Another set of components that are related to brakes but rarely talked about are bearings, hubs, and seals. If any of these parts needs to be replaced when doing your brakes it will add a considerable cost, so let’s discuss each of these.
A hub is the assembly that houses the wheel studs, so the rotor sits flush against it. Hubs really only need to be replaced for a couple of reasons. In the same way that a rotor can warp, a hub can as well, especially if the vehicle has been involved in an accident like hitting a curb. But, because warpage is possible, many manufacturers these days are recommending, if not requiring, that rotors be resurfaced on the vehicle with an “on-car lathe.” Instead of removing the rotor to resurface on a bench lathe, it is done on the vehicle with a different machine. If the hub is warped, the machine will automatically compensate for that when cutting the rotor to minimize or eliminate runout (remember that word?). Otherwise, a rotor cut on a bench lathe on which the warp has been cut out will be placed back on a warped hub, thus not solving the problem. Another reason a hub may need to be replaced is (more…)
