Originally Posted by
HillRider
Well, that shows enough neglect and abuse will indeed damage bearing balls but I wonder what the races in this bottom bracket looked like also. Water incursion, inadequate lubrication and improper clearance settings will ruin any bearing.
Properly maintained and adjusted bearings balls in hubs, bottom brackets and headsets can be reused because what you show hasn't happened to them.
Originally Posted by
JanMM
Very nicely imaged damage. Got any pics of used balls from a well maintained bottom bracket?
Ha ha, I totally agree. Yes, said bottom bracket was badly abused. I wasn't trying to say that bearings shouldn't be reused. My bottom bracket is in tip top form and I would gladly keep using the bearings for many more years. I just though my own personal scientific curiosity might be shared by others. Applying microscopy to things around my home is one of my many nerdy hobbies.
Interestingly, the same bearings show little signs of wear with the naked eye or even at 10x. The damage didn't become visible until 60x.
Edit: Hillrider, I don't know about the races. They looked ok by my eye, but I never put them under the microscope.