sealed wheel bearings

W

will michaud

New Member
hi folks
are sealed wheel bearings a better, idea for motor driven bicycles and what would the the sizes be ID OD and thickness.
thanks
will
 
I would imagine you need a custom made hub. Most bicycle hubs have built in races and will not fit sealed bearings.
 
Hi again
does anyone know, if, or where, a person could get a custom made hub,. or can a person tool, such as lathe one ,. I mean turn an existing hub to the existing size of a set of bearings . I have several hubs that could be machined up to try and make a set of bearings fit.If I ruin a hub I like to try and make things such as hub adapters , and split sprocket, adapters (aluminum) such as the one in my folder.
look forward to getting some info.
Willhttp://motorbicycling.com/images/smilies/shft.gif
 
many hubs have sealed bearings. they usally cost more and could be cost prohibitive. i also know that mags wheels made for motorized bicycles also have them.

they are out there if you know where to look

http://www.whiteind.com/hubs/ yea those are very bad ass, i am just not paying 350 for a tandem rear hub.
 
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To machine regular hubs would be hard as they are harden steel, and would need carbide tools, maybe coast more then buying hubs.....................Curt
 
A lot of hubs come with sealed bearings. All the sturmey archer ones do, a lot of specialized hubs, just look around they aren't that expensive!
 
Any decent hardware store has loose bearings in stock. I can replace every single one on my bike right now, for less than $5 at my local ACE. Sealed bearings can't beat that price point. Also, once they get contaminated, and they will, you can't really clean and regrease them, i.e., you're screwed. So, why do you want sealed bearings? If you want longer life, clean and regrease them more often, if you want smoother action, try a better grease, or ceramic bearings, which while rare, can shatter, ruining your day,
 
One general reason loose ball or non cartridge type bearing are still popular on some high end bicycle hubs is side loading. On motor bikes we aren't out of the saddle rocking the bike back and forth side loading the bearing nearly as much as a pedal bike so the advantage diminishes. Shimano still uses normal ball bearing up to their top level unless that has changed recently. There are certainly pros and cons to both. I like the idea of mag wheel, cartridge bearing, thru axle on these because like other things there is a reason motorcycles are one way after 100 something years and pedal bikes are another. These tend to react better to motorcycle design philosophy than pedal bike but the combination of both is probably what makes them so charming if not frustrating at times.
Happy Motoring!
 
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