Bicycle Mechanics - gold colored ball bearings?

had some time tonight to fix the creaks on the bike. My new wheel was talking, so overhauled the hub.

Surprise :(

Half the ball bearings were chrome and half were some gold kind of color on a new wheel. Are those gold colored bearing any good? Or maybe defective somehow?

Most likely Titanium Nitride coated like many drill bits these days. A very hard coating that does increase life of drill bits by quite a bit before sharpening is required. I have no idea if it increases life of ball bearings however.

I believe tatfiend has it right as that was my first thought too. The real puzzle is why half were coated and half weren't. Were they intermixed on each side of the hub or was one type installed on one side and the other type on the opposite side?

I believe tatfiend has it right as that was my first thought too. The real puzzle is why half were coated and half weren't. Were they intermixed on each side of the hub or was one type installed on one side and the other type on the opposite side?

not sure if they were mixed, probably were though. i was not too happy with the bike when working on a new wheel, so those unexpected details flew past.

the wheel was reassembled with the gold bearings on one side and chrome the other. It would be best to just buy a 100 box of bearings of 25 grade and just replace everything as i go when overhauling my bikes. At first i thought the bearings were rusted, but a close examination didn't bare that out.

Just be sure to use bearings from the same lot as you go. And congratulations for knowing about the grades of the bearings. Grade 25 is the top-end. Getting even lower-count bb's sends the cost through the rafters. It seems some tightwad shops use Grade 200, and argue that they are just as good. But I was taught to use the 25's way back yonder. And will continue to do so.

Happy Trails!

Grade 25 isn't the top, but it's all that's necessary. If you do find like Grade 10 for nearly the same money, that would be even better. :)

Just be sure to use bearings from the same lot as you go. And congratulations for knowing about the grades of the bearings. Grade 25 is the top-end. Getting even lower-count bb's sends the cost through the rafters. It seems some tightwad shops use Grade 200, and argue that they are just as good. But I was taught to use the 25's way back yonder. And will continue to do so.

Happy Trails!

The congrats belongs to you Panthers...learned that from one of your many posts. :thumb:

Been lurking around awhile trying to learn how to repair my fleet of old bikes. It seems that your posts are generally the quality conscious way of doing things. If memory serves you tend to recommend Park tools etc, so i filled my tool box with them and the rest is almost easy.

You're welcome. :)

Oh yeah - in the case of ball-bearings, the lower the number, the higher the quality. Quality, in this case, means the bearings have been made to exacting standards of spherical perfection. The '25' infer they are perfectly spherical down to 25/1,000,000th of an inch. So a grade 10 would be perfect down to 10/millionth's of an inch and so forth.

Half the ball bearings were chrome and half were some gold kind of color on a new wheel. Are those gold colored bearing any good? Or maybe defective somehow?

Might be a sign you've had water in the hub. I'd replace them.

I would say its heated or corrosion on the bearings

easy to change them all

I would say its heated or corrosion on the bearings

easy to change them all

probably will change them all.

The wheel is new, but i heard some squeaking sounds coming from the thing, so regreased it. The bike is very quiet now. The wheel is not a high end type but garden variety, it may be that the bearings were over tight on not enough grease. Now it has Mobil synthetic red grease in it and will get some new bearings soon.

After riding intensly this year, the experience is teaching me the importance of real maintenance.

I would say its heated or corrosion on the bearings

easy to change them all
Corrosion, possibly. Over heated in bicycle service? Not very likely. :roflmao2:

Not polished after final temper?

I really think the cones would get nitrided before the balls would. They don't take peak load at the same spot every time like the cones.

I cant wait until they start making them in space! Just squirt metal bubbles for perfect circles... Not quite that simple but damn probably a quality of 1.

Fwiw, they do (or did) make shot (for guns) "in space". There's these buildings called "shot towers" that look like chimneys with a cupola on top. From the cupola they drizzle molten lead or steel that forms into spheres and solidifies while in (temporary) free-fall.

Fwiw, they do (or did) make shot (for guns) "in space". There's these buildings called "shot towers" that look like chimneys with a cupola on top. From the cupola they drizzle molten lead or steel that forms into spheres and solidifies while in (temporary) free-fall.

Back in the late '70s I frequently drove past this shot tower (http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM65N0) at the Remington Arms plant on I-40 in Lonoke, Arkansas.

Nashbar is out of 1/4 and 3/16 bearings in the 100 pack.

Anyone have a good online supplier of these?

thanks

If you take the golden ball bearings to The Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka will give you a tour and you might end up owning the place.

Nashbar is out of 1/4 and 3/16 bearings in the 100 pack.

Anyone have a good online supplier of these?

thanks

Go to a local industrial bearing supply house.

Grade 25 and 200 available here at reasonable costs. I'd advise the 25's though. The chromium ones - not the carbon steel.

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=180244260661&c=Bearings&sc=Loose-Ball

I'd also suggest you bookmark this site. It has everything. Just about. Good folks there in Ashland, OR.

For some reason I,m pretty sure the gold are ceramic coated and they should be alternated on reinstall and I don't remember how I know that. Also there is a special grease called "klubber" sp. for ceramic bearings, not cheap, believe its german and hard to come by. Used it when I was machine tool field service eng.

Nashbar is out of 1/4 and 3/16 bearings in the 100 pack.

Anyone have a good online supplier of these?

thanks

mcmaster.com or niagaracycle.com

I ordered these on Thursday night and got them on Monday.
http://stores.shop.ebay.com/ToolSupply__W0QQ_armrsZ1QQ_fsubZ111291
If anybody cares to know, it takes 24x3/16" per race to swap out caged for loose balls in a 1" Tange Levin headset, per Barnett's "jumbled minus two" method.

Grade 25 and 200 available here at reasonable costs. I'd advise the 25's though. The chromium ones - not the carbon steel.

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?id=180244260661&c=Bearings&sc=Loose-Ball

I'd also suggest you bookmark this site. It has everything. Just about. Good folks there in Ashland, OR.

thanks, looks like a good 'one stop shop' for bearings and other bike parts.

Ceramic bearings can be built to a grade 5 standard but these will only benefit highly competitive types that are using top quality components.

Grade 25 bearings are pretty much all you need and most folks will not be able to tell the difference between grades of 25-100 unless they are princesses.

For some reason I,m pretty sure the gold are ceramic coated and they should be alternated on reinstall and I don't remember how I know that. Also there is a special grease called "klubber" sp. for ceramic bearings, not cheap, believe its german and hard to come by. Used it when I was machine tool field service eng.

they could be special. But i have my doubts, as the wheel i bought was more of a low end 27". When i get some new bearings, i should have a mechanic look at the things to figure it out.

thanks all for the bearing sources.

Forget those gold-colored ones. Just measure your bearings, and get a 100-bag of Grade 25 -Chromium bb's to match.

Forget those gold-colored ones. Just measure your bearings, and get a 100-bag of Grade 25 -Chromium bb's to match.

Broke a spoke, so pulled the rear wheel. Checked the bearings and now they are all chrome. Some how the gold coloring has worn off or changed after regreasing the hub the first time.

So i grab some Grade 25 chrome bb and pack it all up. My guess is that the wheel may have been old or something in the original grease discolored the thing.


thanks