Signs Your Wheel Seals May Be Failing

The Humble Wheel Seal

When you talk about your wheels, most of the attention goes to your wheel hub and tires. But the seamless motion and functionality of your wheels on the axles is due in part to your wheel seals.

As the name implies, wheel seals have the very important job of protecting the wheel bearings. As your vehicle flies down the road at highway speeds, outside contaminants can get into your hub assemblies and cause damage. Wheel seals not only protect contaminants from getting in, but it also keeps essential bearing grease from getting out.

Signs that Your Wheel Seal May Be Failing

While a lot of wheel seals are designed to have an unlimited mile warranty, that doesn't mean you can set and forget them. If left unaddressed, faulty wheel seals can lead to bearing damage and unexpected part failure.

Luckily, there are a few visible signs when wheel seals are beginning to break down. If you notice any of these signs during pre or post-trip inspections, early intervention can help keep your wheel ends at peak performance for the long haul.

The Bearings are Leaking

One of the most common signs of a damaged wheel seal is lubricant leakage from the wheel bearings. When the wheel seal is no longer able to hold in the bearing grease, it begins to leak outside of the hub assembly and can also be flung into places it isn't supposed to be inside the wheel hub while your vehicle is in motion.

Even if you feel no change to the way your vehicle drives if the bearings are leaking, bearings and other hub components can become damaged very easily. If you see grease where it shouldn't be, have your hubs checked as soon as possible.

Visible Damage to the Wheel Seal

This symptom of early wheel seal failure is a little trickier for drivers to notice, but technicians and mechanics that notice a damaged wheel seal during routine tire, suspension, or brake inspections or oil changes should address this immediately.

When wheels hit potholes or encounter debris on the road, it can impact the wheel seal housing and create a dent or break in the seal. When this visible damage is present, technicians should replace the seal and also inspect the wheel bearings for damage. Bearings may also need to be cleaned and re-greased before putting the vehicle back into service.

Noise From the Tires and Wheels

When a wheel seal is damaged, broken, or has completely fallen off, the loss of lubrication can also cause the metal from the bearing to grind against the metal of the hub, resulting in a roaring or grinding noise coming from the wheels.

This noise may become louder as the vehicle accelerates, meaning you've got a problem that needs to be addressed quickly. There are a few different reasons why this type of noise may be coming from your hubs, but a faulty wheel seal can also be the source.

OEM Replacement Wheel Seals by Match Made

Part of why trucking companies and fleets tend to ignore wheel seal issues is because they don't have the available budget to replace them with new OEM seals, and any owner/operator in the business knows what can happen when you cut costs with lesser quality parts.

But with Match Made wheel seals, you can safely and comfortably bridge the gap between quality and cost. Match Made wheel seals offer the same form, fit, and function as OEM wheel seals but without the cost that often comes with buying a big brand name.

Match Made wheel seals lead other seals in the aftermarket not only in cost but also warranty protection. While most aftermarket wheel seals offer a standard one-year, unlimited mile warranty, Match Made takes warranty coverage to the next level with two-year, unlimited mile protection.

Where to Buy Match Made Seals

If any of the above issues are happening with your with your wheel seals, don't wait until your vehicle is down or until things get serious — nip your wheel seal failure in the bud without blowing your budget with Match Made seals, now available in our full haul of heavy-duty everything.

Log in or create an account today to pick up the wheel seals you need for your hard-working application to get safely back on the road without having to worry about what's happening inside your hubs. Choose Match Made for your next seal replacement and keep your focus where it needs to be — on the journey ahead.