How often should I lube sealed cartridge bearings with rainy rides?
10-02-21, 03:33 PM
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How often should I lube sealed cartridge bearings with rainy rides?
My e bike is all sealed cartridge bearings now. when I got it in November I had rusty grease coming out of the headset by April. so the bearings were replaced with good bearings. between new wheels and the pedals everything is sealed. I get at least 6000 miles a year on it rain and shine in portland. is once a year enough to check and grease bearings? my wheel builder said I should replace the bearings on my dt-swiss hubs should I or jus grease them same with all the other bearings grease them or replace them?
10-02-21, 03:49 PM
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Rubber sealed cartridge bearings I would say, just replace them. Trying to take the seal out typically will get the seal part of the rubber cut or knicked and that will just allow dirt in anyway.
Just monitor them for play and/or corrosion and when you have to much play or noise or any corrosion, just replace them.
Just monitor them for play and/or corrosion and when you have to much play or noise or any corrosion, just replace them.
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1984 Cannondale ST
1985 Cannondale SR300
1980 Gary Littlejohn Cruiser
1984 Trek 760
1981 Trek 710
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10-02-21, 03:50 PM
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Rubber sealed cartridge bearings I would say, just replace them. Trying to take the seal out typically will get the seal part of the rubber cut or knicked and that will just allow dirt in anyway.
Just monitor them for play and/or corrosion and when you have to much play or noise or any corrosion, just replace them.
Just monitor them for play and/or corrosion and when you have to much play or noise or any corrosion, just replace them.
10-02-21, 09:16 PM
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If you're really rich on time you can remove the dust seals from the bearings, blast them with degreaser, and blast them out with a compressor and replace the grease, but it's probably better to just replace bearings when they're rough. If you want to save money buy bearings from an industrial source rather than anything marketed for the bike industry.
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10-03-21, 10:54 AM
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Water, and in winter climates salt, is hard on bearings. The guys I knew who rode winters on not wonderfully sealed cartridge bearings would just replace them every spring. They would feel awful, but the good news is the only thing damaged would be the inside of the cartridge bearing that was getting replaced anyways.
If you can keep them clean/dry, they'll last a ton longer. In the days of external headsets you could keep those clean by stretching a cut piece of inner tube around the headset cups. Not pretty, but not actually a ton of friction with a dab of grease and they bearings will last for years.
This is doesn't work so nicely on hubs due to fitment.
If you can keep them clean/dry, they'll last a ton longer. In the days of external headsets you could keep those clean by stretching a cut piece of inner tube around the headset cups. Not pretty, but not actually a ton of friction with a dab of grease and they bearings will last for years.
This is doesn't work so nicely on hubs due to fitment.
