Rear wheel bearings

[Greybeard]

I've noticed increasing slack in the rear wheel so today I fitted new sealed wheel bearings. One of the old ones, (not that old) had broken and missing balls. I was surprised that those bearings have not outlasted the tyres on the bike!

[muskrat]

G'day GB.
You mean the bearing was new when tyre was put on? I'd certainly be giving the supplier an ear full. What brand of bearing was it so we can all give them a miss. Need to do mine for the first time in 35 years.
Cheers

[Greybeard]

 Bought from Draganfly. I'll see if they have a makers mark. The new ones are from C&D. Probably both from China!

[chaterlea25]

Hi GB and All
It is usually a better bet to go to your local bearing factor to buy bearings,
They will have decent quality items available,
If there is no decent bearing supplier locally an excellent online supplier is https://simplybearings.co.uk/
You can choose the brands available

John

[Peter in Aus]

GB did you pop the seal to see how much grease was in them, some have very little grease in them.

[duTch]

 

....some have very little grease in them..

 Funny you should say that- I always added more grease, but more recently gave been topple/Read that the grease that's in there over three counter,  is adequate ' for the life of the bearing...' .... that totally makes sense, because when the grease reaches the end of it's life,  so does the bearing   

[BSA_54A10]

A ball bearing has a contact area about the same as the head of a pin.
They require very little grease if they are kept clean.
The grease already in a quality brand grease will be good for decades
The grease in a cheap knock off might last till the bearing is installed.

As others have said, always buy a bearing from a bearing shop.
If it does not come in a box with printing on it then don't fit it.
If the profit levels are so low that the maker or retailer can not afford 5¢ for a box and another 2¢ to print on the box then you are looking at a rubbish bearing where absolute lowest price was the only concern.

Also remember bearings come in many grades and a lot are not supposed to be sold to the public.
Shopping trolleys and loading trolleys are a good example.
The makers supply bearings in a tube ( usually 10 ) while they are the same size as standard bearing, they are a really sloppy fit and not suitable for high speed running.
They also come full of heavy grease.
High speed bearings come with almost no grease that would be lucky if it was 0 grade.

[duTch]

 Don't get me wrong on this ^^- I've been buying bearings from bearing shops for as long as I  remember after realising they are better all round value, and I've accepted (for now), that i don't need to add extra grease ....exception are reluctantly when they are specials like a couple of Gutzzly gearbox jobbies ~$90 each, and a 1022 (Or is that 2210?) radial roller clutch-pusher bearing $38, only available from the bike shop- and when I need it *now*.... ...

[Tomcat]

A quality brand is important, but the way that you fit a new bearing is important too...

[Greybeard]

GB did you pop the seal to see how much grease was in them, some have very little grease in them.

No. I didn't know you could do that without damaging the seal.

[duTch]

 

....No. I didn't know you could do that without damaging the seal....

 I carefully use a Stanley-knife or very fine 'craft-knife'...or did when I did it

[Greybeard]

You guys are so right about getting good bearings. I should have remembered that I got new bearings for my granddaughter's scooter from The Bearing Guys!' Oh well, next time!

[coater87]

 Spend the money for good bearings, and you dont need to touch them.

 I have got to learn to type with more than 1 finger. Maybe like those kids texting, if they put that much effort into school the world would be full of well educated professionals.

 

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,
I have a couple of bikes that have the front BSA single sided hub,
I have found that the left hand bearing does not last that well 
The other week I took the front wheel (non standard 8in. Goldie type) out of my SR to clean the dust out of as it was squealing
The non brake side bearing was "rough" it was a branded sealed bearing, My thoughts are that water gets in there and works its way into the bearing?
Originally a felt or rubber disc fitted inside the retaining ring but these "rub" on the seal
Scratching my head as to what might help
After I fitted the bearing and retainer I searched through a box of O rings and found one that could be pushed in between the retainer and bearing and a good fit on the spindle
Time will tell if this will help or not

There is a formula to work out how much grease should be applied to a bearing before fitting
A while ago I had to replace the spindle bearings on my milling machine
These are high precision matched pair's you have to align marks on the inner and outer races when fitting them
They cost the best part of €500 for the pair trade price
A special grease cost €25 for a little tube
I cannot remember exactly the quantity but the required amount of grease was tiny 

John

[Rex]

There's plenty of good branded bearings out there (both from shops and on-line) that will outlast the rider. Popping the seal to add more grease would be met with incredulity for those who use them professionally in industrial useage where they're projected run 24/7/365 with no maintenance.
Then there's the "too much grease is as damaging as too little" aspect and that's before considering the damage caused in oiking the rubber seal out....