Front wheel bearing, inner, 52 x 23 x 16 mm Fiat 126P/126 BIS/500 Giardiniera/600/850

Front wheel bearing:

• inner
• 52 x 23 x 16 mm
• italian production

This product fits the following models:

• Fiat 126 P
• Fiat 126 BIS
• Fiat 500 Giardiniera
• Fiat 600
• Fiat 850
• Fiat Topolino C

The Wheel Bearings

Wheel bearings are a safety-critical part of the suspension system. They form the movable connection between the wheel (or wheel carrier), which rotates, and the axle (axle stub, shaft), which remains stationary. Typically, they are designed as tapered roller or ball bearings, minimizing friction between the wheel and the axle stub.

Wheel bearings consist of an outer ring, an inner ring, and rolling elements (balls, rollers) located between the two rings, held together by a rolling element cage. The rolling elements move between the raceways, transferring forces from one ring to the other. As this movement involves high friction forces, the rolling elements must be well lubricated. Without lubrication, wheel bearings are not functional. Modern wheel bearings are equipped with lubricant filling and sophisticated seals. The seals ensure that no lubricant leaks out of the wheel bearing, and no water, dust, or dirt enters the wheel bearing. While today's car wheel bearings are maintenance-free, they undergo significant stress and wear out over time.

A defective wheel bearing is noticeable through a continuous noise, initially perceived as a subtle humming during driving. This humming becomes increasingly audible the longer you drive without replacing the wheel bearing. As the origin of the humming noise is often not clearly locatable inside the vehicle, you can determine the side with the defective wheel bearing as follows: Since the right or left wheel bearings are subjected to different loads during cornering, the humming noise usually temporarily disappears during cornering. If the noise disappears in a left turn, it is likely that the left (inner) wheel bearing is no longer in good condition. Similarly, a silence in a right turn indicates a problem with a wheel bearing on the right side of the vehicle.