Aircraft wheels may use tapered roller bearings to enable wheels to roll smoothly. The typical wheel bearing may have a life span that is shorter than the life of the aircraft. Thus, bearings may be replaced from time to time. Visual inspections may be performed to evaluate whether a bearing may be ready for replacement. However, complete replacement of the bearing may cause slight damage to the wheel as a portion of the bearing may be press fit into the wheel. Thus, after a limited number of bearing replacement, the damage to the wheel may dictate that the wheel be replaced as well.
One obstacle to preventative bearing maintenance is human error and consistency. Visual inspection quality may vary by the inspector or process used. Additionally, some replacement bearings may be misaligned upon reassembly. If misalignment goes undetected, a bearing failure may result. Bearings may fail due to corrosion, spalling, misalignment, foreign materials, handling damage, brinelling, lubrication, or excessive load. If bearing failure does occur, it also may result in permanent damage to the wheel or axle. In some instances, wheels may detach from the axle and aircraft. In the field, undetected wheel-bearing failures frequently dictate a high-cost replacement of the wheel and axle.