Bicycles Stack Exchange
Bicycles Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [bearings]

A bearing is an interface between parts that turn and parts that do not. The hubs in the wheels contain bearings, as do the bottom bracket, the head tube, and the pedals.

A bearing is an interface between parts that turn and parts that do not. The hubs in the wheels contain bearings, as do the bottom bracket, the head tube, and the pedals.

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Why do front and rear wheel hubs have different sized ball bearings?

Conventional front wheel cup and cone bearings have 10x 3/16" ball bearings per side, whereas the rear wheel has 9x 1/4" ball bearings per side. Manufacturers have been on a continuous quest over time, to simplify bikes in terms of ease of…
Criggie
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Choosing the proper bearings for replacement

Hub and wheel bearings: Xero 6902 and 6903 LBLU. I can find 6902 and 6903 bearings, usually 2RS, but I can't find that brand (Xero) and type LBLU (what does it mean?). Can I safely replace these bearings with others the same size (6902 and 6903)…
Patricio Montes
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When replacing wheel bearings, is there a standard or are they different for each type of bike

I have a claudebutler CapeWrath D24 (around 3 years old). My front (not sure about rear at this point) wheel bearings need replacing. The wheel it has is a Rigida Zac2000. I realize that some bikes now have hubs that have a case for the bearings…
Jon
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How much do ball bearings wear?

I have a rescued bike with rear Maillard Helico Matic hub. I decided to replace the ball bearings and removed the old ones. Cages, balls, and cones looked ok. I measured old balls and they were cca. 3,7mm in diameter. I looked around on the…
o115208
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Can a front wheel have a different number of bearings on each side?

I took my old, filthy bike apart to clean it up. I have never done this before! When I took the front wheel bearings out, I ended up retrieving 9 from one side and 10 from the other. It seems like logically there are a few explanations: There were…
Luke Halliwell
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Replacing bearings in pivot links

I'm replacing all bearings in pivot links on my full suspension bike and for one of them seems to have more space around bearing itself (housing? if that is right term). I can pop it out and insert it back without using any tools (7 other bearings…
False Identity
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Which side of a ball bearing retention ring is the "open" side?

Park Tool's article on headset servicing states the following (emphasis mine): ... If the headset is using bearing retainers, check the orientation of the retainers before installing. Inspect the metal cage that retains the ball bearings. The cage…
Will Haley
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Finding replacement headset bearings

Today I was trying to service my headset on my 2016 Felt Z95. When I took the bearings off (caged ones) they just fell apart when I tried to clean them. How do I go about finding replcements? Thanks
Charlie
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Why aren't sealed hub bearings common place?

Loose hub bearings may be cheaper to mass produce, but why wouldn't sealed hub bearings be one of the first upgrades to a bike? It seems that most of us choose loose bearings. I'm thinking of putting in a set of sealed bearings front and back and…
Beginner Biker
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MTB Bottom Bracket vs. Normal Bottom Bracket

I am planing a Surly Trucker Disc Travel-Bike build and now I am stuck on the bottom bracket bearing. The bearing shell is 73mm wide. Is it possible to install a Sram DUB Innenlager BSA 68/73mm? I am not sure since Sram DUB is declared everywhere as…
ruedi
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Headset ball bearing size

I replaced my chewed up retainer bearing with a rusted but not so chewed up retainer bearing. What happened to the old one was that it was installed backwards and the retainer itself was completely trashed as it was doing the job of the balls. The…
Dissenter
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How to remove stuck bearing in headtube?

I am trying to service my headset and have difficulties in removing the bearings from the headtube. Those bearings seem to have accumulated some dirt over time and are feeling a little bit grindy. I suppose I am missing out on something here as the…
conste
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What bearings go in DT Swiss R23 Spine Disc (FW,RW,Freehub)?

I am not longer able to pedal or back-pedal freely. Coasting still works, so I suspect my freehub bearing is the problem. But man... I've been searching for hours now and can't seem to find what bearings need to go in my wheels. Does anyone of you…
Matthijs Muller
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Ball bearings only on one side, and smashed "ring"?

I have been given a bike for free, as the rear wheel was very wobbly. I'm been learning how to take things apart, and investigated the axle - it's not bent. The ball bearings, however, were a surprise. There were 9 on one side (the side of gears)…
Fabio
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Different looking bearing races

So I’m cleaning my bearings and the cups and I’ve just realised one of them looks like it’s been bent inward. Is it supposed to look like this or has something happened?
William T
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