How to Determine if a Thrust Bearing is Faulty?
1 Answers
When the shock absorber thrust bearing is severely worn and damaged, the symptoms are as follows: 1. Abnormal noises will occur when the vehicle's shock absorber is operating. 2. The vehicle's steering may exhibit slight deviation, difficulty returning to center, and weak return force. 3. With a damaged thrust bearing, the shock absorber will transmit all absorbed vibrations and impacts directly from the chassis to the passenger compartment, resulting in increased noise. Here is relevant information about thrust bearings: 1. The correct name for a thrust bearing should be pressure bearing, which consists of two parts: the pressure top rubber and the pressure bearing. 2. The thrust bearing is located at the top of the shock absorber, between the spring and the shock absorber. It must withstand vertical pressure while allowing free rotation. 3. The reason for thrust bearing failure is that most current designs use ball thrust bearings. Ball thrust bearings have a disadvantage: they can withstand large vertical forces but cannot handle horizontal forces. When turning the steering wheel while stationary, friction between the tires and the ground creates a horizontal torque on the tires. This torque causes the axle supporting the tires to tilt. The tilting force acts on the thrust bearing, subjecting it to horizontal forces. Over time, this causes deformation of the contact surfaces between the balls and the bearing cage.
