Best sealed bicycle hub bearings?
#26
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Ceramic bearings are a waste on a bike.
Most good quality cup and cone systems should be checked and overhauled yearly if the bike is ridden with any regularity, cartridge bearings provide a much longer service interval and I have had our customers call us after 25,000 of km of hard riding to tell me their hubs are still running as smoothly as they did on day 1.
I would avoid any cartridge system where the bearings are proprietary to make replacement easier, whenever that time comes.
Most good quality cup and cone systems should be checked and overhauled yearly if the bike is ridden with any regularity, cartridge bearings provide a much longer service interval and I have had our customers call us after 25,000 of km of hard riding to tell me their hubs are still running as smoothly as they did on day 1.
I would avoid any cartridge system where the bearings are proprietary to make replacement easier, whenever that time comes.
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I have Surly hubs and Formula hubs with cartridge bearings, they are still perfect after many years of hard use, never had to replace the bearings yet...My Shimano Deore XT's have also been flawless...
#28
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What size were the bearings, and what hub are they for?
Normally you can just measure the outer dimensions of bearings and replace them with any that are the same type & dimensions. Sometimes they have a custom ID number on them, but that isn't important. The outer dimensions is all you really need to match.
It would be extremely unusual for a bicycle company to require a custom-size of bearing, since there is already about 300 different sizes that are "standard" already and that can fit in your hand.
Normally you can just measure the outer dimensions of bearings and replace them with any that are the same type & dimensions. Sometimes they have a custom ID number on them, but that isn't important. The outer dimensions is all you really need to match.
It would be extremely unusual for a bicycle company to require a custom-size of bearing, since there is already about 300 different sizes that are "standard" already and that can fit in your hand.
And I did find suitable replacements online, although they will only arrive from China in 6 weeks, due to the port strikes on the W. Coast. Ironic that you mention 300 different cartridge bearing 'standards'. Standards indeed. All of the rear cup 'n cone hubs I've worked on take 1/4" balls, a true standard. And they can be bought for about $5 for a 100.
Go into a bike shop and try to buy replacement catridge bearings? Ha. Good luck with that. Even if they did have a drawer of them, what would be the motivation of the shop to sell these versus an entire wheelset? Particularly when you'll be expected to leave your old wheelset behind for 'disposal'. Out of about a dozen tries, I have never been able to source a single cartridge bearing out of a bike shop, even for the most common the cart in the bike universe: the 6001.
So my replacement bearings will arrive. I have deliverately avoided ceramic bearings, as these are a laughable scam. The difference in drag/friction between these and standard steel are not even measurable. If required in the future, I will repack the bearings with white lithium grease I bought at a yard sale for 25 cents for a one pound tub. Good as anything out there.
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Ceramic bearings are a waste on a bike.
Most good quality cup and cone systems should be checked and overhauled yearly if the bike is ridden with any regularity, cartridge bearings provide a much longer service interval and I have had our customers call us after 25,000 of km of hard riding to tell me their hubs are still running as smoothly as they did on day 1.
I would avoid any cartridge system where the bearings are proprietary to make replacement easier, whenever that time comes.
Most good quality cup and cone systems should be checked and overhauled yearly if the bike is ridden with any regularity, cartridge bearings provide a much longer service interval and I have had our customers call us after 25,000 of km of hard riding to tell me their hubs are still running as smoothly as they did on day 1.
I would avoid any cartridge system where the bearings are proprietary to make replacement easier, whenever that time comes.
I understand what you are saying, but the variations between levels of drag are really hard to detect without scientific measurement. You may say "Well then, it's good enough, why worry." I am not critically worried about losing a watt or two to drag, but if the lubrication is contaminated and/or the seal is broken, something needs to be fixed. Things will only get worse, not better. I guess what I am saying is that the observations are hearsay and anecdotal. You'll hear the same tales from folks who use cups and cones(CaC) just the same as you will who use cartridges, neither are necessarily going to mean that their ability to maintain clean and dry lubrication is superior, nor is there any correlation between CaC or cartridge bearings and keeping lubrication clean.. What I am hoping to point out is science is good, anecdotal observations isn't science.
I dislike proprietary ideas myself as well, which is why at this point(after decades of cycling) I am almost absolutely unwilling to purchase any more CaC hubs. SKF, *** and plenty of other bearing manufacturers will extremely likely continue to make whatever cartridge bearing size you need for your hub for as long as you are alive and beyond. I think a lot of people are stuck on CaC bearings relating to unwillingness to change and the idea that cup and cone offer slightly less drag compared to cartridge bearings. True or not, the benefit to drag for CaC isn't worth it to me, but I am not trying to win any races. The races and whatever seal/shield comes with the a CaC hub are the ones you are stuck with for as long as you use that hub, this isn't so with cartridge bearings, that alone makes cartridges a winner for options.
Campagnolo Record hubs. The 2 cartridges inside the freehub. The biggest challenge was figuring out a way of extracting them from within the freehub. I managed to get them out after several days of effort. The bearings were seized up solid, and the bearing shells were corroded into the freehub shell. So much for the supposed cartridge bearing benefits of resistance against contamination and ease of replacement.
And I did find suitable replacements online, although they will only arrive from China in 6 weeks, due to the port strikes on the W. Coast. Ironic that you mention 300 different cartridge bearing 'standards'. Standards indeed. All of the rear cup 'n cone hubs I've worked on take 1/4" balls, a true standard. And they can be bought for about $5 for a 100.
Go into a bike shop and try to buy replacement catridge bearings? Ha. Good luck with that. Even if they did have a drawer of them, what would be the motivation of the shop to sell these versus an entire wheelset? Particularly when you'll be expected to leave your old wheelset behind for 'disposal'. Out of about a dozen tries, I have never been able to source a single cartridge bearing out of a bike shop, even for the most common the cart in the bike universe: the 6001.
So my replacement bearings will arrive. I have deliverately avoided ceramic bearings, as these are a laughable scam. The difference in drag/friction between these and standard steel are not even measurable. If required in the future, I will repack the bearings with white lithium grease I bought at a yard sale for 25 cents for a one pound tub. Good as anything out there.
And I did find suitable replacements online, although they will only arrive from China in 6 weeks, due to the port strikes on the W. Coast. Ironic that you mention 300 different cartridge bearing 'standards'. Standards indeed. All of the rear cup 'n cone hubs I've worked on take 1/4" balls, a true standard. And they can be bought for about $5 for a 100.
Go into a bike shop and try to buy replacement catridge bearings? Ha. Good luck with that. Even if they did have a drawer of them, what would be the motivation of the shop to sell these versus an entire wheelset? Particularly when you'll be expected to leave your old wheelset behind for 'disposal'. Out of about a dozen tries, I have never been able to source a single cartridge bearing out of a bike shop, even for the most common the cart in the bike universe: the 6001.
So my replacement bearings will arrive. I have deliverately avoided ceramic bearings, as these are a laughable scam. The difference in drag/friction between these and standard steel are not even measurable. If required in the future, I will repack the bearings with white lithium grease I bought at a yard sale for 25 cents for a one pound tub. Good as anything out there.
It's misinformation to state that one type of lubrication is good for all applications. There is much more to choosing grease that is suitable for a specific application, much more. I am not saying your lubrication couldn't possibly be suitable or work out ok, but it surely wouldn't be 'good as anything out there'. Step-by-Step Grease Selection I implore you to read this article, it won't just dispel any mysticism about lubrication, but it may aid you in choosing a lubrication that is more suitable to your needs.
Not bicycle-specific, but anyway:
1) Get hubs that use cartridge bearings.
2) Remove the bearings.
3) Order a set of sealed replacement bearings that is either A) stainless, B) hybrid or C) full ceramic. "Sealed" means that the bearings have PLASTIC side covers on them, and not metal side covers.
4) Gently pry out the side covers and clean the original grease off of all three parts.
5) Put one seal back in and pack the bearings with teflon powder. You can buy jars of it at a place online named Spurlock Tools.
6) Put the other seal back in.
The teflon powder is the most-slippery lubricant there is and it will not leak out, dry out or lose its lubricating properties over time--but it doesn't protect the metal from rusting, so you must use bearings that only use stainless steel or ceramic in them. No carbon steel bearings!
1) Get hubs that use cartridge bearings.
2) Remove the bearings.
3) Order a set of sealed replacement bearings that is either A) stainless, B) hybrid or C) full ceramic. "Sealed" means that the bearings have PLASTIC side covers on them, and not metal side covers.
4) Gently pry out the side covers and clean the original grease off of all three parts.
5) Put one seal back in and pack the bearings with teflon powder. You can buy jars of it at a place online named Spurlock Tools.
6) Put the other seal back in.
The teflon powder is the most-slippery lubricant there is and it will not leak out, dry out or lose its lubricating properties over time--but it doesn't protect the metal from rusting, so you must use bearings that only use stainless steel or ceramic in them. No carbon steel bearings!
Sealed bearings, all that I am familiar with, use rubber, not plastic, seals. But in any case that I am familiar with, contact seals -require- lubrication, it isn't optional, it is essential. If the seals aren't lubricated, they will burn away and the powder you suggest using will surely blow out quickly without a seal, or the lubrication inside with much more easily become contaminated or even leak out.
The principle behind using oil (grease is oil with substances added to increase stiffness) for lubrication involves hydrodynamic lubrication. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK-iz_xfEI4 This idea is very important. I am interested but extremely skeptical that using teflon powder alone is superior to hydrodynamic lubrication. I hope you have serious sources to back up your claims. An important note, teflon isn't good for your health, it's actually extremely bad for you, teflon powder isn't something that should be handle casually, especially in powder form, yikes.
What size were the bearings, and what hub are they for?
Normally you can just measure the outer dimensions of bearings and replace them with any that are the same type & dimensions. Sometimes they have a custom ID number on them, but that isn't important. The outer dimensions is all you really need to match.
It would be extremely unusual for a bicycle company to require a custom-size of bearing, since there is already about 300 different sizes that are "standard" already and that can fit in your hand.
Normally you can just measure the outer dimensions of bearings and replace them with any that are the same type & dimensions. Sometimes they have a custom ID number on them, but that isn't important. The outer dimensions is all you really need to match.
It would be extremely unusual for a bicycle company to require a custom-size of bearing, since there is already about 300 different sizes that are "standard" already and that can fit in your hand.
Last edited by bowlofsalad; 03-26-15 at 09:42 AM.
#30
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I understand what you are saying, but the variations between levels of drag are really hard to detect without scientific measurement. You may say "Well then, it's good enough, why worry." I am not critically worried about losing a watt or two to drag, but if the lubrication is contaminated and/or the seal is broken, something needs to be fixed. Things will only get worse, not better. I guess what I am saying is that the observations are hearsay and anecdotal. You'll hear the same tales from folks who use cups and cones(CaC) just the same as you will who use cartridges, neither are necessarily going to mean that their ability to maintain clean and dry lubrication is superior, nor is there any correlation between CaC or cartridge bearings and keeping lubrication clean.. What I am hoping to point out is science is good, anecdotal observations isn't science.
You also can't really predict what will happen if the lubricant is contaminated without knowledge of the contaminants. If the lubrication is contaminated with water, the water is still a lubricant and likely won't do anything to damage parts except over the very long haul. Contamination from "dirt" would also be hard to predict. Sand contamination, i.e. silicon dioxide, will damage parts the quickest because the sand is harder than the steel. But if you were to have clay in the lubricant, it behaves differently and might not cause damage at all.
Science isn't devoid of observation. It's as important a part of the scientific process as data. Most of the time, observation is where science starts. You observe something that is unexpected and you collect data to explain what is observed. You can't have data without observation and you can't make sense of the data without observation.
It's misinformation to state that one type of lubrication is good for all applications. There is much more to choosing grease that is suitable for a specific application, much more. I am not saying your lubrication couldn't possibly be suitable or work out ok, but it surely wouldn't be 'good as anything out there'. Step-by-Step Grease Selection I implore you to read this article, it won't just dispel any mysticism about lubrication, but it may aid you in choosing a lubrication that is more suitable to your needs.
Sealed bearings, all that I am familiar with, use rubber, not plastic, seals. But in any case that I am familiar with, contact seals -require- lubrication, it isn't optional, it is essential. If the seals aren't lubricated, they will burn away and the powder you suggest using will surely blow out quickly without a seal, or the lubrication inside with much more easily become contaminated or even leak out.
A dry seal on a bicycle bearing wouldn't necessarily "burn away". There's not the much friction in the system.
The principle behind using oil (grease is oil with substances added to increase stiffness) for lubrication involves hydrodynamic lubrication. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK-iz_xfEI4 This idea is very important. I am interested but extremely skeptical that using teflon powder alone is superior to hydrodynamic lubrication. I hope you have serious sources to back up your claims. An important note, teflon isn't good for your health, it's actually extremely bad for you, teflon powder isn't something that should be handle casually, especially in powder form, yikes.
Above 250°C, the polymer starts to decompose (teflon doesn't melt) into some very nasty compounds but below that temperature, it is entirely safe to use in any form.
You are mistaken about the outer diameter being the only important piece of information. All of the dimensions are important, I don't know why you made this claim, but I strongly disadvise this course of action. I suspect you don't understand how bearings work or what the function of the inner and outer races are. You aren't going to get a matched size cartridge bearing just from the outer dimension alone.
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#31
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bicycles operate at around 20°C and at low RPM. We are below the bottom of that chart. We are operate at a point where just about any lubricant probably has too high a viscosity for our application but the problem is keeping the lubrication in place if it is thin enough to work for the loads we put on it. Bottom line: which lubricant you choose for a bicycle application doesn't matter.
Science isn't devoid of observation. It's as important a part of the scientific process as data. Most of the time, observation is where science starts. You observe something that is unexpected and you collect data to explain what is observed. You can't have data without observation and you can't make sense of the data without observation.
There is an idea known as confirmation bias. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xMaR8au-YU This is a universally important idea that is very much worth looking into and I highly recommend studying confirmation bias.
I don't really care about using teflon as a lubricant...there are better choices out there...but "teflon" isn't bad for your health. Teflon is inert. That is the reason that it is used for all kinds of applications. It doesn't react with anything. You could eat handfuls of the stuff everyday and all it would do is pass through your system. You can deep fry it and eat it with your fries and not have problems.
Above 250°C, the polymer starts to decompose (teflon doesn't melt) into some very nasty compounds but below that temperature, it is entirely safe to use in any form.
Above 250°C, the polymer starts to decompose (teflon doesn't melt) into some very nasty compounds but below that temperature, it is entirely safe to use in any form.
To further help you gain understanding on this, go get an eraser and rub a corner of it on something that is dry for a little while. Now put a drop of soap or oil on that same spot and rub it around with the same force you used before. Learning is fun.
Lets remember folks, the threads topic is keeping lubrication clean and dry longer. We need more science!
https://www.skf.com/binary/83-179206/...ls_6270-EN.pdf On page 6 there is a chart that shows a simple version in comparing various cartridge bearing cover characteristics. Interesting stuff.
#32
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So when someone says "I haven't even looked at my lubrication in 10,000 miles because the wheel spins good." that doesn't mean anything worth stating, it simply means that they are ignorant of what is really happening and have no idea of the state of their lubrication and no way to detect any damage to the bearings/race.
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Why would I want to use teflon instead of grease/oil?
Grease--by the by--is an oil, with a solid thickener added. The thickener does not lubricate.
When grease "cakes up", what happened was the oil ran out leaving behind the thickener behind. That happens with all greases. That is something that can't happen with Teflon powder, because there's never any liquid in the first place. In fact, Teflon powder repels liquids.
Sealed bearings, all that I am familiar with, use rubber, not plastic, seals. But in any case that I am familiar with, contact seals -require- lubrication, it isn't optional, it is essential.
And you can wipe some powder around the inside hole as you're putting them back on. Teflon is safe to use on anything, since it doesn't dissolve or degrade any other materials.
An important note, teflon isn't good for your health, it's actually extremely bad for you, teflon powder isn't something that should be handle casually, especially in powder form, yikes. ...
Just for fun, go look up the LD50 of the lubricant you use in bearings or on your chain.....
The only risks that the MSDS sheets give for Teflon is A) inhaling the dust, B) getting the dust in your eyes or C) inhaling the burned compounds. And the MSDS sheet for EVERYTHING solid says A and B.
You are mistaken about the outer diameter being the only important piece of information.
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Teflon moving against Teflon (like, in a volume of Teflon powder) has LOWER friction than two lubricated steel parts sliding across each other. Even dry, the Teflon is still less friction.
"Normally you can just measure the outer dimensions of bearings and replace them with any that are the same type & dimensions. Sometimes they have a custom ID number on them, but that isn't important. The outer dimensions is all you really need to match." Re-read this statement, it's a bad one to make. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLx3ov6jvik Watch this video to learn more about bearing dimensions.
Among standard sizes, bearings that are different internally are also made different externally, precisely so that they cannot ever be confused in use.
For example, consider these skate bearings (these are real actual sizes):
A 608 bearing measures 8mm ID x 22mm OD x 7mm wide
A 627 bearing measures 7mm ID x 22mm OD x 7mm wide
A 688 bearing measures 8mm ID x 16mm OD x 4mm wide
A 698 bearing measures 8mm ID x 19mm OD x 6mm wide
All four of those bearings have different ID numbers, and all four of them have different physical dimensions as well. You can't fit the 'wrong' bearing into the place of any other.
You're never going to find a #608 bearing that measures the same as a #698 .
So it is pretty safe to just measure the old ones, and buy new ones the same size.
#35
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Allow me to illustrate, if you picked up a grease that was meant for a much higher or lower temperature scenario that with much greater loads and RPMs or some combination of the three, you'll likely end up with a less than ideal grease. There is a wildly larger range of greases in existence, they are not all the same. All greases are not suitable for all applications, including in bicycles.
You are over thinking this.
I think you misunderstand my statement and are trying to twist it into something other than what it is. Anecdotal observations aren't scientific observations. I am not discounting the idea of observation itself, there is more to the context of an observation than having eyeballs. A scientific observation involves radically higher accuracy, controlled variables and much closer attention than "The wheel, she spins reel gewd man." Anecdotal observations are very casual, mild, unscientific, worthless to make statements on of much substance. So when someone says "I haven't even looked at my lubrication in 10,000 miles because the wheel spins good." that doesn't mean anything worth stating, it simply means that they are ignorant of what is really happening and have no idea of the state of their lubrication and no way to detect any damage to the bearings/race. Once your lubrication is contaminated, the damage only gets worse, and at a self increasing rate. Yes there are variables, but my statement still holds validity.
As for the statement "I haven't even looked at my lubrication in 10,000 miles because the wheel spins good," you might be able to discount it. But there might be something there as well. Don't discount it just because it conforms to you own confirmational biases. And, contamination doesn't matter for a cartridge bearing because when you damage the bearing, you replace it. It matters more for cup and cone but that is why you should rebuild cup and cone bearings on a regular basis.
An important note, teflon isn't good for your health, it's actually extremely bad for you, teflon powder isn't something that should be handle casually, especially in powder form, yikes.
I guess all I can say is you are mistaken, and this would be a very poor and pointless mistake to make. I don't think you understand what friction is or how it applies to the contact points of the seals themselves. Lubrication creates a hydrodynamic film that inhibits a lot of friction, two opposing surfaces surf against the pressure each generate as they move on the surfaces of oil. Imagine a surfboard gleaming across the surface of an ocean, then dragging it behind a car on a concrete road, this is much of what the difference is between lubrication and no lubrication, many variables here but the simple way of understanding this concept. The surfboard will be damaged and destroyed without the ocean much like the seal will be without lubrication.
Yes, isn't learning fun?
https://www.skf.com/binary/83-179206/...ls_6270-EN.pdf On page 6 there is a chart that shows a simple version in comparing various cartridge bearing cover characteristics. Interesting stuff.
Bearings with a shield or a seal on both sides are greased for life. SKF has selected a range of proven greases, covering most applications. To meet specific applications need, all bearings can be filled with tailored greases on request.
Temperature range, °C
Standard grease : –30 to +110
High temperature grease: –30 to +150
Low temperature grease: –55 to +110
Wide temperature grease: –40 to +160
Standard grease : –30 to +110
High temperature grease: –30 to +150
Low temperature grease: –55 to +110
Wide temperature grease: –40 to +160
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The LD50 for pure Teflon has never been conclusively found, it has only been estimated. And that figure is a mind-boggling > 11,280 mg/kg in rats; it is one of the highest LD50 levels assigned for anything.
Just for fun, go look up the LD50 of the lubricant you use in bearings or on your chain.....
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This wikipedia article has a chart that shows that the coefficient of friction between teflon-on-teflon (dry) is one-fourth that of lubricated steel on steel. Friction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grease--by the by--is an oil, with a solid thickener added. The thickener does not lubricate.
When grease "cakes up", what happened was the oil ran out leaving behind the thickener behind. That happens with all greases. That is something that can't happen with Teflon powder, because there's never any liquid in the first place. In fact, Teflon powder repels liquids.
Grease--by the by--is an oil, with a solid thickener added. The thickener does not lubricate.
When grease "cakes up", what happened was the oil ran out leaving behind the thickener behind. That happens with all greases. That is something that can't happen with Teflon powder, because there's never any liquid in the first place. In fact, Teflon powder repels liquids.
My vague understanding is oil separating from thickeners primarily relates to aging and temperature, but the oil from the grease is still retained assuming you have a functioning seal. I have had intentions of performing an idea very similar to what you mentioned, but instead of using teflon, I would use an ideal oil with some very strong seals. Do you have any other articles on this subject relating to teflon replacing oil as lubrication? Friction and Coefficients of Friction This is the article that is linked to, I'd like to know more on this subject. Know of any other articles specific to this subject? Have you ever attempted this idea yourself?
I have seen and read about secondary teflon seals, but that doesn't convince me entirely that teflon alone is the way to go for lubrication, nor is it really the answer to the question this thread is based around. What can we do to keep the lubrication uncontaminated longest? Am I correct when I say dirt and water may still come in contact with a bearing and it's races even where there is teflon involved?
The ideas presented for using teflon almost sound revolutionary, but I have a healthy skepticism about it and various searches aren't turning up much I can use to explore with.
Thanks for the response!
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#38
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While this is interesting, I am still skeptical. Lubrication tips for plastic gears and more | Mechanical Drives content from Machine Design This article writes a bit about this subject, mentioning gears made out of teflon. https://machinedesign.com/site-files/...s-friction.jpg The lubrication added decreases friction, so perhaps teflon alone isn't the best lubrication. To add to this, I don't know if I would count on it alone to making it a perfect way to lubricate a seal. The idea sounds intruiging, but perhaps a little synthetic automatic transmission fluid tossed in with the teflon would be better.
Water, by the way, would probably have the same effect as oil in your link. As Doug5150 says, Teflon repels all liquids. At some point, the viscosity of the liquid used will start to cause drag. Oil probably isn't the best choice because its viscosity is high. If you wanted the lowest possible friction, water (viscosity = 1cps) would be a very good choice. Acetone (0.4 cps) would be even better. The problem would be keeping it in place. The seals needed would have to be much better than those for oils.
My vague understanding is oil separating from thickeners primarily relates to aging and temperature, but the oil from the grease is still retained assuming you have a functioning seal. I have had intentions of performing an idea very similar to what you mentioned, but instead of using teflon, I would use an ideal oil with some very strong seals. Do you have any other articles on this subject relating to teflon replacing oil as lubrication? Friction and Coefficients of Friction This is the article that is linked to, I'd like to know more on this subject. Know of any other articles specific to this subject? Have you ever attempted this idea yourself?
But there are limits to what the seals will hold and for how long. You could remove all the grease from a cartridge bearing and replace it will a light oil but it will seep out quickly. I don't think anyone makes a seal for that kind of bearing that would contain just a fluid for long. The seals will keep water out but that's partly due to the seal and the grease packed in the bearing. Keeping a low viscosity fluid in would be more problematic.
Teflon powder wouldn't be a bad place to start for something that is easy to keep in place and it won't flow out. The problem is that it doesn't flow as easily as liquid. Perhaps at a nanometer scale it would but that would be hard to predict.
I have seen and read about secondary teflon seals, but that doesn't convince me entirely that teflon alone is the way to go for lubrication, nor is it really the answer to the question this thread is based around. What can we do to keep the lubrication uncontaminated longest? Am I correct when I say dirt and water may still come in contact with a bearing and it's races even where there is teflon involved?
I have no idea how old you are but back in my youth, we changed the oil in our vehicles every 3000 miles and we greased the front suspension and steering on our vehicles. If you were really OCD about it, you repacked the front hub bearings about yearly. The bearings on the steering were unsealed and the grease is what kept the crap that you throw at the underside of the car from getting into the bearings. Somewhere around the mid80s cars started showing up without zerks because they were starting to use sealed cartridge bearings. Cars now don't have any way to grease the steering and suspension. They don't need to.
Those same sealed bearings are used in bicycle hubs and if they can go for 200,000+ miles under the kinds of stress that a car can put on them, how far do you think they can go in the light duty of a bicycle?
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#39
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
If you ride your bicycle on a regular basis then it is a good idea to service it yearly (like in the spring), my winter bicycles with cup and cone bearings get more regular service because of the harsher riding conditions. With that, the rear hub on my primary winter bike is a Shimano 105 and it looks to have outlasted the rear wheel which I now need to look at replacing because of wear. The wheel has 25,000 + km on it and has seen some harsh conditions but the hub is still in excellent condition.
Super high mileage riders should observe a higher maintenance schedule.
Even if no service is needed it is a good preventative measure and one can then check that the bearings are also set properly... the average mileage of most cyclists is low enough that they could probably go years if they never rode in bad weather and had decent quality hubs that were properly set up.
The cartridge bearings wheels just keep going and going and even the messengers I know and work with have trouble killing them and they ride more and ride more in bad weather than most.
It is pretty simple really.
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