Code two: for wheel bearings
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• ETMC has published another recommended code of maintenance practice, this time on wheel bearings, It follows on from the code on oil seals which was launched at last year's conference in Hamburg.
SKF has helped ETMC prepare a wideranging series of guidelines in the code of practice, which covers topics such as selecting and storing, removing, cleaning, inspecting, fitting and adjusting your wheel bearings.
The majority of failures are caused by the following, says the code of practice: faulty mounting practices; defective bearing seatings on shafts and in housings; misalignment; incorrect shaft and housing fits; inadequate lubrication; ineffective sealings; vibration while the bearing is not rotating and the passage of electric current through the bearing.
There is a particularly helpful 'rogues gallery' with photographs of damaged races and damaged rollers which should help operators identify the cause of their bearing problems. For example, regular dents on the race are caused by the rollers hammering against the metal (known as brinelling of the race) while scoring at one end of the roller indicates excessive preload.
Operators interested in acquiring the wheel bearing code of maintenance practice should contact the ETMC central office, Jan Van Rijswijcklaan 166A, B-2020 Antwerp. Belgium, or phone him on (010-32) 3 237 36 27.