Why are wheel bearings critical for St. Peter motorists? It’s simple: your wheel bearings keep the wheels on your vehicle. In today’s Autotronics of ST Peter post, we’ll discuss more about wheel bearings and how you can make sure they can do their very essential job while you drive around Kasota, MN.

Come see us at: 111 Jefferson Avenue in St. Peter, MN 56082

Wheel bearings are pretty simple parts. They’re made of high quality steel and are engineered to last 100,000 miles or more if properly cared for. The bearings do two vital jobs: First, they allow the wheel to freely rotate with as little friction as possible. Second, they support the weight of the vehicle. For example, if your car weighs 3,600 pounds, each wheel has to support approximately 900 pounds. That’s a lot of heavy lifting over many, many thousands of miles.

Even though wheel bearings are pretty straightforward, they need to be in near perfect condition to do their job for St. Peter motorists. The bearings are packed with heavy grease to lubricate and protect them. A seal keeps the grease in and water and dirt out. It’s when the seal starts to leak that problems begin. The grease can become contaminated; causing the wheel bearings to overheat and ultimately fail.

The first sign that your wheel bearings are in trouble is an unusual noise coming from a wheel. It could be a chirping, growling, rumbling or a cyclic sound. The noise could get louder or even disappear at certain speeds. Your service professional at Autotronics of ST Peter can inspect for bearing wear by lifting the vehicle and checking for play in the wheel.

Now some wheel bearing assemblies are factory sealed. That means that they cannot be serviced – they can only be replaced. Those that aren’t sealed can be serviced on schedule at Autotronics of ST Peter. The bearings are removed, cleaned and inspected. If the bearings are still good, they’re re-installed – if not, they’re replaced. They are then packed in grease and a new seal is installed.

If your vehicle has a factory sealed wheel bearing assembly, the entire assembly needs to be replaced when trouble arises. Unfortunately, the parts are pretty expensive – but they usually last about 150,000 miles as long as the seals hold up.

Now, even a good seal cannot keep out water that’s exerting pressure on the seal. So if you’ve driven through hub deep water your bearings should be cleaned and repacked if they’re serviceable. If you have factory sealed bearings, you just need to watch for signs of premature failure. If your wheel bearings can be serviced, your automobile manufacturer’s owner’s manual will recommend an interval, usually around 30,000 miles.

If you have any sort of trailer, don’t forget its wheel bearings. They probably need to be serviced even more frequently. This is especially true for boat trailers that are used to launch the boat by backing it into the water. These should be serviced every year, usually at the end of the season so that the bearings don’t have the opportunity to rust all winter.

So what happens to St. Peter drivers if wheel bearings fail? Well, the wheel can literally fall off the vehicle. I don’t need to tell you how dangerous that could be. So check with your tech at Autotronics of ST Peter and see if your vehicle’s wheel bearings can be serviced and when it’s recommended. Listen for warning signs. If you’ve been fording streams or puddle surfing after rainstorms, be especially vigilant.

Visit the automotive professionals at Autotronics of ST Peter for a wheel bearing inspection, or for fuel system cleaning. Call 507.934.9290 for an appointment.

So you have some exciting plans for the MN weekend. You’re going to take some of your St. Peter, MN friends out on the boat for some water skiing. Of course, you’ve gotten the boat all ready. And you haven’t forgotten about your tow vehicle. You’ve gassed it up and even vacuumed it out. However, there is something even more vital than the cleanliness of the interior: you want to make sure that your minivan maintenance is up to date.

Think about it – heavy interstate traffic on the way out of St. Peter. There’s hilly terrain as you get to the lake. Some dirt roads – and it’s going to be pretty hot in St. Peter this weekend. And all the time you’ll be towing around several thousand extra pounds. That all adds up a lot of severe strain on your engine, brakes and transmission.

Let’s just consider the transmission. It’s going to be working overtime, spending more time in lower gears. The internal transmission temperature is going to be much higher than normal. A fun little blast to the local MN lake for you is really severe duty for your transmission.

It’s critical to have enough transmission fluid. If it runs low, the transmission will run hotter and won’t have the protection it needs to cope with the added stress of towing. Transmission fluid breaks down and gets dirty over time. Whether you have an automatic or manual transmission, it’s critical for St. Peter drivers to have it serviced by automotive professionals like the team at Autotronics of ST Peter in St. Peter to make sure it runs efficiently.

An automatic transmission contains a maze of passages through which the fluid must pass to keep it shifting smoothly. St. Peter drivers who neglect regularly scheduled transmission service risk the passages clogging up and starting to have problems.

St. Peter drivers who neglect their transmission for too long will eventually experience pricey transmission failure. You really don’t want to pay for a major transmission repair.

This reminds us of how much of our driving around St. Peter, MN is under severe conditions. Towing or hauling a big load is obvious, but there are lots of other things that constitute severe driving conditions. Things like short trips, driving in very hot or very cold MN weather. Dusty roads and city driving around St. Peter, MN add to the strain. Basically, any driving that’s not at highway speeds or under ideal conditions.

While you have your vehicle in, ask for a trip inspection. Your service specialist at Autotronics of ST Peter will check your belts and hoses and let you know if your brakes are in good shape.

Now, don’t forget the sunscreen.

There are so many tire choices in the St. Peter, Le Sueur, and Saint Peter area, selecting the right one can be a bit overwhelming for Cleveland motorists. And even though it’s kind of fun to have new tires on your minivan, they’re a significant investment for most Cleveland folks so you want do it right.

Tip: talk with your knowledgeable Autotronics of ST Peter tire professional. He’ll help you sort through the choices.

Here are some of the vital issues you’ll talk about: One is size – you know, all those numbers on the side of the tire. The right size is important. All new vehicles are required to have stability control which, along with other important safety systems, is calibrated to work with specific tire sizes. Your St. Peter tire professional can help stay within car makers’ specifications or program a different tire size into your minivan’s computer.

And you’ll want to discuss how and where you drive in Cleveland to determine the type of tire you need: summer, winter,  all season tires or all-terrain. There are tires for every St. Peter auto owner’s needs.

Like we said, tires are a big investment, so you want to get a good value on tires. Now that doesn’t always mean the cheapest tire. A top tier tire from Autotronics of ST Peter will last a long time and give St. Peter drivers good performance throughout its life. Tires sold in St. Peter bargain tire shops may not live up to that promise. Again, your knowledgeable Autotronics of ST Peter tire professional can give you options that offer the best long-term value within your immediate budget.

Last, with a 2-wheel drive vehicle, it’s vital to always replace both tires on an axle. Modern sensors and computer safety systems for minivan brakes, stability and traction control need both tires to have the same amount of wear to work properly. And always put the new tires on the rear so you don’t fishtail in a turn. With all-wheel drive you should replace all four tires at the same time.

Schedule a tire inspection at Autotronics of ST Peter to see how much life is left in your minivan tires and seek the help of a professional when choosing new shoes for your vehicle.

Give us a call

Autotronics of ST Peter
507.934.9290
111 Jefferson Avenue
St. Peter, MN 56082