Choice bearing type wheel

[silva]

My current travel bicycle, designed to take heavy loads (that is how it is advertised), has wheels with ceramic bearings, the last mounted brand is "Union". I have now a second failure, and just like the first time, it"s quite sudden, from no play to substantial play in 1 go. The first was like out of nothing, the current has had 2 stages, nothing to play but not that much, I rode 2 months further with it, keeping an eye on it, then last sunday, play suddenly doubled. For me that's a problem, because I want to get back home without calling help.
On
https://www.carterbearings.co.uk/technical/technical-articles/what-are-ceramic-bearings-
I read this:

Sensitive to Thermal Shock

Ceramic bearings have lower load capacities in comparison to metals and are sensitive to thermal shock. Thermal shock is when the temperature gradient within the material causes a differential expansion, which results in an internal stress. This stress can exceed the strength of the material thus forming a crack.

Lower load capacities, and I use the bike all the time with lotsa load.
Also alot in city, with elevated bicycle strokes it"s all bumping up and down, even outside cities.
What I experienced, it's like formation of cracks. One causes play, an additional increases it. One, another, hence the sudden nature.
So I think now to ask replacement by non ceramic type, even if it wears faster, because I consider seeing a failure coming in time, more important.
Thoughts?

 

[fossyant]

Just get some decent stainless. Pointless getting ceramic. SKF will do you ! Assuming you have cartridge bearings.

 

[Ian H]

Just get some decent stainless. Pointless getting ceramic. SKS will do you ! Assuming you have cartridge bearings.

This ^

 

[silva]

Ok, I'm gonna ask to replace with such, also SKS, if the dealers default suppliers provide that brand.
Thanks.

 

[fossyant]

What's the hub. Piece of cake to replace them.

 

[Ian H]

Virtually all cassette bearings (as they're known in the cycling trade) are off-the-shelf standard items available from any bearing supplier. You just need the tiny number etched on the edge of the outer race.

 

[silva]

What's the hub. Piece of cake to replace them.

The dealers spare rear wheels invoice listed it as:
"Surly Ultra single speed disc silver 13x10mm 36G

 

[fossyant]

The dealers spare rear wheels invoice listed it as:
"Surly Ultra single speed disc silver 13x10mm 36G

This then

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/hubs-other/black-32-surly-ultra-new-road-fixedfree-rear-hub-130mm/

6901 bearings

 

[fossyant]

And a surley video - OK it's converting the older hub to the new hub internals, but it's a piece of cake to dissasemble. End caps look pushed on, then drift the bearings out (tap the opposite side of the axel once the end caps are off).

The music is shockingly bad, so sorry.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIeYBHS4Lks

 

[I like Skol]

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/is-this-a-good-price-for-6000-2rs-sealed-bearings.288996

Worth reading the above thread.

 

[silva]

Mentioned this in my Octalink loosing crank thread.
Dealers answered, he said that he didn't find on the SKF website 6901 bearings in stainless steel and dimensions 12x24x6.
When I search myself I find https://www.dewolfdelft.nl/skf/skf-kogellager-6901-61901-2rs1-12x24x6 though not mentioned there stainless or not.
The brand he mounted and has 3 spares for me, is named "PRC".
Can't find anything about the brand name.
Peoples Republic of China?
He says let us see how these bearings do the job.
I don't want to solve the ceramic bearing specific problem by bringing another problem (low quality bearing, fast wearing).
Anybody knows - experience with "PRC" branded bearings?

 

[classic33]

Why don't you trust the person supplying the bearings to you?

If you still want stainless steel, try
https://www.wychbearings.co.uk/s61901-2rs_stainless_steel_budget.html

 

[silva]

I

Why don't you trust the person supplying the bearings to you?

If you still want stainless steel, try
https://www.wychbearings.co.uk/s61901-2rs_stainless_steel_budget.html

Fossyant said decent stainless, so I hunted for that.
Nevertheless, just found this: https://www.skf.com/au/products/rol...ngs/stainless-steel-deep-groove-ball-bearings

Stainless steel deep groove ball bearings (fig. 1) are corrosion resistant when exposed to moisture and several other media. They are available capped (with seals or shields) or open. Open bearings that are also available capped may have recesses in the ring side faces (fig. 2).

These bearings have a lower load carrying capacity than same-sized bearings made of high chromium steel.

So it's stated that stainless steel has a lower load carrying capacity than high chromium.
And that agrees with all I read so far about stainless. It comes at a cost of about half the mechanical specs.
So if sealings are sealed well, the rust drawback is eliminated, and one may chose high chromium.
So according to SKFs saying here, it looks like I let replaced the ceramic drawback with stainless drawback.
Only difference then may be is that the bearing won't fail as sudden as ceramic.

 

[classic33]

Bearings can just give whatever the material used in making them. You can minimize the chances by looking after the bearings.
They are not a "fit and forget" item.

 

[silva]

What can I do to maintenance them?
Have zero experience there.
It's a cartridge, enclosed, 2 rubber seals, so I don't think I can drip oil or so in them.
I picked up the wheel today. With the "PRC" brand bearing, stainless steel, dealer said he didn't find stainless steels on the SKF site. Maybe that blog had an old link, still product page, but not from menu anymore.
I have 2 spares.
The price per bearing is double the ceramic one (was brand named "Union").