I have a MAX IV and I don't want to pay to much for bearings (inner) and (outer). I hhave been just looking online and found several affordable prices for 1 1/4 bearings. My issue is I'm not sure which bearings to trust and which ones to stear clear of. So my question is what experiences have you had and what is your opinion and suggestions.
Think of production costs... Bearings run from about $8 to hundreds of dollars each. Assume a moderate price of around $30 each for factory supplied ones. To go up in price from there the bearings are typically made to tighter tolerances making them cost more....really not necessary for our machines. Going down in price, they are often made from a more brittle steel and I've had a few failures. Either the lock ring breaks the eccentric portion off, or it catastrophically fails. That said, I have been buying from Buffalo Bearing, approx $13 each for the 62mm, and $18 each for 72mm. I also like to order a spare or two to have on hand just in case. Don't get me wrong here, all bearings can and will fail. It just becomes a matter of what you are comfortable with.....are bearings priced twice as much worth a 10% less chance of failure? (prices and failure rates are for emphasis only)
Thanks buggyman . Is the sizes you posted the correct size of the bearings in my max IV
I largely agree with Buggyman. I started out buying the best bearings I could afford, but after having several failures I went cheap and the failure rate was about the same. I have settled in on whatever middle of the road bearing they sell me from Buffalo Bearing. Our machines produce some of the worst possible conditions for a bearing.
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So can you please give me a product numbers from buffalo bearing that will work with my max IV
Older MaxIV's used all 62mm bearings, and newer ones use 72mm for the outers.
Part#'s are 206-20 R3 for 62mm and 207-20 R3 for 72mm.
The 206/207 is the bearing O.D. (62/72mm)
The 20 is the I.D. (1 1/4")
The R3 is the triple seal.
Please clarify... Older vs newer is 2000/2001 years? Also, mine being a 2005, it would use 62 inners and 72 outers? Thanks.
That's a good question Rusty....R.I. made several changes from about 1997-2001. Solid axles, splined axles, stronger frames, rectangular headlights, O-ring chain, bearings, wheels, etc. Different models got different changes in different years. I think it is safe to say that pre 1997 is older, and post 2001 is newer.
Talking with Dan from RI a few years ago, he mentioned the bearings they use have more grease put into them from the factory than normal off the shelf bearings. The grease fittings and the stamped steel flanges don't really put any grease into the bearing itself.
That being said, I use a needle point grease gun and pre-lube the bearings before I use them. I use a marine synthetic grease that I highly doubt will ever come out of the bearing. I buy bearings from Shopping.
I use a grease needle also, but you have to be careful as the pressure can blow out the seals. I've had that happen and had to press the seals back into place.....carefully!
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