Checking the wheel bearing play (Renault 19)

Attached to the chassis on both sides is a transverse arm of independent suspension (3), which is secured in silent blocks (2). The silent blocks are screwed with a self-locking nut (1) to the auxiliary frame (4). It is also necessary to periodically check the condition of the support, since its severe wear leads to a violation of the wheel's trajectory.

The ball joint (4) is an important element of the front suspension. It is secured with a bolt (2) to the pivot support (1). Undetected damage to the dust cap (3) can lead to premature failure of the maintenance-free ball joint.


The front wheels rotate on double ball bearings and the rear (respectively inside and outside) on tapered roller bearings. Wheel bearings are not serviced; they last more than 100,000 km for the rear suspension thanks to long-term lubrication. In the front wheel bearings, noise may appear earlier. If the noise increases, for example, when turning right, then the left wheel bearing is faulty.



1. Grasp the wheel of a car parked on the ground from above and try to move it transversely relative to the car.

2. If the bearing is in good condition, there should be no play.

3. If there is play in the front wheel bearings, ask an assistant to press the brake pedal and repeat the check.

4. If the play remains, then the reason is in the axle joint.

5. The front and rear wheel bearings cannot be adjusted, but simply need to be replaced.

6. With the car raised with a jack, you can check whether the wheels rotate easily (are there any crunching or scraping noises?).