Check your cart bearings

[Marsha Cassada]

Had a flat last night on my cart and it was the valve stem causing the problem. While my husband had the wheel off to change the tube he checked the bearings and discovered they were shot. Another mile or two and my whole wheel would have had to be replaced. He asked me if I had noticed the noise of the bad bearing, and I seem to remember hearing something but was so focused on my horse that I can't say for sure. Ordered more bearings from Jerald's today, as no driving the cart until they are replaced.

Now he needs to get the wheels off the old sulky and see if they have a problem, too. Last night we assumed that all 20" wheels had the same bearings so he didn't check them, but today after calling around, I learned differently.

 

[txminipinto]

What do bad bearings sound like?

 

[Minxiesmom]

How do you check them and what do you look for?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

If you spin the wheel and hear noise, like loose metal or filings rattling. They generally do not take grease, but are simply replaced when worn out.

 

[Connie Ballard]

You could hear or feel different things, depending on what is going bad with your wheel bearings. Sometimes you will hear a slight squeak or shooshing sound of something rubbing. Some manufacturers use bearing races which is a ring that holds the ball bearings then it is laid into the wheel hub....others use loose bearings in the hub.

I had a brand new, never driven Houghton took it to a show, went in the ring and by the 2nd corner in the showring...felt like I was driving over rumble strips on the highway edge. It made the cart vibrate and made a slight roaring noise.

I finished the class...thankful for a well trained horse...lol. Tim pulled the wheel off back at the stalls and there was CHROME chips from the wheel hub around the bearings. Houghton had chromed the inside of the hub and it was peeling off as I drove for the very 1st time...friction I guess. Luckly the owners of Houghton were at the show, so I sent it back with them. (I was selling Houghtons at the time). Was a strange experience feeling the whole cart vibrate so hard...felt like when you are on a riding horse and it does a shake!