🚀 go-pugleaf

> My mistake.  I should have been more precise in my answer.
> 
> My reply was meant to apply to the case of the common, ball-bearing,
> permanently-lubricated variety of rear wheel bearing.  This is the type
> in question in the case described, I believe.  Roller bearings (the type
> usually used on front wheels) will sometimes have a roller break apart
> if you wait too long to replace it.  The result of this is that the wheel
> will look up, and the bearing may very well weld itself to both the spindle
> and the hub.  I have had this happen to me once while driving down the
> freeway, and I would personnally [sic] rather have a front tire blow out than
> have a repeat performance of that!
> 
> If you know what bearings are making the noise, and their type, then you
> can make a decision about whether or not you should wait to replace them.
> If you're in doubt about what is giving the problem, or where it is, it's
> better to get it checked into than to get a rather expensive, and possibly
> dangerous, surprise.
> 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe front bearings are typically taper
bearings, while rear bearings are roller bearings.  Whenever a bearing
starts to make noise, it is subject to catastrophic failure.  I have seen
a rear axle break due to the heat generated by a bad (noisy) rear bearing.

Whenever a bearing starts to make noise, get it fixed.  You are playing
Russian roulette if you don't.

Brian Jones  aka  {ihnp4,}!drutx!qwerty  @  AT&T-IS, Denver
-- 

Brian Jones  aka  {ihnp4,}!drutx!qwerty  @  AT&T-IS, Denver