Bad mini bearing?

[guitarlp 0]

I have a quick question that hopefully someone can shed some lite on for me. My skates came with mini bearings and so far everything has been fine. Until about 2 weeks ago. I've skated on these bearings through 5 or 6 games now and I noticed my back wheel would barely spin (while all the others spun friction free). I took out the bearings and while one bearing was fine the other one doesn't want to spin at all. I can get it to spin around while in my hand, but there's a lot of friction. The bearing will spin maybe 1/10 of the way around and then stop. Then it takes some pressure to spin it another 1/10. Hopefully this makes sense.

So my question is... is it a bad bearing or a dirty bearing? The 15 other bearings spin perfectly... so I can't see just this one bearing being so dirty it won't spin anymore. I mean... if that was the case, this would slowly happen right?

My thought is that the Labeda Genesis Wheels I had on my skates had mis sized hubs and I had a little movement where the bearing could move around. I think maybe that slight bit of movement was just enough to warp the bearing or something inside.

What are your thoughts? Dirty? Possibly broken bearing? I don't have a cleaning kit... but I can always get one. Although if it's broken i'd rather just find a place or someone with a used mini bearing (that or contact TOUR to see if it would be under warranty).

[#96 0]

Two things come to mind, being as it is that I have Code 1's too:

1) Try to open up the bearing sheild and clean them out. It's really not the hard. Find the gap along the shield wall, insert a pin or something small, and pop it out. Look for any dust, dents, something like that. Then throw in a dab of lube, oil...NOT WD40! Put the shield back on, then see if they spin.

2) I have had PROBLEMS with my Genesis wheels and the hubs cracking. Although Labeda sent me 2 replacement wheels, more have since cracked. There is a possibility that due the spacer sizing issue, coupled with the hubs cracking, that the resultant "sliding" effect may have caused uncessary pressure on the bearings and damaged them somehow.

I would try to exhaust all possibilities before contacting Tour or Bevo or whoever. They are just gonna ask you do check the bearings anyway.

Look for dust, lube them up...also inspect the sheild (I beleive it is red colored on my bearings). See if it's dented at all. That can happen, it would cause the bearings not to spin.

[guitarlp 0]

Two things come to mind, being as it is that I have Code 1's too:

1) Try to open up the bearing sheild and clean them out. It's really not the hard. Find the gap along the shield wall, insert a pin or something small, and pop it out. Look for any dust, dents, something like that. Then throw in a dab of lube, oil...NOT WD40! Put the shield back on, then see if they spin.

2) I have had PROBLEMS with my Genesis wheels and the hubs cracking. Although Labeda sent me 2 replacement wheels, more have since cracked. There is a possibility that due the spacer sizing issue, coupled with the hubs cracking, that the resultant "sliding" effect may have caused uncessary pressure on the bearings and damaged them somehow.

I would try to exhaust all possibilities before contacting Tour or Bevo or whoever. They are just gonna ask you do check the bearings anyway.

Look for dust, lube them up...also inspect the sheild (I beleive it is red colored on my bearings). See if it's dented at all. That can happen, it would cause the bearings not to spin.

Alrightly. I remove the shields and everything in the inside looked fine. No dirt, dust, or anything besides the bearings inside. I also couldn't see any dents. I didn't add any oil because all I have with me now is WD40.

Also, I tried spinning the bearings without the shield and they still didn't want to spin... so the shield's not dented. Hmm.... maybe I'll try my local roller store and buy a cleaning kit and see if that fixes it. If not.... then it must just be a bad bearing.

[#96 0]

Must be a REALLY BAD bearing...no dents, no dust, yet still won't spin. Weird.

[guitarlp 0]

Must be a REALLY BAD bearing...no dents, no dust, yet still won't spin. Weird.

Well, brought it into my local hockey store and they told me it was shot. They said it happens all the time with mini bearings. I just picked up a used one from them and I hope the remaining bearings last for me.