So unfortunately the only place (out if the weather place) I have to store my buggy is the back of my truck, but when I need to carry something other than my bug I have to leave it out in the driveway where it has been rained on a couple of times lately.

I am noticing that the bearings are showing some rust, and one of them actually froze up until I spun the wheel and freed it up,... They are all spinning well enough but I know they are not as good as when I first got the bug

What do you recommend I do to maintain my bearings? Or at least restore them somewhat and give them a little more life?

Or do I need to go ahead and order new ones?

Pop off bearing shields soak in gas for a few minutes, brush clean with a tooth brush, re oil and then put bearing shields back on. Thats what i have always done and my bearings last much longer than before. I do this after trips to the beach or if they are exposed to mud and water

If you need spares - VXB.com
I got a box of ten for about $12 delivered. The bearing number is stamped on the side.

Thats with my atb anyways

Quote:

Originally posted by flyjump Pop off bearing shields soak in gas for a few minutes, brush clean with a tooth brush, re oil and then put bearing shields back on. Thats what i have always done and my bearings last much longer than before. I do this after trips to the beach or if they are exposed to mud and water

Thanks,...
Meaning gasoline?
What's re oil?
Do I need to clean off (sand off) the rust?
The bearing shield is the black plastic part?

Thanks cheezy

When I went into the local bearing shop to replace the bearings that came with my Sysmic alloy rims the bloke looked at 'em and said 'these are pretty cheap bearings...not precision....' turns out that I could have payed about $4 each for them. They had lasted a little over 12 months - I wipe the outsides with a little WD40 - but I spray it on the cloth first, then wipe so I don't get any inside the bearings (which would begin to dissolve the grease). That goes a long way to stop them from going rusty. Teflon would prob be better...

I replaced them with precision bearings designed for high speed use in electronic tools and such...they were about $7.50 each and they're much, much smoother and freer turning and have gone 12 months with no sign of deterioration. Personally, I wouldn't bother re packing cheap bearings, but better ones may be worth the effort.

Give 'em a wipe at the end of the session to get any salt or water off and perhaps a little something to keep the rust at bay.....

Quote:

Originally posted by cheezycheese If you need spares - VXB.com I got a box of ten for about $12 delivered. The bearing number is stamped on the side.

Seconded.
You can get 8 changes with cheap bearings for a few dollars more than John paid for one change with a name brand.
S

Thanks for the info on replacing them, but I'm pretty sure they're not completely toasted yet, cuz I think they still have life in them.

How should I breathe life back into them? Do like Flyjump said above? Other methods?

At six bucks to replace the all 6 wheel bearings, it is not worth time to repack them. Is your time not worth more than six bucks an hour?
These are probably the exact same bearing your buggy came with.
Not worth putting expensive bearings as the shaft we are putting the bearings on are not spec'ed to the size required by the bearing. A bearing on the proper sized shaft requires a press fit, not drop through, for proper installation. Improper installation is the leading cause of premature bearing failures.

Good luck with it

S

If there has been or is any corrosion or pitting in your bearings, there is no amount of grease or maintenance that will cure them. They will now destroy themselves as the pits in bearings and races will start to chew away at the remaining smooth metal making more pits that......... Well you can see how the end is near.

One thing to keep in mind on bearings, they are very inexpensive to replace and what happens sometimes is that people will run the bearings well past their useful life span. Once a bearing is shot, it can cause some expensive damage. On the standard PL ABS plastic wheels, a warn bearing will generate a lot of heat which can cause premature wear on the wheel. What happens is that the bearing shoulder on the wheel will get soft and widen out making the bearing super loose in the wheel which can start to rattle around. Worse is that the bearing could seize solid and then the entire bearing will start to turn inside the wheel, melting the wheel into a blob; basically destroying the wheel. Aluminum wheels are a bit stronger in this instance but a seized bearing will cause so much heat that you will begin to spin axle bolts off.

Replacing wheels and axle bolts are much more expensive than the $5 bearing you are trying to save with repacking. Once you pull the seals off of the bearings, they never seal up nearly as good and what happens is that the grease ends up leaking out or dirt ends up getting in - all of which will cause excessive wear. Another problem is that once the bearing has begun to wear, the tolerances are not what they are designed to be and no matter how much you pack it full, it will not work as designed and eventually will fail.

Inexpensive bearings will usually last from 8 months to a year in the harshest conditions. In normal conditions you can usually get 1-2 years (or more) from a set of bearings. When you look at the overall cost compared to the length of time you get out of them, replacing them is a no brainer.

Just my opinion.....its worth exactly what you paid for it.

Ok,... Looks like I might a few more rides out of em then just replace em then,... I didn't necessarily consider the whole cost/benefit issue,... Plus I didn't realize bearings were so cheap!!!

Thanks guys.

Is there anything I can do (that's worth the time) to help them last longer (aside from not leaving my buggy out in the rain )....

"Sealed" bearings is a bit of a misnomer and misleading as you will see when you pull off one of the 'seals' on your old bearings. They are absolutely not water proof or water tight. I'd wrap my buggy in a tarp if I had to leave it out in the rain. Bearings are great as long as they are new or still nearly new. I suspect the factory grease is not the best in the world nor ideal and the dusty conditions most of us ride in takes it's toll on the bearings over time.

I'd like some bearings with a teflon type grease like what's used in the bicycle world and tighter fitting 'seals'.

yep. get a tarp!!!! lol

I replace the two for front wheel yesterday. The original one are made in China. I replace them by SKF made in Italy. I bought 2 X 6201-2rsh ( both sided shielded). $10.55 each in CAD, 18 steel balls per bearing. I'll put them on bigwheel rim.





note: if you have to clean your bearing... put gear grease is the best grease choice.... choose Pro-Lab #OG700 very thick and sticky.

I just picked up an entire set (x6) from Kent at A wind of Change....30.00 for all...Divide that price by the 6 years I've been running them and..... .....well worth that little bit of investment. The name brand was the one cheezy had suggested VXB. Keep in mind WD40 (FYI WD stands for water displacement and the 40 was the oz it was sold in...little trivia for you) it's a great product, but it will break down grease...good for freeing up moving parts and cleaning but use a different product for lubrication. (OK no funny quotes on that one).

When you get a little extra $$ look into Van sewing you a custom cover (with elastic so it acts like a boat cover) that will go over the buggy when it's not in use. I left my buggy outside for a summer once thinking its stainless steel what could possibly happen....well the sun and rain does do its damage...seat faded, bearings got rusty looking etc.

I got a nice gift from Flyguy0101...Etrex...as soon as I figure out how to run it I will be posting speeds with you.

Something like this....maybe even little ones for the wheels..

Quote:

Originally posted by soliver So unfortunately the only place (out if the weather place) I have to store my buggy is the back of my truck, but when I need to carry something other than my bug I have to leave it out in the driveway where it has been rained on a couple of times lately.

I'm on a roll ! You can't stop me. haha

Quote:

Originally posted by BEC I just picked up an entire set (x6) from Kent at A wind of Change....30.00 for all..

Not meaning to dis Kent, but you could have picked up close to 30 bearings from VBX for the price of one change from Kent. I just find a 400% mark up a little steep.
S

Kent's bearings were probably from Peter Lynn and cost him more than $1 each. Every buyer decides what they want to buy and what they are willing to pay. Every dealer gets to decide what they want to sell. The market economy balances it all out.

Peace of mind that you are buying the right item is worth something too. Supporting your dealer means something as well. All rolled into that market economy.

Bobby, these were from XVB, the ones we order in are the higher quality ones than the ultra cheap ones. They tend to last a bit longer and stay sealed up better. Not to mention that we do have to include shipping costs to get them in, plus packaging and then shipping them back out.

No worries though, we're just glad to be here, to have the items in stock and to help and support the industry.

Quote:

Originally posted by awindofchange They tend to last a bit longer and stay sealed up better.

Last a bit longer, but cost 500% more.
S

Quote:

Originally posted by Scudley Quote: Originally posted by awindofchange They tend to last a bit longer and stay sealed up better. Last a bit longer, but cost 500% more. S

So scudley why aren't there any pansh kites in your quiver? It's all about price, right?

No Bob, it is not about the price, but value. Do you know what an economist would call paying 500% more for something that is only marginally better? It is very close to what they would say about about buying a product that costs half as much but does not do what you require of it, At some point even the most ardent Pansh fan will come to the conclusion it really does not matter how low the cost is if you have to make $500 bucks in mods or time to get it off the ground. So to sum up, the reason I don't fly Pansh or buy bearings from Kent is that I don't feel I would be getting value for my dollar.
Bob, explain your rational for paying five times more for something that lasts even twice as long when the installation cost is minimal, cause it is completely beyond me. Please, don't use supporting my local shop, Kent's shop is 2400 km away from me, so it is not really local.
TIA
S

It's hard to explain if you ignore or don't grasp what I've already said. Buying something for the first time can be daunting in that you aren't sure you are getting the right thing. You have to know exactly what you need when ordering from one of those bearing sites. Buying the bearings from Kent gave the purchaser the peace of mind he was buying a high quality product that was right for his application and all that adds up to value for that buyer.

Some people feel its worth it to spend extra for value they perceive. Value is a personal thing for the buyer. You've made your point that some quality bearing is available for a lower price. It's also clear you would prefer the less expensive bearings because they are the best value for you. It seems this is an emotional issue for you on some level so I'm not sure we can come to an understanding on this.

FIGHT NICE BOYS....:smug:

Hmmmm,... It looks like a can of worms has been opened,...

I see the value in both arguments, but,...I have to admit there is a great value in the comfort of knowing I'm getting the right thing and avoiding a GREAT deal of hassle. As well there is great value in relying on someone else's expertise. Almost equivalent to paying for a licensed electrician as opposed to a day laborer who claims they know what they're doing. That's the value of knowing your house won't burn down.

Then again there is a great value in a FORUM like this where we can rely on the expertise of the experience without cost. Therefore in an attempt to quash the argument, I have to ask let me rely on you all's expertise,... If I go onto VXB.com what bearings should I get for my PL comp XR with all 20 mm bolts or adapters?

Thus, I can feel secure in that I've bought the right thing, while still saving the dough, therefore by saving the dough I can support the gear sales reps by having more to invest in kites harnesses, buggy stuff etc.

This is one of those instances where it is truly reliant on personal preference so it is really not worth arguing over. It's equivalent to arguing that your way of winding kite lines is the best way,... Each way has some sort of value inherent within its method.

Whether you pay a couple bucks or ten bucks each for your bearings, it's pretty much the only running cost for the bug. (unless you're chewing up tyres on the salt flats). And for me, paying $50 odd bucks for bearings every couple of years or 3000km is nothing considering how much enjoyment I get out of it. I probably spend that much on replacing batteries in my gps!

Quote:

Originally posted by soliver If I go onto VXB.com what bearings should I get for my PL comp XR with all 20 mm bolts or adapters?

Look really close at your bearings. On the rim of the outer race and the bearing shield. See if it says 6204RS or some other number on it.




Read up on what 6204 or 6304 and RS means to take the voodoo and mystery out of it:

http://gizmology.net/bearings.htm