Bearing failure
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 76
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From: Indiana
THANKS Jeffrey , for clearing that up for me. Guess in this case I'm glad I have an older model
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
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From: PNW
I just stick my finger in the hole and rotate the bearing. If it feels notchy, I would replace. Mine seem fine at 30k miles, so I haven't done it. I think the real question is, is there a domestic substitute that's better? Probably been answered many times elsewhere on the forum.
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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 76
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From: Indiana
cHarley, Now I feel a little better.
Thanks anyway .
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From: PNW
Thanks Jeff. I figured it had been done. Mine is an ABS bike, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. I think just as a precaution I will source some domestic ones and replace during the off season. I think I'm about ready for new skins anyway. Damn near 20k on my rear Commander II and still have tread left. Not bad at all.
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Joined: Jul 2011
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From: Frozelandia, Minnysota
Grease plays a big part in it, too. I changed bearings in 5 bike wheels this summer, and the grease varied from barely a film to pretty well packed, and who knows what the factory grease is. If the bearing is cheap, I doubt they paid for top quality grease. Bearing construction varies, too. One set of 3/4" id bearings had a plastic ball cage, the ones I put in were all metal. One set of the new ones had a thin layer of grease on one side of the bearing, hadn't even been rotated so the bearing would have run dry briefly till it slung enough grease around to get a film on the ***** and race. I always pop a seal off (some of the bearings for Harleys have double seals on each side, that's not bad) and inspect inside; if it's a plastic ball cage, it gets trashed. If I'm not satisfied with the grease, I'll clean them out and put new in; I don't pack them solid, but I don't run bearings that look like someone just gave them a short shot of WD40 either. And always hand rotate them till the grease has coated all contact surfaces - you can feel that sometimes, just two or three hand rotations and it turns smoother. I've changed thousands of bearings in airplanes, and even with supposedly strict requirements for aviation, I've found a few new bearings with no grease in them - imagine one of those in your front wheel...
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Joined: Apr 2013
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From: SoCal
So are the 2008 bearings still good bearings?
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Joined: Mar 2009
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From: Niles Canyon Ca.
Only this...
While the dimensional specifications are probably spot-on, you have to realize that the chemistry of the materials used isn't even close. The components that make up that part are based on literal garbage. This is the difference between Made in USA and Made out of melted down dogfood dishes and toothpaste tube China. I mentioned global regulatory requirements in that Lead Solder thread, and those of us still making things in the U.S follow them. China claims to, but they don't. It has been proven by A2LA accredited labs here. THAT'S WHY IT"S CHEAPER...it's made from crap. If CEOs were truly as smart as they want us to think, they would figure that out, and maybe with some accountability, also realize that it doesn't save them anything if they have to keep replacing it.
Apologies to TwiZted...it's just something that frosts my ***, 'cuz I see it everyday.
While the dimensional specifications are probably spot-on, you have to realize that the chemistry of the materials used isn't even close. The components that make up that part are based on literal garbage. This is the difference between Made in USA and Made out of melted down dogfood dishes and toothpaste tube China. I mentioned global regulatory requirements in that Lead Solder thread, and those of us still making things in the U.S follow them. China claims to, but they don't. It has been proven by A2LA accredited labs here. THAT'S WHY IT"S CHEAPER...it's made from crap. If CEOs were truly as smart as they want us to think, they would figure that out, and maybe with some accountability, also realize that it doesn't save them anything if they have to keep replacing it.
Apologies to TwiZted...it's just something that frosts my ***, 'cuz I see it everyday.
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Joe Kucinski
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 17,548
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From: Oxford, Nc
NO
That's the year Moco went from the bulletproof double row (21 mm wide ) 1" axle bearings to the single row (15 mm wide ) bearings on the 25 mm axle.
The '08's are actually the worst year, there were grease issues too ( or lack thereof in '08)
( My '00 went 100,000 miles on the first set, and there's 35,000 on the second set and still going strong.) '00 to '07 were the good ones.
Moco apparently just needed to save a few bucks in your case.
That's the year Moco went from the bulletproof double row (21 mm wide ) 1" axle bearings to the single row (15 mm wide ) bearings on the 25 mm axle.
The '08's are actually the worst year, there were grease issues too ( or lack thereof in '08)
( My '00 went 100,000 miles on the first set, and there's 35,000 on the second set and still going strong.) '00 to '07 were the good ones.
Moco apparently just needed to save a few bucks in your case.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 17,548
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From: Oxford, Nc
Dude I'm in the mechanical trades I deal with the standards issue daily with machines , parts and particularly anything steel from rice bowl land . We've been doing a lot of structural steel fabrication for a big mass transit expansion and inspectors have to be here when we pull the raw materials off the truck , documentation is checked sometimes hard tests are performed with a lot of rejects , they have to be there when the cutting & welding is done , welders are certed with every process change , and they have to be there when it's delivered . All of this because of the massive problems they have been having with the new Bay Bridge and imported " made to spec " steel failing all over the damn thing . Don't get me started on machine tools from there the frigging iron castings are step above pot metal at best , crumbles like caked sand .