From: Ralph Merwin
Date: Fri, 7 Oct 94 12:00:50 PDT
Latte' Jed writes:
>
> The markup isn't always all that bad! I get bearings from a supplier
here,
> often, when dealing with little fiddly rarely used bearings, like
stuff
> from gearboxes, I can find a $20 bearing for $6 at the bearing shop,
but
> after comparing prices on tapered head bearings they usually run
about
> $50/pair from either the bearing shop or the local bike shop, in
those
I just went through a search for a set of tapered head bearings for
a non-brit bike. A kit with dust covers from a bike shop was $50. The
one bearing I could find was $13 and I was told that the other bearing,
if they carried it, would be about $12. Of course, the minor fact that
they *didn't* carry it, nor the dust covers, presented a minor problem
;-)
Only on one bearing have I found the markup to be less than %100, but this was a $50 or an $80 bearing depending on which place I went...
> Whenever I get wheel bearings they're always right there in stock
for
> cheap, but they come with double seals, and I put 'em in that way.
Any
> idea why the bike-specific bearings have single or no seals? I assume
> it's just because they're a few cents cheaper that way, I haven't
had
> a wheel bearing fragment yet, but I've never quite understood the
logic
> here.
On a recent front-wheel-bearing-replacement-run I also got the type
with the double seals. I asked about not being able to repack them. The
guy
told me that people often put too much grease in when they repack bearings,
and what happens is that the grease will expand as it warms up, ooze out
of the bearing, collect dust, and then carry the dust back in as it cools
off.
Not too good for bearing life! His stance was that you just go with the sealed bearings and replace them when/if they wear out.
Ralph
From: Latte' Jed
Date: Fri, 7 Oct 94 15:04 EDT
> Whenever I need to replace a bearing, I always hit the local bearing
shop
> first. Bearings are cheap, and the markup at bike shops to pick one
out
> and stock it is completely horrendous. We're talking a minimum of
%100,
> sometimes up to %1000. Case in point - I needed this little roller
bearing
> inside a tranny. The local bearing shop had one that fit ($2.00)
but I was
> nervous so ordered a 'real' one from the bike shop - $22! YIKES!
The markup isn't always all that bad! I get bearings from a supplier
here, often, when dealing with little fiddly rarely used bearings, like
stuff
from gearboxes, I can find a $20 bearing for $6 at the bearing shop,
but after comparing prices on tapered head bearings they usually run about
$50/pair from either the bearing shop or the local bike shop, in those
cases I favor the bike shop. The industrial suppliers generally have a
markup for single quantities too, and the people that distribute head
bearing kits get them in vast quantities them mark them up individually.
I suspect the problem comes when bike shops price to some industry
standard price sheet, but if you buy 'aftermarket' bearings (the same unit
from a non-specialty shop) they're a reasonable price.
Whenever I get wheel bearings they're always right there in stock for
cheap, but they come with double seals, and I put 'em in that way. Any
idea why the bike-specific bearings have single or no seals? I assume
it's just because they're a few cents cheaper that way, I haven't had
a wheel bearing fragment yet, but I've never quite understood the logic
here.
From: Robin Tuluie
Date: Fri, 7 Oct 94 16:20:37 -0400
Latte' Jed wrote:
>prices on tapered head bearings they usually run about $50/pair from
>either the bearing shop or the local bike shop...
The bearing shop is way overpriced. Tapered roller bearings are the easiest to manufacture (due to flat ground roller surfaces and very simple outer race) and almost always the cheapest type of bearing for a given size and quality. For example, tapered steering head bearings for a Commando are between $10-$15 each.
I have a bunch of bearing catalogs, you can pick them up for free at
any bearing shop, measure the bearing I want to replace and then find
it's part number in the catalog. Often the part number is stamped right
in the side of the outer race, but on some british bearings (for example
Norton and Triumph LH tranny mainshaft bearing) there is no (at least
to my knowledge) aftermarket equivalent. Then I just call around the bearing
shops with the part number until I find the best price or quality.
Robin
From: Tony Sumner
Date: Fri, 07 Oct 94 17:00:04 BST
One thing to look out for when trying to match a bearing by dimensions
only is that some bearings are available in different tolerances, so
that you can choose a bearing with more or less play to suit applications
where the fit in the case is tighter, or they run at higher temperature.
Bearings like this have a suffix with c, or c3 or the like, I believe.
The most useful aspect of replacing bearings this for me has been the
ability to replace say a 6206 wheel bearing with a 6206-2RS (ie one
with rubber seals both sides) and say goodbye to packing wheel bearings
with grease.
Tony