07-02-2020, 02:05 PM
My new cruiser developed wheel bearing problems by time I'd put 600 miles on it. The wheels were hard to turn and literally were grinding. When I took them apart at least one of the ball bearings wasn't in place on the front wheel. So I cleaned and greased them and put the wheels back on the bike. The front wheel still wasn't right so I ordered new ball bearings for front and back wheels.
Today, I'll be putting new tires on it so I figured it best to do both the bearings and the tires at the same time. After taking the front wheel off and turning the axle by hand, it was grinding. The seat is fine so I put new 3/16" ball bearings in and it's silky smooth, now.
This isn't so much about the bearings job, but more about making the job as easy as possible. Here in Florida it's another 100º day, so I took the wheels off the bike and brought them indoors. My fifty-gallon trash barrel makes an ideal work table for changing wheel bearings. I inverted the lid so it catches the ball bearings as they fall out. And the sides of the lid supports the rim while I clean the seats and install the new ball bearings.
I don't know if anyone else has done such a thing but if it makes someone's life a little easier, then it's all good.
Today, I'll be putting new tires on it so I figured it best to do both the bearings and the tires at the same time. After taking the front wheel off and turning the axle by hand, it was grinding. The seat is fine so I put new 3/16" ball bearings in and it's silky smooth, now.
This isn't so much about the bearings job, but more about making the job as easy as possible. Here in Florida it's another 100º day, so I took the wheels off the bike and brought them indoors. My fifty-gallon trash barrel makes an ideal work table for changing wheel bearings. I inverted the lid so it catches the ball bearings as they fall out. And the sides of the lid supports the rim while I clean the seats and install the new ball bearings.
I don't know if anyone else has done such a thing but if it makes someone's life a little easier, then it's all good.
If I knew how to ride a bike properly, I'd do it every time.