Experimental characterization of mechanical vibrations and acoustical noise generated by defective automotive wheel hub bearings

Wheel hub bearing faults in passenger cars cause chattering at the corresponding wheel, increase chassis vibration and generate high noise levels inside the car cabin. In this paper a series of in-situ test with defective and healthy wheel hub bearings were conducted. Mechanical vibrations and sound were measured and data were analyzed with a number of signal processing methods in frequency and time-frequency domains. Additionally, a statistical signal processing method was also performed. The results of the various methods are compared and it was found that most of the methods used in this work are well suited for the analysis. Some methods, however, show certain limitations with respect to their informative value and their ability of implementation.