Why Does the Spindle Fail Prematurely in a Jaguar?

Jaguar cars are known for their beautiful exterior, modern technology, and brand reputation for sophistication. Jaguar owners are wise to maintain proper service and maintenance to keep their model at peak condition.

The spindle in your Jaguar attaches the tires and wheels to the steering system. As you’d imagine, this is an important piece of your whole car. Unfortunately, spindle failure occurs in Jaguars, so let’s take a look at the spindle and why it can fail prematurely.

What Spindle Failure Feels like for Drivers

There are various symptoms of spindle failure. It is important to know these signs since spindle failure can increase the risk of a serious car accident.

• Unusual steering: If you are struggling to steer your car or cannot control your car at all, this can be a signal of spindle failure.
• Loud noises: If you hear popping, groaning or squealing sounds while driving, this could indicate an issue with the spindle’s bearings.
• Unusual tire wear: If your tires are wearing at an uneven rate, it can indicate spindle failure. An example of this is when there is more wear on the outside of the tire than on the inside.

Common Reasons for Spindle Failure

As cars are used over time, the car’s parts can wear out due to how the car is used, how old the car is and the driver’s driving style on the road. However, check out the reasons of spindle failure below to see if you recognize any:

• Failure to lubricate properly: Lubrication affects the performance of the car and its parts. It specifically affects the temperature, vibration, and speed of the car. If lubrication is inadequate or improper in the car, bearing failure can occur. Friction within the car can also increase, causing wear and tear, as well as excessive heat. This issue can be avoided by using the right lubrication and using enough of it in the car. The lubrication schedule is important for ensuring lubrication is adequate in the car.
• Contamination: Foreign objects such as fluids, dirt, and other small objects can contaminate the car’s bearings. Contamination causes the bearings to wear out faster, and can happen when the wind blows various particles into the car’s bearings. Contamination can include any foreign object, even water. It can be caused by various sources, such as coming through the seats, from inferior quality lubricant, poor assembly or a broken internal component.
• Mishandling the bearings: Spindles can be fragile objects that require careful handling. They can be sensitive to storage conditions, how hot or cold it is, and how humid it is. Striking the spindle, letting static energy interact with it and any vibration can cause damage. Even small amounts of vibration can cause damage to the spindle. A spindle that has been stored without use for a long time can also deteriorate to the point of failure. This type of failure is known as micro-welding, when the balls within the bearing weld to the spindle’s raceway. This can be avoided by rotating the spindle on a regular basis, manually.
• Bad manufacturer installation: During initial installation, using improper tools or allowing dirt to interact with the spindle can cause damage to the spindle. Shock can also cause damage.
• The bearings fail: Bearings have a failure rate of about 10 Bearings can fail at different time frames though. Bearing failure occurs when installation or lubrication are improperly done.
• Improper balance: When the balance is not correct, this can cause the bearings to fail prematurely.
• Over-tightening: During installation or adjustments, if the installer tightens too much, this can cause the spindle to fail.
• Improper amount of preload: For maximum lifespan and peak performance, bearings require a certain amount of preload. Too much preload causes bearing failure in a manner similar to overloading. Not enough preload causes the rolling elements to skid for the spindle, resulting in premature failure and other issues.
• Overloading: The feed rate, any excessive preload, belt tension and improperly sized bearings can cause overloading. When overloading happens, overheating can occur.

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* Jaguar Car image credit goes to: Streager.