know us how much efficient was this article for you fellows. Good Luck!
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