Originally Posted by
jehjr68
I have noticed the same thing. In my instance, the bearings are very smooth until the axle is inserted. That tells me that the plastic inserts that hold the bearings don't locate the axis of the axle properly. Basically side loading the bearings when you force the axle through. That causes these plain bearings to bind up a bit and feel gritty. I have tried many different bearings and new plastic bit with the same observation. You can feel the bit of resistance as the axle is pushed through the bearings. It seems a bit better with the 3mm (centered) position though.
OK, I understand this and it is exactly what I experienced. What can be done to align the bearings to reduce side load on the bearings. I would like to have a one piece spindle to eliminate this issue. I am really loving this chassis and this is the only area that I feel needs some attention. The old architecture was very good for bearing alignment.
I am going to look at this tonight to see what I can do.