Ball Bearing

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September 16th, 2008 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

Ball Bearing

How To Replace Ball Bearings

Why Do Ball Bearings Need Replacing?

Ball bearings are used in a wide variety of appliances and machinery and they will continue to be used for a long time as they are very inexpensive to manufacture. In theory ball bearings should outlive the piece of machinery but as with everything what should happen in theory rarely happens in real life, mainly due to external variables which often cannot be helped. And so it is often found that when a machine or appliance breaks down it can be because the bearing has failed in one way or another, if this is the case the repair can be expensive and time consuming. On analysis of failure of ball bearings it is often found that the bearing is damaged and needs to be replaced, either from extreme heat exposure or repeated movement on the bearing causing the bearing to become disfigured.

Replacing the bearings is a very tricky job that needs to be done exceptionally carefully. Infact 16% of bearing failures is due to the bearing not being fixed properly in the first place, and so it is imperative the bearing is replaced as it is suppose to be in order to avoid further breakdowns and further damages to the bearing.

How to Replace Ball Bearings?

The process of replacing ball bearings really depends on the appliance you are working with. For example if you are replacing the ball bearing on a car wheel you would remove the wheel and then the wheel hub so you can access the bearings. The bearings are pressed into the hub and so take out the bearings that need replacing, sometimes this will entail taking it to a workshop if a machine is required but it can be done with a drift and a hammer. Once the old bearings are out the new ones can be placed in their spot gently taping them into position, make sure they fit perfectly, bearings are a very precise business, they are measured down to a millionth of an inch, and so accuracy is important. Once they are in place the wheel and wheel hub can be fixed back into position.

Changing the bearings on your skateboard is a little different. Having removed the old bearings take the new bearings and set them into the wheel. Some skateboard bearings have one side coloured, this is the protective side and should go facing outwards to stop dirty and grime from getting into the bearing. Press gently and evenly on the outer rim until it fits flush into the wheel. Attach all bearings in the same way, once they are all in place you can then attach the wheels back on.

Every machine, whether it's electrical or a vehicle, has a different method of replacing their bearings and so it is best to refer to the user manual before you begin for if this is done incorrectly it can result in failure of the machine and it can be become dangerous.

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Ball Bearings