4x4 drivetrains may have been used only on military vehicles in the past, but nowadays they can be seen used on civilian vehicles too. Your vehicle doesn't even have to be a big and bulky off-roader to have a 4x4 system either. But let's face it, a sedan that you'll drive from home to work every day doesn't need a 4x4 drivetrain. What does, is a vehicle just like a GU Patrol.
Nissan's ultimate 4x4 vehicle has sleek looks but also all the benefits of an off-roader. It can climb up hills faster, it has better acceleration and better traction too. When paired with an LSD, a 4x4 vehicle like the Patrol performs even better off-road. But to bear all that weight, the wheels must have bearings that are in good shape.
Wheel Bearing Kits vs Individual Bearings
But before I delve deeper into bearing world I need to make something clear. There is a big difference between getting a GU Patrol wheel bearing kit and purchasing bearings individually. GU patrol rear wheel bearings that come in a GU patrol wheel bearing kit make for a more convenient solution. This is because you get all the necessary hardware for the wheels of your Patrol. Buying individual bearings makes it more difficult to keep track of which bearings you replaced first. Also, it's a bad idea to replace bearings one at a time.
Types of Wheel Bearings
Ball
The most commonly used GU rear wheel bearings you'll come across are ball bearings. These types of bearings are made of round metal balls placed inside the race (metal ring). This allows the bearings to spin in any direction and withstand both radial and thrust/ axial loads. But when it comes to heavy shocks and impacts, ball bearings are not ideal since they have a smaller contact area.
Roller
Roller bearings, on the other hand, are made up of cylinders (rollers) enclosed by an inner and outer race. Because of the constant diameter of the rollers, they can spread radial loads across a wider contact point. This makes roller bearings more suitable against heavy impacts and shocks. But keep in mind that roller bearings aren't able to withstand axial loads as well as ball bearings. Therefore they aren't used in cornering wheels.
Tapered Roller
With tapered roller bearings, you get a similar design to that of roller bearings with the former having a slight change. This small yet significant change allows tapered roller bearings to withstand both axial and radial loads a lot better than roller bearings. This is because tapered roller bearings help protect the shifting parts from grinding when you're cornering. Also, tapered roller bearings make for a smoother operation of the wheels.
Signs of a Bad Rear Wheel Bearing
Pulling
Driving with bad rear wheel bearings on your GU Patrol may not be apparent straight away but there are certain signs that indicate that. For example, you will experience your Patrol pulling on one side when you hit the brakes. This is a clear sign that something is wrong with the bearings.
Sounds & Vibrations
If unusual pulling isn't enough, you will also experience certain sounds when there is an issue with your GU rear wheel bearings. You may hear a clicking, popping or even snapping sounds. Sometimes you may even hear a whirring, humming, grinding and rumbling noises. These will all tell you a lot about the state of your GU Patrol rear wheel bearings. Also, the more severe the noises are, usually, the worse the condition of the bearings.
ABS
All vehicles have it and since it's located in the wheel hub, the ABS system can also be faulty when there's a bad bearing or bearings. Also, all the sensors regarding traction and stability control are found in the same place which is why they may malfunction as well when a bearing is failing. Your Patrol may get an error code on your dashboard just because of a bad bearing. But of course, that isn't always the case.
Steering
While the steering wheel itself won't feel loose, the steering feel will when you have a bad bearing or a pair of GU rear wheel bearings. There's usually going to be a bit of play within the assembly of the wheels which makes the steering feel vague. Remember though, a vague steering feel isn't directly tied to a bad wheel bearing but it doesn't hurt to check the bearings while you're troubleshooting the issue at hand.
Tire Wear
You might not notice tyre wear right away but if you do notice it and it's uneven then you might want to inspect the wheel bearings of your GU Patrol. Uneven tyre wear can be the result of worn down bearing balls or rollers which are not as effective and therefore loosen up. This greatly affects the tyres and it will show up over a certain period of time, not straight away.
