Does anyone check all bike's bearings on initial assembly?

[bobmcc81]

I pulled the trigger on a new ebike to be delivered this week and I'm really excited about getting it out on the road. I have bicycle mechanic experience and when I worked at a shop we never took for granted the bearing adjustments on brand new bikes. We would always take the rear wheel off to check the bearing adjustment, even though the factory ships it already installed. This allowed us to check the crank bearing as well and we did head tube and front wheel. I remember about 50% of them benefitted from some adjustment. I assume the manufacturing tolerances would error on the side of a bit stiff knowing they would loosen after a few miles and then maybe be just right.

I am buying my bike from a local shop assembled but wondering if my thinking is outdated that the bearings might not be spot on from the factory floor.

Or am I just paranoid and want to wrench on my bike that early.

 

[m@Robertson]

Its 2023 and all my stuff - hubs, bottom bracket, headset - has sealed cartridge bearings. In 1990 yeah you bet the bike got a full teardown and almost certainly needed re-greasing. Also it was a given that hub cones would be horribly adjusted. But I haven't seen cones in years

I would invest in a small torque wrench and go thru every M5 and M6 on the bike and make sure the tolerances were to spec. For sure the crankarms (M8) need checking to at least 25 ft lbs and probably 30. 25 is fine if you are going to keep checking it regularly. Also check the headset for being tight enough but not too tight. That means loosening the stem.

If you have cabled brakes I sure wouldn't take brake adjustment from the factory for granted.

 

[indianajo]

On a $200 bike, I wouldn't assume much. There was a major mistake on a MTB I bought used for $75 in the 2010's . The operator assembling the rear 7 speed shimano axle was either thinking about break, or the design has a limit of 1000 miles. The center bearing race came unscrewed and the balls fell out on the road, 4 miles from home. Had I been on one of my 30 mile excursions, this could have been a serious problem. Looks like the bearing is resisted from turning with a ferrule from the outer nut - poorly.
The Schwinn MTB I paid $220 for in 1987 at a LBS, the headstock was not tight enough and the handlebars slipped off center on the first big pothole. 8 stitches later I don't trust the boys that work at bike shops.
OTOH, the yubabike I paid $2000 for (with accessories & shipping from CA) I only checked the headstock torque. Of course the handlebars were shipped flat. I had to install the pedals too. I do ping the spokes when I change tires, the first flat was at 700 miles. No loose ones. 10000 miles & 5 years later yuba didn't miss anything. The yuba has an 8 speed shimano rear freehub, which has been zero trouble.

 

[bobmcc81]

I guess I was stuck in the 80's. Sealed bearing cartridges make a lot more sense. I can hope I guess

 

[fooferdoggie]

if you have Shimano hubs no sealed bearings. same with most lower hub drive bikes. but you never know my bulls bike 3700.00 had no sealed cartridge headset bearings. same with my 4500.00 trek.

 

[rich c]

I certainly check all the fits. Spin the pedals, wiggle the front fork, and spin both wheels. If it feels like the assembly is too tight, then I dig in and see what the problem is. I also check all the fasteners. I then do the same thing at 100 miles.

 

[PCeBiker]

I guess I was stuck in the 80's. Sealed bearing cartridges make a lot more sense. I can hope I guess

I'm stuck in the 80's too,..

I don't know if I have sealed bearing cartridges, but I'm also pretty sure that they could end up submerged in water,.??

This is my bottom battery bracket.
(And my cat)

You can see how the dust blew in and got past the battery bracket.
I'm sure water would do the same.

Any water that gets past the battery bracket, drains into the bottom bracket where it would sit until it was 2" deep.

2 little screws to hold down a bouncing 10 pound battery.
Stupid.

My top bracket was smashed.

I glued it back together with crazy glue mixed with pencil graphite shavings,..

Come On Reention !!!
It's time for a reinvention !!!
I'd pay for a proper cast aluminum or cnc pair of heavy duty battery brackets with big metric bolts to secure them.
And rubber cushioning too.

Your design works fine for 2 pound batteries.

Todays batteries are much heavier.


The bikes I had back in the 70's and 80's had water drain holes drilled in the bottom bracket or the chain stays (if the bracket drained into the chain stays.)

My bike has no weep holes ,. !!?

I fixed it.
I drilled a hole in my bottom bracket,..

I tested it by spraying lube into the drain hole in the bottom bracket, and it ran out the weep hole.

I wasn't about to test it with water.

It doesn't matter if the bottom bracket has sealed bearings.
A sealed bearing submerged in water will pull the water into the bearing.

Water can only drain out through the bearing along the axle.

 

[TrevorB]

I pulled the trigger on a new ebike to be delivered this week and I'm really excited about getting it out on the road. I have bicycle mechanic experience and when I worked at a shop we never took for granted the bearing adjustments on brand new bikes. We would always take the rear wheel off to check the bearing adjustment, even though the factory ships it already installed. This allowed us to check the crank bearing as well and we did head tube and front wheel. I remember about 50% of them benefitted from some adjustment. I assume the manufacturing tolerances would error on the side of a bit stiff knowing they would loosen after a few miles and then maybe be just right.

I am buying my bike from a local shop assembled but wondering if my thinking is outdated that the bearings might not be spot on from the factory floor.

Or am I just paranoid and want to wrench on my bike that early.

I've found cone bearings not adjusted correctly on two new ebikes. You'd think on $4000 bike shop would spend a bit more time making sure its right.

 

[PCeBiker]

I have no idea what I've got for a bottom bracket but it doesn't matter if the bearings are sealed if the bearing is submerged in water.
The water will always find its way in.

I didn't want to try and take my bottom bracket apart to investigate and see what's in there, because it's working fine and feels solid.
It ain't broke, so no need to fix it.

I just did some preventative maintenance so it doesn't rust out.
I think??

 

[indianajo]

I just did some preventative maintenance so it doesn't rust out.
I think??

If the bottom bracket doesn't have the hole in the bottom, drill one. Out in the middle away from the bearings. Even condensate will pool and cause rust, of either balls & races or sealed bearings. Been there, done that. Had a bike that the crank started squeaking. When removed the balls were embedded in piles of rust. Since my yuba has loose balls, I put a squirt of oil in the hole every time I turn the bike upside down to change a tube or tire.

 

[PCeBiker]

If the bottom bracket doesn't have the hole in the bottom, drill one. Out in the middle away from the bearings.

Yup.
That's what I did.
I was just "winging it" and figured the hole should be in the middle.

My battery and its brackets are not waterproof.
Water would get into the bottom bracket bearings easily.


I drilled a hole in my controller box for the same reason.
(A hot needle to melt the hole actually.)

And I sprayed down the entire circuit board with Krown Rust Protection inside the box.

The Krown Rust Protection is more viscous than the ACF-50 and the Krown KP53, so I used it.
It has more staying power.

 

[nutdriver]

I am going through my new bike and also found that my Shimano Deore hubs have conventional bearings and are setup too tight. I plan to check the lube and adjust those but will need a tool to remove the Centerlock rotors. I am a little surprised that Shimano is still not using sealed bearings in the hubs.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I am going through my new bike and also found that my Shimano Deore hubs have conventional bearings and are setup too tight. I plan to check the lube and adjust those but will need a tool to remove the Centerlock rotors. I am a little surprised that Shimano is still not using sealed bearings in the hubs.

yep thats all they use.