I've been working on the front end lately and here's what I found about the design of the front wheel hubs:
The hub is a complex part and it's not practical to replace the bearings. The preload of the ball bearings is set at the factory with a giant hammer that crushes part of the axle sleeve to create a retaining flange. This hammering has to be done precisely to set the exact bearing preload - if it is wrong the whole hub is junk. Sneaky chinamen might still try to sell it - and then for some poor unsuspecting person the bearings will self destruct. That's why some users have reported hubs lasting only a few months.
I hope the new hub I got is good........
Maybe we should have a thread for reporting the longevity of replacement hubs with the name of the vendors and brand of hubs. If it save us from installing 4 month lifespan hubs.......
The hub is a complex part and it's not practical to replace the bearings. The preload of the ball bearings is set at the factory with a giant hammer that crushes part of the axle sleeve to create a retaining flange. This hammering has to be done precisely to set the exact bearing preload - if it is wrong the whole hub is junk. Sneaky chinamen might still try to sell it - and then for some poor unsuspecting person the bearings will self destruct. That's why some users have reported hubs lasting only a few months.
I hope the new hub I got is good........
Maybe we should have a thread for reporting the longevity of replacement hubs with the name of the vendors and brand of hubs. If it save us from installing 4 month lifespan hubs.......