Re: Bearing Buddies

Bill Combs (ttursine@gnt.net)
Sun, 05 Sep 1999 18:14:10 -0500


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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Pretending to no particular expertise, but claiming a _lot_ of
experience, I want to say a good word for Bearing Buddies, despite
their having let me down a time or two.

I've lost two on the Interstate, in one instance trashing the whole
axle, but I still use them. Short of the system that shoots grease
from a remote fitting on the axle into the hub area, I think BBs offer
the best chance of preserving your bearings.

Bearing Buddies are not full-on wonderful as is, however. They do tend
to spin off at speed and are subject to misuse. The keys to success
are:
- Restrain their impulse to wander: I drilled & tapped a small hole
thru the lip of the hub and screw therein a SS setscrew that contacts
the edge of the BB. I know of folks who knurled (or thoroughly
scratched up w/ a chisel) the BB edge that inserts into the hub, also
solving the problem. Harnesses are possible.
- Don't overload: pump in grease only until the disk _just_ moves and
do so only when it _won't_ move (won't "wiggle" I believe was the
phrase). Check at major milestones: departure, arrival, before
immersing, or daily.
- Seal the little vinyl caps w/ a _very_ light coating of grease under
the lip and install them as if you were burping Tupperware.

Letting the hubs cool before immersing is nonetheless still the single
most effective way of preserving bearings, w or w/o BBs.

Regards,

Bill Combs
WWP 19 #439 (Aug 1987)
"Ursa Minor"
Fort Walton Beach FL
ttursine@gnt.net