Bearings,wheels, and spindles.

wyattpowers

New member
Messages
14
Reaction score
1
Location
Las Vegas
Hello everyone. I have a question. I picked up a kart. Boy are my arms tired.lol.
Seriously though. The wheels were loose and wobbling. I accredited it to worn bearings. So I got some 5/8 I'd bearings and they didn't fit. Too small. So I got 3/4. Too big. What are other options? Is it a metric/standard thing or what?
 

EpsilonZero

...still cheaper than a boat!
Messages
395
Reaction score
182
You need to measure the old bearings for inner diameter, outer diameter, and thickness. If they are flanged, you'll need the same or maybe you can get away with a c-clip. You can pick up a digital caliper cheap at a hardware store.
 

wyattpowers

New member
Messages
14
Reaction score
1
Location
Las Vegas
You need to measure the old bearings for inner diameter, outer diameter, and thickness. If they are flanged, you'll need the same or maybe you can get away with a c-clip. You can pick up a digital caliper cheap at a hardware store.
Thank you for taking the time to read and reply. The old bearings didn't fit either. They were 3/4. I thought 5/8 was the only other option. Too small.
 

madprofessor

"Loose Cannon Creations"
Messages
2,899
Reaction score
888
Location
Jacksonville, Florida
Spindle axles normally change size by 1/8" in diameter. If new 5/8" won't slide onto axle, and new 6/8" (3/4") is sloppy on axle, then get new spindles with either 5/8" or 3/4" axles.
If you mean the bearings won't fit into the wheels, we need to know for certain what O.D. of bearings is, forget the I.D. for that, and what the I.D. of the wheels themselves are.
As Epsilon said, a DIGITAL caliper can be had cheap. Do not be tempted to buy a cheap $5 ruler-type caliper, you can't ever accurately read small enough increments. Harbor Freight has a 6" digital made of composite on their website for $9.
 

wyattpowers

New member
Messages
14
Reaction score
1
Location
Las Vegas
Thank you for your time. I have ran into this problem a few times. Every time it involves some aged spindles. I'll let ya know how it turns out. Much obliged.
 

Bansil

Painter of gnomes....
Messages
1,360
Reaction score
914
Location
Mnts of the farthest NE TN you can go
Spindle axles normally change size by 1/8" in diameter. If new 5/8" won't slide onto axle, and new 6/8" (3/4") is sloppy on axle, then get new spindles with either 5/8" or 3/4" axles.
If you mean the bearings won't fit into the wheels, we need to know for certain what O.D. of bearings is, forget the I.D. for that, and what the I.D. of the wheels themselves are.
As Epsilon said, a DIGITAL caliper can be had cheap. Do not be tempted to buy a cheap $5 ruler-type caliper, you can't ever accurately read small enough increments. Harbor Freight has a 6" digital made of composite on their website for $9.
Venier calipers, ht. Stands etc. Are very accurate if you know to calibrate and know how to read them.
Biggest problem with dial calipers is people don't know how to use them and what their there limitations are.

I see way to many people that use them like a wrench...way too much pressure combined with sloppiness in caliper can give readings easily. .005 off
For me with mine I trust them to +/- .002 id and od, anything closer gets micrometer or dial bore gage.
Didn't mean to hijack or ramble....sorry 😬
 

madprofessor

"Loose Cannon Creations"
Messages
2,899
Reaction score
888
Location
Jacksonville, Florida
Vernier caliper is indeed the correct industry word, Wyatt. Made up the "ruler-type" description off the cuff when I couldn't remember that.
Dial caliper that Bansil mentions gets no better rating from me, although hugely more accurate. Since the first time I pressed the "Hold" button on a digital where there was no way to see the readout, it's been digital calipers and no other for me since then.
 

machinist@large

Active member
Messages
2,856
Reaction score
2
Location
West Michigan, 49331
Vernier caliper is indeed the correct industry word, Wyatt. Made up the "ruler-type" description off the cuff when I couldn't remember that.
Dial caliper that Bansil mentions gets no better rating from me, although hugely more accurate. Since the first time I pressed the "Hold" button on a digital where there was no way to see the readout, it's been digital calipers and no other for me since then.
Bansil hit the nail on the head; if properly trained, using properly maintained equipment, vernier calipers and height gage's can easily do serious aerospace work. The problem is that the average
person most likely has never seen a set of verniers, let alone been trained on how to read them.

As for dial calipers versus digital, it all comes down to price, as well as how well they've been maintained. I'm a CNC machinist for a living; I've still got the 12 inch Mititoyo dial calipers that I bought bought over thirty years ago that are still accurate; one of the younger guys who doesn't really seem to care about his tools has a set of Mititoyo digital calipers that are less than five years old that he's totally beat into the ground that QC is about to ban from use due to inaccuracies showing up in some of his work.

As for which set of calipers to buy from Harbor Freight, stay away from the composite one's, spend the extra ten dollars and get the better stainless steel set. I bought a set years ago when I was an on site machine repairman just so I'd have something to check bearings and seals with that wouldn't break the bank if they came up missing; while you can definitely tell that they're cheap, they're actually fairly accurate, and the part that really surprised me is how well they've held up. They're definitely more than adequate for anyone getting into the karting hobby, and won't break the bank.
 

machinist@large

Active member
Messages
2,856
Reaction score
2
Location
West Michigan, 49331
12 in mity's from 30years ago....money bags babe...

:sifone:


I bought my 1st 6 in in 93 or so also picked up 1-3 brown & Sharpe mic set...

26 years later I'm QC manager, calibrating everyone's stuff..
.small world.
My fortune's may be seriously reduced from 10+ years ago (tool set as well), but I still take as much care of my tools as ever. My QC dept. at work trust my better grade Chinese mic's more than some of the guys name brand tools that have been beaten into the ground. Especially since if I've got a question about a really tight tolerance, I'll head for the lab and double check my calibration with the shops master references. Dirt cheap insurance. I'm not afraid to double check the calibration on the on board probing systems we have on all of the CNC mill's as well. When in doubt, check out a ring gage.

Oh, and the Mititoyo cali's? They're some of the last of the .200" per rev dial type; the #1reason I'm probably going to have to get a new set is because they're just plain getting harder and harder to read!!!! This getting old crap is getting old.......
 
Last edited:

Hellion

Disc brakes are for cowards
Messages
5,371
Reaction score
710
Location
Location: Location:
 
Top