Know Your Car's Automatic Transmission Bearings

A smooth transmission system leads to swift gear changes, which in turn help to reduce energy and fuel consumption. Today, vehicles with automatic transmission are becoming more common. People are searching for easier drivability and comfortable rides. Over the years, automatic transmission gears have seen an increase from 3 to as many as 8 at present. The automatic transmission systems have made accelerations and decelerations exponentially smoother with increased fuel efficiency.

There are many types of bearings found in automatic transmission systems. These bearings and washers have a distinctive identity and purpose. For example, the roller and ball bearings are used with shafts that help in high-speed rotations. The role of the bushing is to increase the contact area with the shaft and help in reducing friction. Usually pressed into a case, these bushings have a tight fit. It requires a special installation process and a puller tool for replacement.

There are various types of bearings used for several important purposes in today’s automatic transmission system. Each bearing has a unique function and may also support other components' functionality. Following are the different types of bearing used in a transmission system:

1. Ball Bearing - Ball bearings are the most commonly used bearings in a transmission system and its components. These bearings handle both radial and axial loads easily. These are usually made of steel balls and are kept separated from each other and ride in the grooves in a hardened steel cage. Since they handle the load well and reduce friction and heat, they are used in high-speed moving components in the transmission. This makes the components work smoothly, without any jerks.

   
   

2. Roller Bearing - A roller bearing is similar to a ball bearing, but has a greater surface area. Thus, they can be used even with much heavier components. These bearings find application in differentials, final drives, and transfer shafts. Usually, these bearings require a slight preload to function. Thus, always check for the instruction manual to set the correct preload for these bearings.

   
   

3. Needle Bearings - As the name suggests, needle bearings are small needle-like bearings that are held by the cylinder using assembly grease. Since these bearings are not fastened to the cylinder, they can easily fall off and can be difficult to recollect. One can always make use of petroleum jelly to collect them and install them again. Avoid using chassis, or bearing grease for installing washers and bearing in the transmission, as they may not mix well with the transmission fluid and cause problems later.

   
   

4. Torrington Bearings - Torrington bearings are the needle bearings sitting inside of a cage. Thus, they are also called caged needle bearings. They sit like the spokes of the bicycle inside a thrust washer. Thus, they help in controlling friction and shaft end play.

   
   

5. Bushing - Bushings are cylinder-shaped bearings made of soft metal or brass. The reason for this is that the bushing can wear off before the hardened steel shaft. Bushings are usually present in the transmission case. Please note that the transmission bushings contain a small oil hole aligned with the oil passage in the transmission case.

   
   

Usually, there are two types of automatic transmissions. One has the transmission connected to the engine via a hydraulic torque converter and the other is a dual-clutch automatic that relies on a pair of clutches. Both transmissions work perfectly without any input from the driver. The transmission bearings need to be lubricated properly to function properly. Usually, this is the problem with many other symptoms accompanying drivability issues.

1. Engine Noise in Neutral - If you hear the noise coming from the engine when putting the gear in neutral, there might be a problem with the shaft bearing. The automatic transmission bearing noise on gear changes can also be due to varied oil levels in the shaft bearings.

   
   

2. Loud Gear Shift Sounds - If the bearings are defective, it may make a constant noise from the engine on gear shifting. This can cause great pressure on the transmission and load on the engine. If the input shaft bearing is faulty, the noise will be continuous and if the output shaft bearing is faulty, the noise will go when the engine is idle.

   
   

3. Slippage in gear - If the input shaft bearing has worn out, the gear may slip during transmission. If the bearing is bad, it may cause the shaft to move out of control and lead to improper alignment.

   
   

4. Erratic Vibrations - If the transmission bearings are faulty, it may cause erratic gear shifts and other noisy symptoms. Thus, the bearings or the shaft might need replacement.

   
   

5. Oil Leakage - If the front output shaft bearing is faulty, it may cause oil leakage from the transfer case. Apart from supporting and securing the transfer case, it also holds the oil in the case. If the oil gets leaked, it may cause increased operational temperatures and friction.

   
   

Several skilled auto mechanics have a goal of opening their car repair shop in their career. But let’s face it; if you want to put up an efficient and profit-making shop, then you might need much more than mechanical skills. There are several tools that you might need to perform the car repairs quickly as well as reliably. Auto repair equipment that you will need to repair your automatic transmission bearings may include:

• Driver 07749-0010000

• Seal Driver Attachment 07GAD-PG40101

• Attachment, 62 x 68 mm 07746-0010500

• Attachment, 72 x 75 mm 07746-0010600

If you know which car parts brand suits the best for your Automatic transmission bearings, then it would save a lot of your decision-making time. What we believe is that picking a particular brand would always help reduce the clutter, and would make it easier for the customers to find what they are looking for. That’s why we have listed some top brands for automatic transmission bearings below:

• SKF Automatic Transmission Bearings

• Mevotech Automatic Transmission Bearings

  
  

If you are like most of us, then you won’t know much about the related components of car automatic transmission bearings. Fear not! Here is a quick and easy guide to explaining the related parts of the Automatic transmission bearings.

• Automatic Transmission Pinion Bearing

• Automatic Transmission Differential Bearing

• Automatic Transmission Input Shaft Bearing

• Automatic Transmission Extension Housing Bearing

• Automatic Transmission Differential Bearing Race

  
  

There are a lot of factors that should be considered when you are thinking of replacing automatic transmission bearings. First, you have to decide if you require some related parts of automatic transmission bearings or the entire automatic transmission bearings. Then the next step is to decide what type of make as well as the type of automatic transmission bearings you need and then from where you will get a brand new one. Just keep in mind that a brand new automatic transmission bearing that would come from a warehouse would cost much more than the one you will get in a junkyard. After that, the next point which should be considered is where you are going to get it replaced and how quickly it needs to be done.

Keen to know about the procedure of changing the automatic transmission bearings? Well, we have simplified the entire procedure for you:

The transmission system is a complex connection of components that work together to transfer the engine power to the gears and tires, enabling the vehicle to move. Thus, its diagnosis needs to be done carefully. The bearings are very small components that stay in the shaft and can fall and go missing. Thus, handle the components with care. Following are the steps for replacement of the transmission bearings:

Step 1

Three components are needed to be removed: the main shaft bearing, the countershaft bearing, and the secondary shaft bearing. These have to be removed from the transmission housing by expanding each snap ring using the snap ring pliers and then pushing the bearings out.

Step 2

Next, install the new bearings as per the instructions in the manual. 

Step 3

Using the snap ring pliers, expand the snap rings and insert the bearing part-way into the housing.

Step 4

After that, release the pliers and push the bearing down into the housing until the snap rings snap in the housing.

Step 5

After installing the bearings, check if the snap rings are properly seated in the bearing and the housing grooves and if the ring end gaps are correct.

Step 6

If the installation is not done correctly, repeat the above steps.