Originally Posted by
Pompiere
Whenever I have replaced the cage with loose balls, it was pretty obvious when I had the correct amount of balls. With the balls neatly lined up around the cup there will be a small space left that is too small to fit one more ball.
+1 I like to pack the cup with grease, lay the bearings in, then take the spindle and give a spin or two. This assures that the bearings are seated properly and makes any gap pretty obvious.