How to maintain the bicycle wheel bearings?

Why the bicycle wheel bearings are damaged?

Only part of the bearings are damaged in actual use, and most bearing applications exceed the design life of the machine or equipment itself.

There are many reasons for bicycle wheel bearings damage, beyond the original estimated load, ineffective sealing or tight fit, resulting in too small gaps, etc. Any factor has its own special damage form and will leave special damage marks. Therefore, check the damaged bearing, in most cases, you can find the cause of the damage, and take measures to prevent these causes.

Generally speaking, more than 30% are damage caused by fatigue, and more than 60% are caused by poor lubrication, pollution, and improper installation methods.

However, these compliance conditions are related to the industries used in the bicycle wheel bearings, such as the pulp industry, which are mostly caused by pollution and poor lubrication, rather than due to material fatigue.

According to my personal experience, the damage of bicycle wheel bearings is similar to that of the pulp industry. In the past, there was a problem of water ingress in the bearing, which caused internal rust and unsmooth. Also, the wrong use of low extreme pressure oil made the bearing easier Damage, and also after the wrong knock on the bearing, the damage was found to be unsatisfactory after installation, and the damage started soon after.

Phenomena analysis of bicycle wheel bearings fatigue damage

The length of the period during which the first material fatigue phenomenon occurs from the beginning of use of the bicycle wheel bearings is related to the speed of the bearing, the size of the load, and the cleanliness of lubrication.

Fatigue is the result of the periodic appearance of shear stresses under the load surface. After a period of time, these shear stresses cause small cracks and then gradually extend to the surface. When the rolling element passes these cracks, some cracks fall off. , The formation of the so-called "skinning phenomenon", and then as the peeling situation continues to expand, the bearing is damaged and unusable.

The above is the description of bicycle wheel bearings fatigue. It initially occurs below the surface. Although the initial peeling condition is usually very slight, as the stress increases and the cracks increase, the peeling area spreads. This damage situation is usually maintained. For a long period of time, the visible stage is when noise and vibration increase.

In the initial stage of damage to the bicycle bearing, it may only be difficult to feel when rotating. Later, it is found that there is a pitting feeling during rotation. Once the pitting occurs, the bearing is not unusable. It is just that each time the beads and shaft are advanced. Both the bowl and the axle gear have more wear and serious damage. Because the bicycle is a low-speed and high-extreme-pressure type of bearing, even if the surface peeling phenomenon is serious, it is not unusable, but consumes you invisibly and silently. You may just feel that the car doesn’t know why it’s not going well.

Therefore, before the bicycle wheel bearings is completely destroyed, it provides the user with enough time to discover. Don't ignore the existence of this friction. It will reduce the riding speed and make the long-distance physical consumption more and slower.

If the surface roughness is fine, if the lubricating oil film has an appropriate thickness, the probability of surface stress generation is quite low, which is why it is necessary to select a suitable oil for lubrication. However, if the pressure load exceeds If the pu value of the oil film (fatigue load limit value, such as too high speed, too high pressure impact), the material fatigue will come sooner or later.

Causes of premature bicycle wheel bearings damage-(Contamination)

Bicycles, especially cross-country bikes, often deal with muddy water. Although modern high-end bicycle axles use rubber-sealed bearings and high-pressure O-shaped rubber seals on the outside, they can only reduce the invasion of muddy water to a certain extent and avoid almost completely. It is impossible to achieve, especially high-pressure water gun washing, long-term off-road in muddy water environment, continuous rainy riding, etc.

Bearings are precision parts. The smaller the size of the bearing, the bead, the pan and the bowl, the smaller the gap. If the grease of the bicycle wheel bearings is contaminated, it will not reach the life of the bearing, and premature damage will occur. At least 14% of the proportion of this kind of damage is caused by pollution problems.

The way to deal with it is to change the grease in time after use in a harsh environment. This work sounds complicated and complicated. In fact, it is much simpler and more convenient than replacing the bearing. In the following we will carry out the detailed work on the oil change of the bicycle wheel bearings. The shooting anatomy is actually very simple.

Contact: Ellen
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