An easy way to tell if your bearings are worn out.

In my first bike shop job, I learned a nifty trick to easily assess
the condition of the bike's bearings without having to overhaul them.
I thought I'd share it with the group:

http://bicycletutor.com/check-bearing-wear/

It's been a busy week - I managed to get two other tutorials done as
well:

http://bicycletutor.com/lube-brake-shift-cables/
http://bicycletutor.com/cartridge-bottom-bracket/

I hope you find them useful. Comments, requests and suggestions are
always appreciated!

Alex

Alex BicycleTutor writes:

In my first bike shop job, I learned a nifty trick to easily assess
the condition of the bike's bearings without having to overhaul
them. I thought I'd share it with the group:

http://bicycletutor.com/check-bearing-wear/

I think this approached bicycle maintenance from the wrong end. The
bicycle is for riding and its bearings are there to serve the rider
rather than be a project of perfection. Therefore, leave them alone
unless they develop clearance or have perceptible drag, both things
that can be felt by hand. Acoustic purity is not a functional
concern.

Dimpled head bearings are best detected by bouncing the bicycle on its
front wheel while moving the bars on and off center. It produces a
noticeable chatter.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/i...-steering.html

It's been a busy week - I managed to get two other tutorials done as
well:

http://bicycletutor.com/lube-brake-shift-cables/

If you wipe a coat of light grease over the cable when first
installing it in its housing, it needs no care after that. Adding
spray-on lubricants does not protect well against water intrusion in
the long run because they are volatile and don't lubricate the entire
length of the cable.

http://bicycletutor.com/cartridge-bottom-bracket/

I guess they weren't sealed after all or they would last as long as
the bearings in automobiles.

I hope you find them useful. Comments, requests and suggestions are
always appreciated!


Jobst Brandt

On Feb 20, 6:57 am, BicycleTutor wrote:
In my first bike shop job, I learned a nifty trick to easily assess
the condition of the bike's bearings without having to overhaul them.
I thought I'd share it with the group:

http://bicycletutor.com/check-bearing-wear/

It's been a busy week - I managed to get two other tutorials done as
well:

http://bicycletutor.com/lube-brake-s...ottom-bracket/

I hope you find them useful. Comments, requests and suggestions are
always appreciated!

Alex

From the website on lubing cables.
"Most brake and shift cables these days have a plastic lining built
into the housing, therefore eliminating the need for lubrication.
However, if you ride a lot in wet weather, or have an older bike
without the plastic lining, you'll want to lubricate the cables to
prevent rust. I personally believe that well-lubricated cables also
improve braking and shifting."

Why wouldn't you just buy stainless steel brake and shifter cables to
prevent rust? If you go into any competent bike shop, or order from
the web, you will get stainless steel brake and shifter cables. They
don't rust. Seems to me your tutorial or whatever is based on things
that happened 30 years ago. Or is written for people who never work
on bikes and will believe any drivel a bike shop will tell them so
they can sell stuff.

grease? Finish Line teflon with wax: dribble occasionally into the
housing ends where the lube dries first.

noise? wear ear plugs and butt your forehead (above your nose) into
the seat post

find a water pipe or tape cardboard tubes, paper towels, saran wrap,
together for a stethoscope

when bearings wear, bearings wear unevenly, lose sphericity becoming
elliptical.

adjusting tolerance for an elliptical shape is difficult. As the
shape(s) roll, shapes rool independently (I assume) giving different
tolerances forcing the bearing races apart.

wider bearing races increases wear pressures on a fewer bearing
increasing wear rate.

so when the wheel wiggles laterally at the tire, the bearings are
becoming or are elliptical.

throw the old ones away and repack with new bearings. Elliptical
bearings are unadjustable.

"datakoll" wrote: (clip) find a water pipe or tape cardboard tubes, paper
towels, saran wrap,
together for a stethoscope (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
One of the most (and least expensive) tools I own is a stethoscope. The
mechnic's kind, with a long slender metal probe--not the doctor's kind. It
will help you hunt down clicks, squeaks, rattles and other troubling sounds
on all sorts of machines, not only bicycles. Unfortunately, I have not
found a way of using it while riding :-)

On Feb 20, 12:25 pm, "Leo Lichtman"
wrote:
"datakoll" wrote: (clip) find a water pipe or tape cardboard tubes, paper

towels, saran wrap, together for a stethoscope (clip)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
One of the most (and least expensive) tools I own is a stethoscope. The
mechnic's kind, with a long slender metal probe--not the doctor's kind. It
will help you hunt down clicks, squeaks, rattles and other troubling sounds
on all sorts of machines, not only bicycles. Unfortunately, I have not
found a way of using it while riding :-)

Using it while riding would help you hunt down the back end of a car.

R

On Feb 20, 11:16*am, "
wrote:

Why wouldn't you just buy stainless steel brake and shifter cables to
prevent rust? *If you go into any competent bike shop, or order from
the web, you will get stainless steel brake and shifter cables. *They
don't rust. *Seems to me your tutorial or whatever is based on things
that happened 30 years ago. *Or is written for people who never work
on bikes and will believe any drivel a bike shop will tell them so
they can sell stuff.

SS cables do, in fact, oxidize perceptively. But my problem with water
in the housing is more due to freezing instead. This time of year, I
have to remember to shift into a useful gear before parking for the
night, as I may have a single speed in the morning.

Thanks Jobst,

I really appreciate your honest and critical assessments. At some
point I will be re-touching many of the tutorials using advice like
yours as a guide. Before Sheldon passed on, he was critiquing each of
the tutorials very bluntly and thoroughly, and I miss having that
level of expert input... yours is greatly appreciated!

Alex

"Leo Lichtman" wrote One of the most (and
least expensive) tools I own is a stethoscope. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I meant to say, "One of the most *useful* (and least expensive) tools I own
is a stethoscope."

On Feb 20, 3:04*pm, BicycleTutor wrote:
Thanks Jobst,

I really appreciate your honest and critical assessments. At some
point I will be re-touching many of the tutorials using advice like
yours as a guide. Before Sheldon passed on, he was critiquing each of
the tutorials very bluntly and thoroughly, and I miss having that
level of expert input... yours is greatly appreciated!

Alex

looking over hub posts we find the question, "what do I do with the
bearings" asked frequently. Used bearings are elliptical,
unadjustable.
Questioner will go on into a serious hand wringing episode over the
expense of new bearings and will again ask, after screaming at him
that used bearings are no good, if he can use the old bearings, that
are what? unadjustable.
Several posters will then scream at the questioner: "DO NOT MIX
BEARING BATCHES" and off course that goes in one ear and out ? with
foresight to carefully segregate bearings on say a used and clean bed
sheet before one (one hahahah) rolls under the dishwasher.
Questioner will then rerun asking "the bearings all look the same, can
I use used bearings that all...
Some questioners will ask: I CAN'T AFFORD $4 FOR NEW BEARINGS. THE OLD
BEARINGS ARE CRACKED, ARE THE OLD BEARINGS OK...?"

A TUTORIAL SHOULD COVER THIS GROUND following those used bearings.